Flora : Rambutan

Rambutan

Watching the day goes by

Yep, if the intention is to discourage people from patronising this mall during weekends, the mall management has sure succeeded.

One big dwarf hamster family... before they are adopted. Russian dwarf.

Man's best friend at a certain open air food court steadfastly waiting for scraps.
Yes, he got a few scraps before moving to the next table.

Butterflies and moths are pleasing to the eyes, but their caterpillars are scourge of every garderner.
A moth laying eggs behind a roselle leaf.

Sharing my satay gravy with a fly.

Fucking stink bugs.

Flora : Crystal Fruit

Crystal Fruit/ Kasai/ Fijian Longan/ Pometia Pinnata


This is a mildly sweet to sweet tasting fruit with an egg like shell. Just give it a good squeeze along the equator and it will pop open.

The flesh taste like longan and is addictive once you started  :)
Warning: Crystal fruit is very heaty, more heaty than rambutan or longan. Young children should consume no more than half a dozen fruits in a day. Even an adult will feel the "heat" if he/she consumes too many fruits.

There are a few commercial species of crystal fruit. Picture below is of purple shell variety. The tree reaches the height of durian trees grown from seed with matching trunk size and lateral root spread. You will need a big vacant plot to plant this purple variety.

The green shell variety is a drawf by comparison. The tree starts to yield after two years from germination, with a trunk girth of no more than a foot, and a height of no more than three meters tall.

Flora : Wild Strawberry

Wild Strawberry


Grows best in compost rich, well draining soil. Propagates through runners and seeds.
Thrives under partial shade or full shade. Strong sun exposure can scald leaves.

The berries are pinky fingernail size and taste quite bland. You will need to plant a dozen or so crowns to get a decent harvest.
Needs regular pruning of dead leaves, runners and spent fruit stalks to encourage flowering.

You can eat the berries fresh or add them to yogurt or icecream for a bit of colour.

Ornamental wild strawberry plant on a rotting tree trunk.

Flora : Miracle berry

Miracle Berry


Just suck a red ripe miracle berry in your mouth for about 30 seconds to a minute. All things bitter or sour that you consume in the next half hour will taste sweet.


Slow grower. Partial shade or full sun. Not picky about medium but best grown in organic rich soil.
The tiny milk colour flowers are sweet scented and can be whiffed from a few metres away.

A winged red fire ant queen looking to start a new colony. The red fire ants seem attracted to this tree. Must be the sweet flowers. This is not the first time a red fire ant queen picked my miracle berry plant to start a new colony.

Flora : Southernwood

Southernwood / Lad's Love


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southernwood


Southernwood easily strikes root from young or old wood cutting.
It grows well in full shade, partial shade or full sun.
Not picky about the planting medium.
It just needs occasional feeding and good soil moisture.

Southernwood is a rigorous grower, sprouting new shoots from ground and trimmed stems.
It will grow into a big bush if planted in ground and left untrimmed.

Make a very aromatic garnish for steaming fish. Just cut a few stalks and place them on the steamer pan, and stuff a few sprigs into the fish's belly.

Try experimenting with stews. Just bear in mind southernwood is a strong aromatic herb.

Flora : Pandan Leaves

Pandan leaves

The fragrant leaves with many uses...
As natural air fresherner.
As mulch/ ground cover.
As indoor/outdoor decorative plant.
To make infused tea.
To make jello.
To make cake.
To cook fragrant rice.
To cook desserts.
To cook pandan chicken.
Etc.

Not only is it fragrant, it is also mildly sweet.