Category Archives: Gardening

Home Garden – Orange Jasmine (Murraya Paniculata)

Continuing my series, this post is about the Orange Jasmine plant that we recently bought.

The Orange Jasmine (Murraya paniculata) is a fragrant, evergreen shrub or small tree prized for its lush foliage and beautifully scented white flowers. Despite its name, it’s not a true jasmine but gets its name from the sweet, citrus-like fragrance of its blooms, which resemble orange blossoms.

Orange Jasmine (Murraya Paniculata)
Orange Jasmine (Murraya Paniculata)

Native to South and Southeast Asia, it is often used as a hedge or ornamental plant due to its dense, glossy green leaves and attractive shape. It can grow up to 12 feet tall in the right conditions.

Its white, star-shaped flowers bloom in clusters, often multiple times a year, especially in warm climates. These are followed by small, oval red berries that attract birds. The plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. It’s relatively low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established.

The pot is Honungspalm from Ikea.

I keep this plant in direct sunlight. On our south-facing balcony in winters & north-facing balcony in summers, where it receives bright sunlight 2-3 hours a day.

This plant requires low maintenance, however, pruning the branches triggers growth and maintains the desired shape.

water it four times a week, however it can tolerate drought well, once established.

fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

You can read more about this plant here.

Home Garden – Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

Continuing my series, this post is about the Aglaonema, commonly known as Chinese Evergreen.

The Aglaonema is a versatile houseplant that thrives in lower light conditions, making it a popular choice for indoor gardens. It is known for its striking foliage, featuring vibrant green leaves often adorned with splashes of silver, cream, or red. Mine has leaves with red borders around it and a firm, white stem.

This plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, particularly Southeast Asia. This includes countries like Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam & its namesake Southern China. This means it is right at home in our house.

Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreens)
Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen)

I don’t know when my wife got it and stared neglecting it, but I am looking forward to restoring it to good health again. It lives in a wooden pot.

I keep this plant in shade all the time, on our living room shelf. It always grows its leaves towards the window; where it sees sunlight coming from.

The Chinese Evergreens require no maintenance at all.

water it twice a week. 

fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

You can read more about this plant here.

Home Garden – Jungle Flame (Ixora Coccinea)

Continuing my series, this post is about the Jungle Flame plant that we recently bought.

The Jungle Flame, scientifically known as Ixora coccinea, is a vibrant, evergreen shrub native to Southeast Asia. Commonly referred to as Flame of the Woods, Jungle Geranium, or Maui Sunset, this plant is celebrated for its clusters of small, tubular flowers that bloom in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink, providing a striking display throughout the summer months . 

What makes the this plant stand out are its dense clusters of small, tubular flowers that come in shades of red, orange, pink, and yellow—resembling tiny flames, hence the name. It blooms year-round in tropical regions, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Scarlett Jungle Flame (Ixora Coccinea)
Scarlett Jungle Flame (Ixora Coccinea)

The pot is Persillade from Ikea.

I keep this plant in direct sunlight, on our south-facing balcony, where it receives bright sunlight 2-3 hours a day.

This plant requires low maintenance, however, pruning the branches triggers growth and maintains the desired shape (Like a hedge).

water it five times a week. It’s essential to keep the soil consistently moist but let the top soil dry out between waterings. I reduce the watering frequency if it rains.

fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

You can read more about this plant here.

Home Garden – Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Last 4 years, I had been avoiding getting plants for our home here, because our stay in Bangkok felt temporary. Having realised now, that we’re not going anywhere any time soon, I decided to dive back into gardening. First up, Golden Pothos.

Golden Pothos, scientifically known as Epipremnum aureum, is a beloved houseplant known for its vibrant heart-shaped leaves that can bring a touch of nature indoors. Often referred to as “Devil’s Ivy,” this plant is praised for its adaptability and low maintenance requirements, making it a perfect choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. In India, it is more well-known as the money-plant.

It is native to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

I have written about them before & I discovered that we already have one in our house here, that my wife has been neglecting.

Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos)
Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos)

This one is in a glass pot, on our living room shelves, indirect sunlight.

Hanging Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos)
Hanging Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos)

This one is in a hanging configuration, hanging in our south-facing balcony. There it receives direct sunlight 1-2 hours a day in the evenings.

This plant requires no maintenance at all.

water the outdoor one thrice a week and the indoor one twice a week, reducing the frequency for the outdoor one if it rains.

fertilise when it shows signs of growth which is mostly during spring and summer.

You can read more about this plant here.

