GBBD - October & Wishes

It's been a month since my last post. How times flies!

It's been hot sunny day with little rain. Not so heavy rain with flood like in North Malaysia though.

Let's see what's in the bloom in my garden lately.

Roses had few blooms but I was too late to capture them.

The white flowers are in abundance!

Balsam, my favorite childhood plant having a show now. they are really colorful!

Adenium long lasting flowers in pink !

How did I miss 3 blooms from my Gerbera!

Bougainvillea after a trimming section.

Ever-lasting flower of  Mussaenda! The flowers are decorating the front garden!

Hibiscus with many blooms

The next to Hibiscus are the Costus with lipstick like flower stalks!

Those above are the blooms in my garden!

This Wednesday , Hindu will be celebrating Deepavali/ Diwali.

Happy Deepavali/Diwali to all Hindu blogger. Hope everyone have good time with loved one!

This is my post for GBBD October month. For more flowers feel free to visit May dream at http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Balsam plant

Few years back I had Balsam plants everywhere in the garden! It's very colourful and I like to collect their seeds pod! Once the pod ripen, it will pop! 

Out of my negligence during my pregnancy, I lost all of them. It was too late when I realise I don't have single plant in the garden. I was also not sure how all of the plants went missing.

I was searching high and low for this plant and finally last month I found the seeds in neighbourhood garden. I brave myself to ask the neighbour for the seeds even though I never talked to her before! Her house was 2 streets away from mine. She was very kind to share some seeds with me! After all gardeners are kind to share seeds!! ;)

Now I have little Balsam seedling growing in my garden! It's really a joyful ending to my hunt of Balsam!

Bunch of Balsam

I have problem to access to blogspot! Do anyone else having same problem? The page don't appear and  I could not update my blog! I can't visit my fellow blogger blog and make comments!......sigh......

Anyway I would like to share my balsam plant with you! For about a year my balsam don't do well! No seeds were produced too! I thought that the end of Balsam in my garden. Surprisingly few months back they emerge back, compete with the grass and become lush! It produces so much of seed pods too!

Something must have make them change mind? May be they are pity to leave me! hahhaaa......

Balsam

Balsam have pretty little flowers in red, white, pink , etc. They are pretty easy growing plants. I have many of them in the past and with a lot of seeds pod.

Unfortunately once I transplanted them to their dedicated flower bed early this year, the plant become leggy and no seeds pod produced. I'm not sure if the soil is the reason as the flower bed soil is rich with hummus and it's soft compare to flower bed which is mix between clay and black soil.

Finally after so long, I see their seedling near vegetable bed again and it has produce a lot of seed pods!

Tamil New Year wishes

Balsam are easy growing plant. Just sow the seeds and they grow and cheer you up with beautiful flowers! They self seed easily too! Try to grow Balsam if you have limited time! ;)

I would like to Wish "HAPPY TAMIL NEW YEAR" to all the Indian ! Hope we have a prosperous year ahead!

May be some might wonder why Indians New year is totally different. Indian calender is based on solar. I have an explanation below ( from Wiki) :

" The Tamil New Year follows the Nirayanam vernal equinox and generally falls either on 13 or 14 April of the Gregorian year. 13 or 14 April marks the first day of the traditional Tamil calendar and is a public holiday in both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Tropical vernal equinox fall around 22 March, and adding 23 degrees of trepidation or oscillation to it, we get the Hindu sidereal or Nirayana Mesha Sankranti (Sun's transition into Nirayana Aries).


Hence, the Tamil calendar begins on the same date observed by most traditional calendars in India as in Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Mithila, Orissa, Punjab, Tripura etc. not to mention Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The 60-year cycle is ancient and is observed by most traditional calendars of India and China, and is related to 5 revolutions of Jupiter, or to 60-year orbit of Nakshatras (stars) as described in the Surya Siddhanta.


