How to grow galangal (Alpinia galanga) from store bought rhizomes

1. A hand of galangal rhizome

Galangal is used as a herb cum spice in Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. Galangal is an ingredient in chicken and fish curry dishes and also my favourite Hari Raya delicacy, the rendang. The Chinese call it "blue ginger" while in Malay, it is "galangal" or "lengkuas".

As it is readily available at any wet market in this region, we are never short of galangal. We also keep stock of galangal rhizomes in the refrigerator, ready to be used whenever the need arises.

Do you know that galangal can grow into a beautiful plant with showy foliage?
Even if you don't intent to harvest galangal for cooking, you can grow galangal plants just for their beautiful and cool-looking foliage. The whole plant is mildly aromatic. This is a cheap and low maintenance plant. Today I'll show you how to grow galangal from store-bought rhizomes.

This post is dedicated to Ash of Houris in the Garden blog. She's a new blogger, hence do visit her blog to give her your encouragement. Her enthusiasm and diligence in maintaining a little "garden by the window" has inspired me to blog on. Sometimes you can see and appreciate many things from a fresh perspective.

The many faces of Wrightia religiosa - Part 2

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In my previous post here, you have seen how Wrightia religiosa (wild water plum, water jasmine), a native plant of Malaysia and Thailand, has been lovingly and painstakingly sculptured into many styles of beautiful bonsai. Now, in this post I'm going to show you another side of our wondrous water jasmine.

Wrightia religiosa Bonsai - Santalia, Melati, Jeliti, Anting Putri, Water Plum Jasmine

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Wrightia religiosa or water plum jasmine is very popular among bonsai enthusiasts here in tropical Asia, particularly Malaysia and South East Asia because this fast-growing evergreen perennial is very easy to shape, bend and maintain. Best of all, it is ever-flowering and blooms profusely with a strong, wonderful fragrance. Bonsai experts can manipulate the blooming cycle to coincide with flower shows and exhibitions.

Here are some outstanding Wrightia religiosa bonsai specimens that were made into beautiful pieces of art. The photographs were taken during Floria 2010 and the exhibitors are members of Sanfong Bonsai & Art Garden.

There are more pictures of single and double flowers, seed pods here: "The many faces of Wrightia religiosa - Part 2"

My NST article dated 12 Nov 2011 about Wrightia religiosa is titled "Princess Earrings in the Garden", click here to read more.

“Wrightia religiosa Bonsai - Santalia, Melati, Jeliti, Anting Putri, Water Plum Jasmine”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on March 26th, 2012.

Dischidia pectinoides - Kangaroo Pocket, Ant Plant

I saw this strange plant while shopping for Chinese New Year plants. The ant plant (Dischidia pectinoides) is sold as an auspicious plant during the festive season. What's the symbolic meaning behind it? I hope someone can tell me.

At first I was hesitant to buy it because I worry that it will be difficult to care for. Moreover, I do not want it to turn into an ant's nest!

I have since discovered that it is actually quite easy to care for. The flowers bloom continuously.

Cat's Claw Macfadyena unguis-cati - A weed or exotic beauty?

This is a beautiful, vigorous climber that loves our sunny equatorial climate. It can be used to drape over walls and fences where it forms a beautiful curtain with profuse flowering at areas that are receiving the most sunlight.

The plant is not considered as invasive in tropical Asia, Hawaii and Tanzania. However, it is listed as a Category 1 exotic invasive in Florida, also considered an invasive plant or noxious weed in Australia and southern Africa.

Red Hot Cattail (Acalypha hispida) for Leap Day Wordless Wednesday

Scientific name: Acalypha hispida

Common name: Chenille Plant, Red Hot Cattail
"Chenille" is the French word for caterpillar.

Malay name: Ekor Kucing (Cat's tail)

Origin: Malesia (Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea)

Photograph taken at: The Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

Strobilanthes hamiltoniana - India Blue Bell or Chinese Rain Bell?

Do you think these flowers look like Indian blue bells or Chinese rain bells?

