Miniature Pineapple (Dwarf Pineapple)

This morning, a nice surprise greeted me as I ponder over the balcony  railings , where we hang a few potted plants. A beautiful yellow-golden 'dwarf pineapple' fruit with a proud crown on top ....

my own  'dwarf pineapple'

Took the flower pot indoors and immediately

 captured a few images using my tiny digital camera

Nanas Hana69 - MAHA 2008

: Pineapple Industry Board Malaysia

Not sure whether it is edible but have seen in being sold in the supermarket, Chinese fruit stalls and often used in flower arrangements, especially during the Chinese New Year celebration. Maybe it can be used as an exotic drink stirers as it has long nice stalk. I planted this dwarf pineapple from a cutting given by my sister in Melaka who was clearing her plot of front yard garden almost a year ago. Initially, I have given up hope that it could  fruit.

Browsing the internet to get some information on this plant :

Family  :    Bromeliaceae

Species :   Anana Nanus

Known to originates from Brazil as ornamental plant with longish green-grey leaves with spines. The ripe fruit look like a small pineapple.

Red Wild Ginger Blooms - Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family) -

These bright blooming stalks of the 'Alpina Purpurata', also known as ' Polynesian Princess' in Hawaii, started me off doing my first flowers in 2010.

- -Fresh Flower Stand --

Brief notes on Ginger Plants >

There must be hundreds of different variety of ginger plants under the 'Zingiberaceae' group/family. Beside the Alpina purpurata/Polynesian Princess that stand tall in the above geometric-design flower arrangement, I found out that there are several types of 'ginger' commonly used by my kampung folks either in their cooking or herbal medicines such as the following list :-

common ginger - Zingiber officinale

Halia (common cooking Ginger, Botanical name - Zingiber officinle) is known to be used to treat upset stomach, indigestion, motion sickness and muscular cramps. Ginger is also added in cooking so as to relieve fevers and bodily pains as well as to remove toxins from the body.

Temu Kunci - Fingeroot, Boesenbergia rotunda

Temu Kunci- Fingeroot (Botanical name - Boesenbergia rotunda) also known as 'Chinese Ginger', 'Thai Ginger' is a tall ginger plant with beautiful purplish-pink flowers and its long tubers sprout out from the middle of its rhizome. It is so called 'finger root' because the shape of the rhizomes appears to look like the human fingers. Temu Kunci gives out a strong flavor and popular in Indonesian and Thai cooking, often added into fish curries.

Temu Kunci is sometimes used for swellings, treating wounds and diarrhea. The Malays also use it for postnatal care/nursing mothers.

ref : http://www.tropilab.com/

Temu Lawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza) or Temu Putih still under the  Zingiberaceae  family, is said to originates from Indonesia. Its rhizome commonly use in herbal treatments due to its anti-viral and anti inflamation properties. Also used in cooking as it give certain flavor especially in Indonesian dishes. It is said to have aromatic but pungent smell and has bitter taste. The traditional Malay midwife recommended this type of ginger since it has effect on breast milk production.

Temu Pauh-

Halia Bara-Zingeber officinale var. rubrum

halia bara

Bunga Kantan - Torch ginger (Etlingera Elatior)

Bunga Kantan, a common name in Malaysia, is also known by various names -Torch Ginger, Ginger Flower, Red Ginger Lily, Wild Ginger, Philippine Wax Flower, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Porcelain Rose. Its preety pink flowers are often used in flower arangements and also in cooking giving the dishes an exclusive flavour

Then there also other varieties often used in floral arrangement >

Pinecone ginger/Pinecone Lily - Shampoo ginger (Zingiber serubet)

Siam Tulip (Curcuma Alisnatiforia)


Note : need more info on the different types of  rhizomes under the ginger family

Ref : Plant Aficionado,Wikipedia.org,Daves Garden

SMS message Received Late at Night

Yesterday evening, I busied myself in the kitchen cleaning-up the leftovers. It was rather late but I kept finding things to do whilst normal days, either I would be in bed or asleep in front of the tv. ...as if something awaiting to happen.
It was my hubby who picked up my phone upon the ringing tone of an sms message coming through. Immediately passing the phone to me. It was a mesage from my former colleague from the Tourism Malaysia IT Dept ...a close friend..a former neighbour in Subang Jaya..been working together in TM since 1973 passed on due to cancer of the lungs. At the age of 56 years.

Shocked and unbelieving ..this friend was  a women who always appear happy, active , still able to join netball matches, a mother to 3 lovely daughters (who are almost of the same age with my children and went to the same school in subang) and all in all a happy family.

Managed to pay last respects at the Subang SS15 mosque and met the hubby and eldest daughter, also met a number of friends and colleagues from my former department. All could not not accept the fact that she had succumbed to C A N C E R of the lungs. It was only about  2/3 weeks ago that she was unwell, pale-looking and coughing, immediately warded and informed by the doctors of the serius stage 4 > cancer of the lungs.

.....Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems....

A lot have been said and written on cancer and yet many, including me , still do not know much and may not be aware of the probability or the risk that we took by not going for our medical check-ups or even ignoring any pain /health symptoms.

"  All cancers begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it's helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancer cells.