This year , the traditional Tamil year starts on 13 April 2012, Kaliyuga 5114. Vikrama and Shalivahana Saka eras are also used. There are several references in early Tamil literature to the April new year. Nakkirar, the author of the Nedunalvaadai writes in the 3rd century that the Sun travels from Mesha/Chitterai through 11 successive Raasis or signs of the zodiac. Kūdalūr Kizhaar in the 3rd century refers to Mesha Raasi/Chitterai as the commencement of the year in the Puranaanooru.The Tolkaapiyam is the oldest surviving Tamil grammar that divides the year into six seasons where Chitterai marks the start of the Ilavenil season or summer. The 8th century Silappadikaaram mentions the 12 Raasis or zodiac signs starting with Mesha/Chitterai. The Manimekalai alludes to the Hindu solar calendar as we know it today. Adiyarkunalaar, an early medieval commentator or Urai-asiriyar mentions the 12 months of the Tamil calendar with particular reference to Chitterai. There were subsequent inscriptional references in Pagan, Burma dated to the 11th century CE and in Sukhothai, Thailand dated to the 14th century CE to South Indian. "

balsam & Festive wishes!

During my childhood, Balsam plant was very popular. Most of the house garden have them and they self seeds everywhere so easily. Now i seldom see them.

I grow balsam for their pretty flowers and for the medical function they have! Last week i prepared a new place for them and transplanted most of them. 2 of them are left at my vegetable bed area as they are outside the brick. I will show to you once i completed the area. Do you grow Balsam?

Anyway MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my Christian Bloggers!  Hope you enjoy your day with your loved one!

Balsam

On my mind today

I read some of the benefits from internet:

Different parts of the plant are used to treat disease and skin afflctions; the leaves, seeds, and stems are also edible if cooked. Juice from balsam leaves treats warts and also snakebite, while the flower can be applied to burns to cool the skin.Impatiens balsamina L. has been used as indigenous medicine in Asia for the treatment of rheumatism, fractures, and fingernail inflammation. In Korean folk medicine Impatiens ('Bong Seon Wha Dae') has been used to cure constipation and acute gastritis by meat. One in vitro study found Impatiens, especially the seed pod to have antibacterial activity against Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant Helicobacter pylori. It inhibits 5alpha-reductase, so may have potential medicinal use in male BPH/LUTs. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, and has become naturalised and invasive on several Pacific Ocean islands

.

Balsam

The first batch of Balsam were Tall and the stems were fat too. They were half of my height!

The 2nd generation of Balsam are never tall like their mother! Somehow it stay low. half the height of their parents. The fertilizing and watering are almost the same. I wonder why..... may be some message was sent through the genetic codes to the seeds i guess! ;-)



Their flowers are still pretty!

  

Balsam

I planted Balsam for fun actually without knowing the medical benefit of the plant!

Balsam leaves can be used for ingrown nail treatment and nail infection. Usually ingrown nail and nail infection make the area swollen, red, and sometimes with discharge. Long time ago i read about this in Petunia blog. I never really bother to detail out until my son complain about his painful ingrown toe nail which make his toe swollen, red and painful.

Usually doctor will subscribe antibiotic if there are discharge but i made option B. I took few balsam leaves, mashed it and applied on his toe. Surprisingly the infection got better in 3 days. There are still little redness and swollen area but it's much better! The only side effect i found is the leaves colour your nail in Orange like "Inai"! Later i found out that some people do use this leaves for nail colouring besides "Inai leaf"!

Now i know what to do if my family get this nail problem!



It's so tall that the rain make in fall to the ground

I just love my Balsam plant more now!

Balsam Flowering!

My Balsam plants have started to flower! Just few days back i was standing in front of this plant and wondering when would it bloom! I guess Balsam have read my mind!

The progress of balsam that i have posted :

Seeds from Singapore!!!!!!  on 24th June 2010

Baby Balsam!  on 22nd July 2010

Many memories of childhood is lingering around me now!

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Baby Balsam!

Many little babies of balsam have emerge in my garden bed ! They had nice shower last night! I just can't wait to see the Balsam flowers dangling arround in my little garden!

Balsam in the pot. I will transfer it to the ground this weekend!