Millipedes

Early in the morning, when many are still asleep...

I find the millipedes very busy...

Very soon, there would be an addition of up to 300 to this family!!!

The name, millipede suggests that it has 1000 legs, 

In actual fact, none has more than 375 pairs.

Millipedes normally eat dead plant material. 

They occasionally graze on roots and shoots of seedlings.

Frog and lizards eat millipedes.

I normally leave them alone. 

Sometimes I transfer them to the compost pile.

Do they bother you?
I think I bothered them.

Eco Bazaar at Setia Eco Park

Cute as well as useful, this red mushroom is a water spike made from porous terracotta. 

Water will slowly seep out of the unpainted cone, below the mushroom.

It is ideal for keeping potted plants hydrated.

Watering Spikes are just one of the many items I brought to the Eco Bazaar in Setia Eco Park last Sunday.

I requested for 4 tables to display my wares.

Canopies were prepared for us but my goods overflowed from the 4 tables and canopy, much to my own surprise.

Chilli was a HOT favourite.

So were my fruiting mulberry plants, lemon grass and herbs.

Many people admired the moon cactus but not that many people purchased them.

One gentleman purchased 2 pots of moon cactus but was pressured by family members to exchange the cactus for some other plants.

Some say that putting cactus plants in the house bring bad luck.

I am sure some of you would have heard the same story.

I think that if one believes that it will bring bad luck, then it probably will.

If one finds a moon cactus beautiful, then it will probably bring about smiles followed by happiness.

What do you think?

Keeping Moon Cactus Happy

These non-green cactus are known as Hibotan. 

The red ones are also known as Ruby Ball Cactus or Red Cap Cactus. 

The yellow ones are sometimes named Moon Cactus.

The first red Hibotan were produced by E. Watanabe in Japan.

He sowed thousands of seeds before yielding two bright red mutants.

He kept them alive through grafting.

Moon Cactus are as beautiful as any flowers.
Although they last a whole lot longer than flowers do, nevertheless they do not last perpetually.
Everything has a lifespan.
Moon Cactus has a lifespan of several months up to several years.


Tips for Keeping Moon Cactus Happy

Place it where it receives bright but indirect sunlight.

This is because the chlorophyll containing bottom part of the graft is a tropical cactus and not a desert cactus.

Water only when the soil is completely dry.

Never permit the cactus pot to stand in water. 

Ideally, use a clay pot as it dries up easily after watering, avoiding root rot.

Apply high phosphorus fertilizer only once in a few months.

Cacti has relatively low nutrient requirements.

May you be able to keep your Moon Cactus Happy & Healthy!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day Nov 2010

The yellow cactus is not a flower but it is definitely as beautiful as one.

The succulent on  the left is also not a flower but could be easily pass on as one too.

These grafted cactus is sometimes called Moon Cactus.

The top is a desert cactus.

The bottom is a jungle cactus.

The top relies on the bottom to supply food as it doesn't have any chlorophyll to make food.

Unlike other cactus, they should not be exposed to extreme sunlight.

For real blooms, please visit 

Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

What Do You See?

What do you see?

What do you want to see?

Tell me what you see...

Do you want to know what I see?

I see no frost.
For frost, please visit Ann.

Coconuts with an Orb

As you would probably notice by now, Clifford appears in many of my photos. He tags along regardless of whether I am taking photos or gardening. I cleverly thought of an idea and brought him a coconut so that I could garden in peace. He was delighted. I had expected him to slowly chew it apart and produce coir as a final product for my garden. He did just that but not before he had some fun with his new ball. He held the coconut with his strong jaw and threw it into the air repeatedly till the coconut hit me. Ouch!!! My advice is, never leave your dog with a coconut while you are gardening.

We love to drink the juice from the tender coconut as it is deliciously sweet and nutritious.

Clifford enjoys the tender coconut flesh while lying on a trampoline.

Pichu, our pom thought we have given him a new potty.

There are endless of possible uses with coconut husks. The scouts use it as a pot to cook their meal. I thought they could be used as a bed border. Both Goldee and Clifford normally chew them apart after some time. I use the coir as mulch.

My neighbour saw them as bowling pins and arranged them into a triangle shape to be knocked down by a coconut ball.

Do you see an orb above? I do not find them eerie. I have posted about orbs several times. Sometimes, I think they are dust, pollens, mosquitoes or moths. I don't know about this one so, I wrote to Diana Cooper who offers explanation on orbs. The following is the reply. 

These are the angels of you together with Archangel Michael – showering the dog and the person in the picture with joy and protection and assisting them both with there next step on the path.

Namaste Carol for Diana Cooper. 

What are your thoughts on orbs?


P.S. :  For photos of coconut flowers and information on other uses of coconuts, please visit Andrea's Site.

Water Spinach

Do you have days when you have just posted something and felt that you have 3 more interesting topics that you wish to blog about?

Do you experience days where no topic nor photos seem appropriate or good enough to be posted?

When one is constipated, usually a high fiber diet with lots of water will get things moving again.

With blogging constipation, I decided that Water Spinach may be the solution.

Water Spinach is a creeping vine.

To the Chinese, it is called Ong Choy.

In Malaysia, we call it Kangkung.

It is also known as Water Morning Glory or Water Convolvulus. 

It's scientific name is Ipomoea Aquatica.

I was hoping to show you some pink water spinach flowers but today there are only white ones.

This one reminds me of a rising star.

Interestingly, giant mushrooms grew amongst the water spinach.

But the colours for this post remain green and white and I thought may be rather boring.

A butterfly tried to liven up the situation but did not brighten up the colours.

This is one of the many lovely seed pods.

The Water Spinach leaves were narrow and elongated when I grew them last year as food for a turtle.

Eventually the new leaves became heart-shaped.
The stink bug is a pest that suck the sap of the leaves.

This tiny metallic green fly prey on smaller insects.

Do you see a minute black spot on the water spinach leaf above?
I believe it is a black lady beetle that feeds on whitefly eggs, scale and spider mites.
It hopped away before I had a chance to focus on it.

Just when I gave up about colours for my Water Spinach topic, this little butterfly came over to rest on its leaf.

I suspect these butterflies prefer the nectar of the Basil flower more than those from the Water Spinach but one of them must heard me calling out for colours.
Thanks to Autumn Belle, these butterflies are called Cycad Blue.

What do you do when you have blogging constipation?
Would it be Wordless?