This is a plant with 4 scientific names and one incorrect name.

My Blooming Native Orchids - GBBD Dec 2011 Part 2

1. Dendrobium Sonia 'Royal Pink'

Today the skies are quite clear in the morning, so I seized the opportunity to snap some pictures. This is my purple Dendrobium orchid, the same stalk of flowers that appeard in GBBD Oct, Nov and today, hence it has been blooming for more than 2 months already! I mean the same stalk of flowers. It certainly has amazing staying power.

Chain of Love and Tears of The Bride for Wildflowers Wednesday

The plant I am going to blog and brag about is full of LOVE. Yes, every leaf, every flower, every petal and even the seed pods are heart-shaped and love-shaped! This plant is full of LIFE, LOVE and PEACE. See the peace sign shaped tiny little tendril in the picture above?

If you look at their many common names later in my post, soon you'll see what I mean.
Just to let you know, all the pictures here were taken from a vacant plot of land by the roadside.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD Nov 2011

1. Pentas

Here's my lineup for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - November 2011.  Currently I am still trying to familiarise myself with Bloggers New Interface. Yours truly still prefer using the good old Google Dashboard but I know the following:

a) You can click any one of the 19 photos in this post to see the full slides layout view, or
b) To view my blog in Blogger Dynamic Views (Sidebar / Classic / Flipcard / Magazine / Mosaic / Snapshort / Timeslide), type the "view" beside my URL as follows:

http://www.mynicegarden.com/view/

Note: If you are using an old computer with earlier versions of operating systems that does not allow you to upgrade to Internet Explorer 9, you may experience problems opening pages and viewing Blogger blogs. You can download Google Chrome for FREE. The pages load quite fast and the screen is wider.

Hibiscus syriacus - Purple Rose of Sharon with Single and Double Flowers

This is a double flower purple Rose of Sharon. I photographed this during a visit to the Seen Hock Yeen Chinese temple in Chemor, Perak.

“Hibiscus syriacus - Rose of Sharon Single and Double Flowers”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Aug 12th, 2011.

The Garden at Hotel Equatorial Bangi - Putrajaya Part 2

There is a beautifully landscaped or should I say award-winning garden at Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya. In Part 1 of my post, I have already featured the Japanese Koi Pond cum Rock Garden. Here in Part 2, we shall take a stroll along the meandering pathways of lush tropical greenery.

This looks like the perfect setting for a wedding reception and photography session.

Some of the features here include:

• Well manicured lawns, trimmed hedges and tall swaying palms.
• Beautifully designed arbors decked in luxuriant green foliage 
• Lovely blooms of the everflowering Bauhinia kockiana intertwined with Tristellateia australasiae
• A pergola lined a whole walkway beside the Japanese styled koi pond and it leads to the entrance of a free-form swimming pool where one can watch beautiful, romantic sunsets in the evenings.
• The sounds of running water from the bubbling fountains and mini waterfalls soothes and calm the soul.

“The Garden at Hotel Equatorial Bang-Putrajaya Part 2”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 24th, 2011.

Aeschynanthus parvifolius - The Lipstick Plant

With a fanciful botanical name that is a mouthful to pronounce, I just love its common name, the 'Lipstick Plant'. I'm sure you'd understand too. As you can see here, the bright red flower buds protrude out from dark maroon calyses like lipsticks emerging from their cases.

Quite often, lipstick colours are named after plants e.g cherry red, strawberry pink, etc. but this plant is named after the lipstick!

“Aeschynanthes parvifolius - The Lipstick Plant”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 12th, 2011.

Cassia fistula - The Golden Shower Tree (Wordless Wednesday)

1 - Kayu Rajah (wood King) in Malay

“Cassia fistula - The Golden Shower Tree (Wordless Wednesday)”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 8th, 2011

Bauhinia x blakeana - The Hong Kong Orchid Tree

A Hong Kong beauty in Malaysia!

Just to let you know, this is not a repeat of my previous post. Bauhinia blakeana flowers do look like B. purpurea flowers but they are not the same species!

