MY LITTLE GARDEN

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Adenium

This new Adenium is new addition in my garden. The flowers are in dark red colour. Previously I had a pink Adenium which died due to prolong rain season. I was very late to bring the pot to shaded area. By the time I realize it was already having rot root. I bought another pink Adenium but it's not so healthy looking plant.

As the rain season started I bring in the pot to save it. It's happy with the location I guess that it's flowering.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Neem tree update

Neem or commonly known as Veppalai in tamil is important tree in Ayurvedic medicine. We use it very often in Indian normal remedies.

Uses ( from Wikipedia)

All parts of the tree are said to have medicinal properties (seeds, leaves, flowers and bark) and are used for preparing many different medical preparations.

The chemical constituents nimbidin and nimbin have some spermicidal activity

Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, neem shampoo, balms and creams such as Margo soap) and many oral health products.

Besides its use in traditional Indian medicine, the neem tree is of great importance for its anti-desertification properties and possibly as a good carbon dioxide sink.
Practitioners of traditional Indian medicine recommend that patients with chicken pox sleep on neem leaves.

Neem gum is used as a bulking agent and for the preparation of special purpose food.

Traditionally, slender neem branches have been chewed to clean one's teeth. Neem twigs are still collected and sold in markets for this use, and in India one often sees youngsters in the streets chewing on neem twigs.

Neem blossoms are used in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to prepare Ugadi pachhadi. "Bevina hoovina gojju" (a type of curry prepared with neem blossoms) is common in Karnataka throughout the year. Dried blossoms are used when fresh blossoms are not available. In Tamilnadu, a rasam (veppam poo rasam) made with neem blossoms is a culinary specialty.

A mixture of neem flowers and bella (jaggery or unrefined brown sugar) is prepared and offered to friends and relatives, symbolic of sweet and bitter events in the upcoming new year.

Extract of neem leaves is thought to be helpful as malaria prophylaxis despite the fact that no comprehensive clinical studies are yet available. In several cases, private initiatives in Senegal were successful in preventing malaria

Friday, January 27, 2012

Butterfly

To tell the truth, I seldom have the chance to snap butterfly photos! They just move very fast! Last weekend, I saw a lot of butterflies in my garden mainly on my winged beans. May be the flower's nectar is very sweet! I saw few yellow butterflies and this dotted butterflies! It's a joy to see them around even though the caterpillars are not really welcomed in my garden.....

However, I only manage to take this 2 shots...sigh.... It's moving so fast for me take a picture!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sunflower - collecting seeds

Sunflowers are drying up now in my garden. I cut few of the flowers and manage to dry it despite of the rainy season.

The big flower head is totally wet by the rain yesterday after I dry it fully for the past 2 days! sigh....

Few of the seeds already given or sent to my friends and relative. It's such a joy to share own seeds actually!

How is your sunflower doing?

Friday, January 20, 2012

Beans & CNY Wishes!

It's been very long since I have beans in the garden. Mainly because I always end up with 0% germination or the plant die very soon without any reason. May be the weather is too hot to be planted here.

After so long I tried again sowing them.

I manage to germinate 3 green beans. I planted them in an area which is partially shaded by the Mango tree. The price of green beans in my market today is about RM10 / kg ( about USD 3.33) . That's very expensive!

Green beans is learning to climb now. Grasshopper already tasted the leaves.