The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.
However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor. "
(ref : medical journal)

Relating to the above text (from a medical journal), and in the context of an advice from a noted speaker/motivator >

"a person , who kept and dwelled in his heart all the negative feelings such  hatred, anger, jealousy, intense hostility, dislike and become unforgiving  (kalau kita orang Melayu described perasaan tu sebagai dendam kesumat  /tidak boleh memaafkan dan dimaafkan), within 2 weeks such feelings can cause  deep depressions, stress and may develop cancer cells in the body" 

Taking heed of such advice, we Muslims and all, practise goodwill, positive and healthy relationship, be forgiving, kind and loving and most of all be happy and grateful to Allah SWT the AlMighty. In simple direct understanding > Be A Good Muslim and Practice Islam in True Sense.

The Spirits of My Roses .....Semangat Bunga Rose

There were times when one can really feel like you are thrown into the dragon's dungeon. I could not explain neither justify why should one feel truly lost and frightened and angry and what else could I pen down the words.

Allah the Almighty guided and brought back my own two feet firmly on the ground.  Subhanallah. That was just for a moment.

Now back to earth. My roses and roses and more roses. Am pretty busy doing my flowers for the past two days. Have a look >

a basket of roses

1 - 2 - 3

this is  "my flower-pot garden"

pyramid design  4 feet tall

with pink roselles and yellow tiger lilies

10 Zulhijjah, All Muslims Celebrate Aidil-Adha ~ Festival of Sacrifice ~ Hari Raya Korban

WISHING ALL MUSLIMS SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL ADHA

MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

had the first-hand experience preparing the ketupat daun palas

half-cooked/steamed with coconut milk
glutinous rice (pulut) and beans

daun palas ( palm leaves)

~trimmed and unfold the fan-like leaves then

folded cone-shaped as shown above

preparing the palm leaves

stuffing the cone-shaped daun palas

with the glutinous rise

tying a knot with the end of the palm leaf

 tucked into the last fold

now it is ready to be either cooked in

steamer or boiled in coconut santan

Neighbour ~ getting to know

Yesterday i did a hairpiece for  flower-girl hair accessories  using greenish-white dendrobium orchid. It is fun though,  a wee bit messy with the wiring and taping while keeping the orchid pieces fresh loooking.

~ here how it look like when done

this flower-girl's hairpiece/accessorie or

flower garland can done with different flowers

such as spray roses, carnations, all type of small

colorful blooms

this sweet girl is the youngest

daughter of the Arab family

next-door

Sanseviera Trifasciata or Mother-in-Law Tounge or Snake Plant (Lidah Emak Mertua/Lidah Jin)

There are a few flower arangements that done recently using the 'Lidah-Emak-Mertua'  leaves to create a form/design or lines such as 'fan' , 'V-shape' and diagonal/slanting lines ` combinations such as these :~

http://cikjahonlineflowers.blogspot.com/

A species of  Sansevieria  , also known as  'mother-in-law tounge'  here in Malaysia is known to originates from Africa. It is so called as 'mother-in-law tounge'  because of its sharp bladelike-shaped leaves. In Africa this plant commonly said to be used as a protective charm against evil spirits of bewitchment.

Previously, these plants grow wild but now they have become popular as ornamental plants and believed to improve indoor air quality by removing harmful gas such as nitrogen oxide and formaldehyde.

Often seen grown as hedges lining the pavement or fence and has become a favorite of landscaping because of easy maintenance  plus easy propagation.

The 'mother-in-law tounge'  dwarf variety (small) plants has also become popular planted in small terracota pot or placed in clear glass vase with water as a decorative element in working/office environment and home shelves.

Sunday Morning Walk Taman Botani Putrajaya

Bromeliad

Oncidium Twinkle ' Fragrance Fantasy'

a miniature plant that produces clouds of light yellow fragrant flowers

of similar shape as the Dancing Lady

on this particular Sunday on our morning walks.....

the Taman Botani of Putrajaya  organised a 3-days Orchid Expo with a colorful display of

Orchids by various orchid growers and associations

I came across this beauty , a dwarf of the dendrobiums orchid being sold at RM70/-,

(dendrobiums often selected for my fresh flowers arrangements re:

http://cikjahonlineflowers.blogspot.com/)

Pandanus

cylinder-shaped fruit tree

~ along the Botanical Garden African Collection Path, came across this tree

which has an unusual cylinder-shaped fruit

Jarak China (French Physic Nut)

this shrub probably may grow taller and bear fruits

 its spider-webbed leaves caught my eye  and my camera

Red Pineapple

its called 'red pineapple' but no pineapple fruits can be seen

Sword Agave ! sharp and pointed bladelike leaves ...

look like the 'mother tounge plant' but it is a different specie

Purple Bell Flower

just called it 'puple bell' coz do not its name

Mickey Mouse

so called 'mickey mouse' coz of its flowers

just thinking out loud

just for a moment this statement flashes in my mind and its worth a try to understand deeply -

~  THINGS  BELONG  TO  THOSE

WHO  TAKE  CARE  OF  THEM  ~

what if one does not love or care for their offsprings

what if your sons or daughters forget all about you

where do you belong

family?
orphanage?

old folks home?

and

what if one does not take pains to maintain a home
what if one does not care to come home
what if one does not keep in touch with members of your home
do you really have a home?
or someone you can call at home?
or in time of needs, a 'place' to call as a home?

Colok Cina/Water Candle ~ Tyhpa Angustifolia

Flower arrangement & design ~ Landscape Design

this piece of flower arrangement was done some time ago.

 ( http://cikjahonlineflowers.blogspot.com )

taken at Putrajaya Floria 09

                                                (ref : wikipedia.org)