Flowering yellow today in the garden

Cassia biflora
Family : Leguminosae - Bean family

Yellow Bells - Tecoma stans
Family: Bignoniaceae - Bignonia family

Of foliage plants in the garden

Red Ti plants provide lively red tonal effects to overall green column of shrubbery and trees
Often times the Red Ti plant refers to the Cordyline terminalis 'Firebrand' . But this species Cordyline fruticosa have foliages in a variety of colour combinations
Location : Side Garden

Blood Banana and Golden Scindapsus

 Looking at the garden this morning I'm excited to see the role of foliage plants.  They add much needed colour to the greenery of the Kambatik garden, besides bio-diversity.  The garden architecture from ground  floor to top storey or canopy can be imaginatively layered or planted with foliage plants.  These plants whether trees, shrubbery, climbers or  herbaceous covers are attractive for their colourful foliages in full tonal or mixed coloration.  Some require shade to do well  while others may not object to semi-shade or full sun conditions.  In today's list I am able to capture the following plants as they exhibit their full potential in the garden this morning.  The plant list are as follows:-
Trees - Blood Banana -  (Musa acuminata spp. zebrina); Sea Cycas - Cycas rumphiiShrubs - Red Ti  - Cordyline fruticosa or Cordyline terminalis (Syn.) ; Croton - Codiaeum variegatumCovers - Golden Scindapsus - Epipremnum aureum or Scindapsus aureus (Syn.); Golden Pandan - Pandanus pygmaeus
           

Variegated Croton - Codiaeum variegatum

Variegated Croton - Codiaeum variegatum

Variegated Croton - Codiaeum variegatum

Sea Cycas - Cycas rumphii with Red Ti in the background

The Sea Cycas can be grown is semi-shade or full sun

Herbaceous cover- not identified yet

Golden Pandan - Pandanus pygmaeus

Note the Variegated Ti plant at forefround (in this case it's variegated green, red and cream combined) with Blood Banana tree at the back

Garden plants

Location: Kambatik garden, Kuching.
Taken on 4 Nov'14
Camera Nikon D5100

Garden in the morning

Congea tomentosa

 Checking out the garden early this morning to see what we have missed. The showy bracts of the Congea tomentosa in colours of mauve pink immediately attracted my attention when I looked up at the bamboo clump.  It was trained to climb the broad-leaved Lumok tree ( Artocarpus odoratissimus) and did a good job of it, seemingly to scramble the bamboo clump next.   Of the palm trees I saw three that produce fruits.  They are the Pinang tree (Arecha catechu) or Betel-nut palm,  (from which came the name 'Penang' island), The Yellow Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) and the Carpentaria Palm (Carpentaria acuminata).  Then, there were  the grasshopper, a pipit bird  and a friendly neighbour's cat that made the morning alive with wildlife...

Areca catechu

Chrysalidocarpus lutescens

Carpentaria acuminata,

Grasshopper

A Pipit bird

A neighbour's cat enjoying the lawn

Tidying up the garden

View of main side garden, looking west.

Clippings as mulch

 It has been a very healthy morning.  Been doing the grass cutting of the lawn.  One of the benefits of a good lawn when cut low is the by-product of the cutting operation  called clippings.  Here I re-cycle the clippings as mulch.  Nothing should go to waste.  It took me a good 30 minutes job to cut the grass with the mechanical bush cutter.  The clippings are swept with a rake and then placed around the bases of plants.  Only when I have excess clippings do I use them as burning material for burnt earth.  I am showing below the list of basic  equipments for this morning's grass cutting operation and garden maintenance works.  The list includes the bush cutter, rake, hoe, hand pruner, 'parang' (Malay to mean matchet),  basket, saw, ground chisel and safety spectacles or goggles.

Seedling of the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) with grass clippings  placed around its base.

I have planted three seedlings of the Foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) which I raised from seeds at the side garden facing the porch.  They have been planted early in the year,  They seem to be growing at a slow pace which is quite alright for me because I have already some tall palm trees in the garden.  These Foxtail palms will add to the variety of palm collection  in the garden.

Tools and equipments for grass cutting and general garden maintenance job

Pleasant welcome from Mussaenda Calcutta

Mussaenda Calcutta and Red Ti leaves provided a cheerful welcome to visitors of the gaarden.

Mussaenda Calcutta

 What a pleasant welcome to the garden on this 51st trip to Kuching.  The multi-coloured Mussaenda 'Calcutta' greeted us the morning after.  There are other plants of interest of which I'll blog in days later.  We are missing our Kuching garden greatly and I'm hoping to do lots more of maintenance works to the garden this time around in order to prime it up. The greenery was a real attraction and it seemed the mussaenda shrub had brightened the front side garden with its pastel yellow and mild orange colours.  The Red Ti (Cordyline terminalis) leaves were an attractive addition to the lively mood of the garden too....  So happy to be back in Kuching!

Front side garden - lots of greenery and colour