BRUGMANSIA & DATURA

Brugmansia with buds

The Nightshade Family Solanaceae has a diverse range of plants which include trees, shrubs, climbers, epiphytes and so on. The topmost photos are those of my Brugmansia cultivar with pink downhanging fragrant trumpet flowers while the lower photos are of the white flower skyward facing Datura metel.

Datura metel

HOUSE PLANTS

This is the variegated Hamelia patens (common name: Firebush) that I bought from HortPark months ago. Sadly, the terminal branch was pruned off and this plant lost its apical dominance and refused to grow vertically.


Amazingly, this sunbird attracting plant produces reddish to black fruits that make me tempted to eat them. I read with interest that the fruits of the original species are edible and have medicinal and industrial properties. Most of the fruits have dropped but I shall try one soon. On the other hand, I do not know why my common Hamelia patens have not produced a single fruit at all since I planted it although it is a good host plant for my few epiphytic orchids.


In the other planters, my Crotalaria retusa and Datura metel seeds are germinating. I cannot wait for them to grow up, I mean bigger.


NB on 14 May 12 - I tasted the black berry of the variegated Hamelia and it tasted slightly sweet.

HOUSE PLANTS

My personal garden was dealt a huge blow recently when my well-established Periwinkle started to wither. After some pruning, I found the base of some branches were rotting and decided it was time to let go of this plant.


It was a busy day for me as I uprooted the entire plant and prune the plants back to keep them tidy.


Some consolation came in the form of a Tacca leontopetaloides that I purchased recently from HortPark's Gardening Bazaar, an emerging leafy stalk of the Calanthe orchid and the mass of germinating Datura metel seedlings. For the Calanthe, I hope this means the inflorescence will appear soon.

PASIR PANJANG ROAD & HORTPARK

I have not taken this path to HortPark for a while now. It is always a joy to walk along this minor road to the park as it feels like walking down memory lane.


Just look at the Melastoma malabathricum and its pulpy fruits. It looked so yummy that I felt like chewing on it. Perhaps one day I would do that. At least then I would know what the birds and some butterflies like about it? 


As for the mushrooms, if only they are edible, I would have picked them and cooked it.


In the nursery, I spotted the variegated Lantana camara that I bought from Thailand. The only surviving one of the three is finally looking good. Unfortunately, I can tell it is not a very vigorous shrub since it took so much time and effort to get it to grow well and I have not even started talking about its propagation.


It was a pleasant surprise to see the white flower Datura metel again and I hope it can be planted out in our parks and gardens soon.


Over at HortPark, the Beaumontia and Clerodendrum quadriloculare from Thailand have grown considerably since the last time I saw them. The huge Saraca indica planted in the previous Recycling Garden looked stressed with its slightly bare crown but the good thing was the new leaf flushes were out. Hopefully with the recent rains, it would start to recover faster to restore its beautiful crown of green leaves and vermillion flowers.