HUB

The Hub is one of the two areas of convergence from the Heritage Gardens, Supertrees Grove and World of Plants. So I must say this is one of the important areas of the gardens and I am happy that this part of the garden is planted with a grove of big and small Ceiba speciosa (Common Name: Cotton Floss Tree) trees, varying in their trunk thorniness and colours of the flowers.

So far, the trees have been flowering separately but never synchronously. That is the only pity. Nevertheless, when the big ones do flower, it is quite remarkable. There are also a number of variegated Ceiba but I don't think I have seen any of them flower before. Other than the Ceibas, there are quite a number of other plants including Pseudobombax, Plumeria cultivars, Jatropha cultivars, Vinca rosea, Ruellia rosea, Ludwigia etc.

some tall Ceiba peering above the walkway

close-up of the pink flowers

thorny trunk of some of the trees

close-up of the thorny trunk

one of the few variegated Ceiba

close-up view of the flowers

variegated palmate leaves

palmate leaves of the Pseudobombax

a sea of lanceolate leaves from the variety of shrubs

purple Crinum 'Menehune', yellow variegated Pandanus toei, silver Dianella

pink flowers of Crinum 'Menehune'

Pseudobombax ellipticum

seed pod of Pseudobombax

HOUSEPLANTS

I started to grow the Ruellia repens weed too, with the same intention of one day trying it out as a terrarium plant. Unfortunately, I don't think it is a good choice because the flowers last a day only. In a container, it would probably shed the flowers which would rot in the soil.

I also recently bought the white and pink leaved Hypoestes phyllostachya (Common Name: Polka Dot Plant, Freckle Face; Family: Acanthaceae) and I am stil considering whether to grow it as a terrarium plant.

Finally, the last 2 photos were taken of the Brugmansia cutting that I successfully propagated. Well, one of the cuttings didn't make it after I transplanted it out, presumably because the cutting was newly rooted. The remaining one is still growing well but I agreed to give it to a friend.

MINI SINNINGIA

I have neglected my 3 small mini-Sinningia 'Rio Das Pedras' or 'Little Wood Nymph' for a long time now and I was recently motivated to try and resuscitate them for my terrarium.

So I am giving them more attention and light now and placed them under my T5 lights. I am not joking but two of my plants started to sprout new leaves although the top one (S. 'Rio Das Pedras') was in bad condition and may not recover. I am watching them everyday, so hopefully it would flower soon and put out more vegetative growth.

In fact, I feel tempted to try out some of our local weeds as terrarium plants. My Ruellia repens seemed to be growing well but I have yet to try to grow it in an enclosed container. Well, hopefully I have some luck with the Lindernia crustacea too.

ACANTHACEAE

The Acanthaceae plants, which I fondly refer to as Acans, is a Family that I love because of their colourful bracts which are often more showy than their flowers. Two of the representatives here are Justicia brandegeeana and Ruellia colorata.

The characteristics of plants from this Family are:

• opposite leaves
• inflorescence with zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry) flowers and showy bracts
• 4 stamens
• seed pod with hooks
• estipulate