My little vegetable garden: bakawali

Showing posts with label bakawali. Show all posts

Sunday, April 20, 2014

The end of a phase. - Bakawali

Bakawali flower buds decided to bloom the same night on 11th of April 2014. We didn't take the pots inside to view the blooming process. However, the night earlier, we did take one small pot in, enjoying the fragrance of one blooming bakawali. When all the five flowers bloomed the following night, we went out once a while to view the beauty and fragrance. The bakawali giveaways kept by Farah our eldest daughter in Jitra also bloomed the same night. And so did another plant kept by Siti in Bangi. I suppose plants talk to their siblings and plan for blooming surprise at three different locations.

I took pictures the next morning,

when flowering process was all over.

The stalks limped,

straightened

by sheer pull of gravity.

12th April 2014 - a day after blooming, all five

After a week, the whole flower from stalk to petals dry up.

It would be a matter of time before the whole thing drop off

as residue of beauty and exotic fragrance.

19th April 2014 - a week after blooming

19th April - a week after blooming

Dry Bakawali flower 19th April 2014
- dry stalk in focus

Dry Bakawali flower 19th April 2014
- dry flower in focus

Dry Bakawali flower - a week after blooming

It is at this stage, that bakawali flowers are said to have medicinal value.

I have never tried though

_____________bangchik and kakdah_____________

my little vegetable garden

SERI KEMBANGAN

- January 2011 ( Bunga Bakawali Blooming, the stages )

- April 2012 (Bunga Bakawali Epiphyllum oxypetalum )

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Bakawali, bud or shoot - week 2

I am still waiting what will eventually happen to the little bud. Is it going to be real bud or a false alarm of shoot. The growth if any is so little for eyes to measure. I do notice more similar buds appearing at other nodes, 5 altogether on the same plant.

Bakawali week 2: previous observations show that buds tend to be thicker
and very much cylindrical. Buds tend to hold for a while
before they slowly elongate as real flower buds.

bakawali week 1

Shoot on the other hand has different character,

at initial stage it's a little bit thinner and grows outward fast.

Other Bakawali week 2: even though shoots appear from nodes too, they grow differently.
Shoots tend to show real zest, darker colour, shooting out as quick as they can
as if in a hurry..

________bangchik and kakdah________

seri kembangan

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Bakawali Epiphyllum oxypetalum flowering stage - week 1

oh Bakawali....

Yes, admittedly I got hooked with Bakawali, a plant which is also known as Night Blooming Cactus, Queen of the Night, or Epiphyllum oxypetalum. I think it's the spectacular flowering that is most memorable. It's beauty and fragrance will envelop the house right to the morning.

From time to time, a little bud will appear at the node of the leaf, then we will count days before it finally opens up with such glorious mood.

We had captured the whole flowering process throughout the night here

- January 2011 ( Bunga Bakawali Blooming, the stages )

- April 2012 (Bunga Bakawali Epiphyllum oxypetalum )

And Kakdah recently noticed a few little buds appearing, so for a change I thought it would be best to follow the progress closely with weekly report.

little bud of bakawali

Bakawali - the branch with tiny buds.

________bangchik and kakdah________

seri kembangan

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Bakawali - Queen of the night at Seri Kembangan home.

It was two weeks ago that we started living at the new home, Seri Kembangan. Last night, bakawali or queen of the night put up an aromatic exotic show. A friend who kept our bakawali giveaway also witnessed similar blooming in Bangi. I suppose to the family of bakawali, they are still connected where ever they are....

Bakawali / 9.40pm

Bakawali / 10.40pm

Bakawali / 11.00pm

bangchik and kakdah

Monday, August 12, 2013

Office Plants

I don't plan for office plants. It's just the way things go and twist. I had been out of Putrajaya city center after October 2010 with a year stint in Tanah Merah Kelantan and another 1 year 8 months in Pasir Gudang Johor. After almost 3 years away, now I am back in Putrajaya.

We cant complain much as we settle down on the 10th floor of an apartment here. Vegetable gardening will definitely take a new turn without the luxury of space I had been enjoying. For now I am venturing into OFFICE PLANTS....

To start with lets share what Laura Hampton had in mind.

1. Plants clean the air

Plants have been scientifically proven to remove harmful toxins and VOCs from the air. These toxins are emitted into our environment, particularly our office spaces, by everyday objects and materials such as computers, printers, clothing and even carpets. By turning these toxins into food for themselves and, in turn, emitting oxygen, plants clean the air we breathe.

2. Plants make us healthier

33 million working days and £16 billion are lost through illness at work each year. One of the effects of the cleaner air produced by plants is that we become healthier. The placement of plants in work spaces has been proven to decrease levels of absenteeism due to sickness and minor ailments such as coughing, colds, sneezing and headaches.

3. Plants make us more productive and efficient

By removing harmful toxins from the air, plants help us to keep a clear head, thus making us more productive. The calming effects of plants reduce stress in the office too, meaning we can spend more time and energy on work and less on being stressed.

