Hazy Sky, Dry Garden

By Stephanie
The haze is back :-(

In times like this, I just wanted to stay at home. But at the same time, I am so glad I garden... I can count on my plant to supply me with better air to inhale while bringing some cheers ;-)

The little blooms from my Cryptanthus that are hiding at the back have been taking turns to blossom. The clump is at least three years old now and it gets bigger and bigger. My friend once asked if this plant is from the Jurassic days. Funny how she could think of that?




These days the blooms in the garden tend to last longer... no rain to smash them up and the sun is less intense (filtered by the haze!). These petals of Gloxinia had stayed fresh for about a week...



I enjoyed watching how my hoya flowers develop -- from tiny, little buds transforming into a bunch of full-sized wax-type flowers.



Also, my blue and white Plumbagos were and are still loving the current climate. Their flowers just grow more and more by the days... 





My little pot of Portulaca plants gave me a little surprise recently. They have been sending out orange flowers. One day I found pink ones appearing, followed by a mixed-colour one...





Two weeks ago, I transplanted some Oxalis bulbs into a white pot. It is so good to see new leaves starting to pop up from the soil :-D


The butterfly below really knows where is the best place to rest... the garden! I think the insect is loving the oxygen released from the leaf of my Petrea volubilis plant, commonly known as Sandpaper Vine...


Well, not all my plants are flourishing well. Some shrivelled when I didn't realize they needed more water due to the drier surroundings. I hope it will not happen to my new succulents. 



The old succulents meanwhile are placed on a rack on the opposite side of my porch. Notice an over-grown cactus below?



The stem is sending out fine roots from the joints...



Time to take this stem to grow a new cactus :-) Have a great week, everyone!