The Bauhinia blakeana is the floral emblem of Hong Kong. It is depicted as white in the Hong Kong SAR flag.  B. blakeana is thought to be the natural hybrid of B. purpurea and B. variegata.

'Blakeana' is named in honour of Sir Henry Blake, the British Governor of Hong Kong from 1898-1903. The tree was discovered around 1880 by French missionaries who found a singer tree growing near the ruins of a house in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. They took cuttings of the original plant and the cuttings rooting successfully. A speciman was given to the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens.

This plant is only known in cultivation and all cultivted trees are thought to have originated from the one at the HK Botanic Gardens.

“Bauhinia blakeana - The Hong Kong Orchid Tree”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 5th, 2011.

Bauhinia purpurea - The Butterfly Tree

The Bauhinia purpurea is an ornamental tree that is grown for its beautiful orchid like flowers and butterfly shaped leaves. The flowers are fragrant.

Although it is commonly called the Hong Kong Orchid Tree, this is not the flower depicted in the Hong Kong flag. The emblem flower of Hong Kong is the Bauhinia blakeana, which is a natural hybrid of B. purpurea and B. variegata.

The genus 'Bauhinia' is named in honour of the Bauhin brothers who were Swiss-French botanists.

“Bauhinia purpurea”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 3rd 2011.

Bauhinia acuminata - The Snowy Orchid Tree

Thanks to your clues, smart observations and comments on my previous post "UFO on UFO", the flower and the bug has been identified.

The flower is Bauhinia acuminata while the bug is Amata huebneri. Both the flower and the bug are natives here.

The flowers of the Bauhinia acuminata is about 3 inches in diameter. Each flower has 5 petals which are a bright white in colour. When in bloom, they look like snowflakes on the branches and they also exude a nice fragrance with a hint of the scent of roses.  You can use them as cut flowers.

The leaves are shaped like ox-hooves.

“Bauhinia acuminata”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 1st, 2011.

Asystasia gangetica - A Chinese Violet from Mafia Island

Asystasia gangetica flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Some cultivars are sweetly scented.

The flowers have a diameter of about 1- 1.5 inches.
They are white, yellow and purple flower varieties.

“Asystasia gangetica - Chinese Violet from Mafia Island”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 27th, 2011.

Torch Ginger Flower Seeds Germination

I have a Torch Ginger Plant (Etlingera elatior) which we call 'bunga kantan' in Malaysia. Though it takes up a lot of my garden space, I have never regretted growing this native plant for I love its beautiful blooms. Once started, it never seems to stop blooming. This is the plant that has won me many new friends from far and near. It is the 'ice-breaker' and attention grabber in my garden.

This is my 9th blog post about the plant. My article about "The versatile bunga kantan plant" appeared in the New Straits Times on March 27th, 2010. The link is here.

Torch Ginger has many other common names, e.g. Ginger Flower, Ginger Lily, Torch Lily, Wild Ginger, Stone Rose, Combrang, Bunga Siantan, Philippine Wax Flower, Xiang Bao Jiaing, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Boca de Dragón, Rose de Porcelaine and Porcelain Rose.

"Torch Ginger Flower Seeds Germination”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 20th, 2011.

Asystasia gangetica ssp. micrantha - Useful Wildflower or Noxious Weed?

Asystasia intrusa is a common weed in Peninsular Malaysia. You can find them along roadsides, in rubbish dumps, vacant residential lands, wastelands and open areas along jungles. This one that I photographed is growing beside a drain in Ipoh. It looked like some people are growing it in flower pots for their own use?

It grows prolifically, has high shade tolerance and produces many seeds. Once established, it spreads rapidly. It can become extremely invasive and difficult to control or erradicate, hence it is regarded as a noxioius weed by orchards, oil palm and rubber plantation owners where chemical pesticides are needed to deal with the problem. It is a major problem here where it competes with the main crops for soil nutrients, affects yield and increases crop management costs.