4. Plants reduce humidity and conserve energy

Plants create their own micro-climate around them as they absorb heat, reducing the amount of air conditioning necessary and thus saving businesses money.

5. Just one plant can make a big difference

Recent research has proven that just one plant can make a huge difference to the productivity, cleanliness of air, stress levels and environment. Everyone feels more appreciated, happier, healthier and more productive when plants are around.

To find out more about the benefits of plants, or to find an interior landscaper who can meet your indoor planting needs, visit www.efig.eu.com.

and for now three young bakawali

will form

the focal point of

"my green office"

Bakawali, new office plant.

______ bangchik and kakdah ______

putrajaya

Monday, February 18, 2013

Bakawali dalam pasu.

Our Bakawali had gone to many places, Kuala Lumpur, Pantai Remis Perak and Felda Nenering as giveaways. I had been here in Pasir Gudang Johor for slightly over a year, and within that short period the original single Bakawali plant had swell to almost a hundred at various stages of growth. It's a delicate plant with most exotic fragrant flower. They never stop to amaze me.

Bakawali in pots 1 year old

Bakawali in pots 1 year old, had just bloomed

Bakawali in pots 1 year old

soft delicate young leaves of bakawali

young bakawali 2 month old

Bakawali, 8 month old

One thing I have not tried is putting Bakawali in the ground, probably around the trunk of a large tree. That would provide different adventure. However growing bakawali in pots is still the best with all the flexibility.

______Bangchik and Kakdah______

pasir gudang JOHOR

Monday, October 15, 2012

Bakawali changed it's schedule.

So I thought I know all. I had formed some mental conclusions that bakawali is a plant of extreme rigidity and precision, that it will start it's blooming process from dusk and everything will end by dawn, a nocturnal flowering. This particular bakawali wish to be different, showing it has a will of it's own, controlling when to bloom and when to end.

Bakawali flowers: four of them

Bakawali flowers, well spread.....

pictures were taken early in the morning around 8 am

after the last two had finished blooming.

There were four of them, coming out at different nodes of a single leaf. One bloomed earliest, followed by another the next night and the other two the third night. These flowers seemed to open much later than normal. Previous blooming started around 7 pm. Withe these it was much later, around 10 pm.

It was fun to watch how the stalk and flowers all spaced out nicely, no neck twisting or locking. The distance between the four were almost the same, like a synchronized blooming show..... and that is NATURE..

bangchik and kakdah

mylittlevegetablegarden

Saturday, May 12, 2012

another bunga bakawali

I realised that we are keeping two different types of pokok bakawali. The earlier one has softer leaves, quite flexible that one can almost roll and fold the leaves .. The other one has stiffer and tough leaves.

The first variety we had been keeping which had been propogated to more than 10 new plants, originally was a gift from my younger sister Rosiah. She stayed in Pantai Remis Perak. The blooming stage of this plant had been featured twice here (Bunga Bakawali Blooming, the stages. January 17, 2011) and
and here ( Bunga Bakawali Epiphyllum oxypetalum April 30, 2012).

The second variety was given by Fiza, Kakdah's friend during Tanah Merah days. The plant had bloomed twice before but always during our absence. I was around for the third blooming and surprisingly three bloomed simultaneously. Kakdah was away on Cambodia Peace Mission for 4 days. There's no fun doing time lapse shooting alone, therefore I just took a couple of shots through various angles. It was Thursday 10th of May 2012.

bunga bakawali

bunga bakawali:

10th may 2012 bunga bakawali: THE SECOND VARIETY, thin and long petals
and with spiky look.

30th april 2012 bunga bakawali: THE FIRST VARIETY, very compact,
nicely layered.

Of the two variety, the first is more pleasant to look at and the aroma is fantastic. The second is a bit skeletal and longish, lacking on fragrance. The experts would know the name of each, but I wouldn't, it's all bakawali first and second type to me, A blogger friend CBSR had booked bakawali seedlings for her new Bangi House, and I didn't tell her about 40 bakawali seedlings at our backyard. Kakdah is just back from Cambodia Peace Mission trip, and today is her birthday!

bangchik and kakdah

pasir gudang johor

Monday, April 30, 2012

Bunga Bakawali Epiphyllum oxypetalum

A time lapse photo shots of our recent bakawali. I have to thank you Izyan, Sadon, Saiful, Salim, Jaja and Nizam. They took turns to look after the whole video and photo sessions, and viewed for themselves the rare bakawali blooming and smelled for themselves the extravagant fragrance. Erina from Putrajaya who happened to be here popped in to see a part of the process.

I remembered about a blogger friend who asked for 4 bunga bakawali as traditional treatment for her sick brother. Kakdah will dry the flower , and will soon get 3 more for her.

But the whole flowering process is unique, opening just for the night....