Home Garden – Calibrachoa Hybrid

Ever since I moved to Bangkok, I have avoided buying new plants, because I always assumed that this was a temporary arrangement. I bought 1 Palm but that’s it. As it has become more clear that I will be here for a while, I have started considering buying some plants here. Last weekend, I got a Calibrachoa Hybrid.

The Calibrachoa Hybrid, is an evergreen short-lived perennial. Here’s a good website with more information about this plant.

Calibrachoa Hybrid
Calibrachoa Hybrid

This plant consists of a lot of dense flowers. My flowers have pink petals and orange centers.

I keep this plant in full sunlight all the time.

The Calibrachoa requires no maintenance at all.

I water it every other day.

I fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

Here’re some good tools which will help you with your gardening.

Home Garden – Slash Pine

The Slash Pine, also called Longleaf Pitch Pine is a fast-growing evergreen conifer which is found in swamps. Here’s a good website with more information about this plant.

Slash Pine
My Slash Pine

This plant consists of drooping branches and thin hair-like leaves, which turn brown after winters and then fall off.

I keep this plant in partial sunlight all the time.

The Slash Pine requires no maintenance at all.

I water it between once a week during peak winters and thrice a week during peak summers.

I fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

Here’re some good tools which will help you with your gardening.

Home Garden – Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree, also called Norfolk Island Pine is an evergreen multi-layered pine native to Norfolk Island. Here’s a good website with more information about this plant.

Christmas Tree
My Christmas Tree

I have had this tree for 8/9 years now. It was quite small when I inherited it from my parents (They moved to another city) but its growth has accelerated since I moved it to a bigger pot.

I keep this plant in partial sunlight all the time.

The Christmas Tree requires very little maintenance. The only maintenance I do is, I cut off 1 layer of branches from the bottom every year, which promotes growth at the top layers. With proper manure, this tree grow 1/2 layers on top every year. It is good to rotate the pot (and the tree) by 90 degrees every month, so that any slant developing because of sunlight direction gets corrected.

Top Layer

During Christmas, we bring it indoors for a week and the family has fun decorating its branches with ornaments. Just make sure to remove the ornaments after a few days, or that area will stop growing leaves.

I water it between once a week during peak winters and thrice a week during peak summers.

I fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

Here’re some good tools which will help you with your gardening.

Home Garden – Dwarf Umbrella Tree

The Dwarf Umbrella Tree, also called Schefflera Arboricola is an evergreen multi-stemmed shrub native to China. Here’s a good website with more information about this plant.

Dwarf Umbrella Tree
My Dwarf Umbrella Tree

Slowly, the leaves spread out and form a sort of canopy, which gives it the name.

I keep this plant in partial sunlight for 3/4 hours a day.

It requires very little maintenance except deadheading some branches.

I water it between once a week during peak winters and alternate days during peak summers.

I fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

Here’re some good tools which will help you with your gardening.

Home Garden – Chinese Windmill Palm

The Chinese Windmill Palm, also called Hemp Palm is a short stemmed perennial plant of the Arecaceae family which originally came from the tropical and temperate mountain regions of China. Here’s a good website with more information about this plant.

Chinese windmill Palm
My Chinese Windmill Palm; winter 2019

The leaves of the plants grow in layers and resemble a traditional Chinese fan, hence the name. In fact, these leaves have been used to make hand-fans and manuscripts in ancient India and other South East Asian countries for centuries.

A traditional hand fan made from a dried palm leaf

I keep this plant in partial sunlight for 3/4 hours a day.

The Chinese Windmill Palm requires very little maintenance except deadheading the branches at the end of every winter season, when all the leaves fall off and new leaves start emerging from the inner layers; leaving the plant without any leaves for a few (scary) weeks. Eventually, the leaves do grow back, one at a time.

Summer 2020, notice the stubs left from the older branches/leaves

I water it between once a week during peak winters and alternate days during peak summers.

I fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

Here’re some good tools which will help you with your gardening.

Home Garden – Slender Goldshower

The Slender Goldshower, also called Thryallis is a long stemmed perennial plant which typically flowers all year round. Here’s a good website with more information about this plant.

Slender Goldshower
My Goldshower

The plant is lush & dense with green leaves which gradually turn yellow. The flowers are tiny, yellow in colour and grow in clumps. When they fall off, the floor is covered with yellow (golden) leaves and flowers, hence the name.

I keep the plant in direct sunlight for 3/4 hours a day.

The Slender Goldshower requires very little maintenance except deadheading the branches.

The Flowers

I water it between twice a week during peak winters and every day during peak summers.

I fertilise it every 2 months or when it shows signs of growth.

Here’re some good tools which will help you with your gardening.