Malay herbs

The turmeric with its broad, fragrant leaves is a favourite Malay herb used in rendang and gulai.  Needless to say the lemon grass is often used together with turmeric leaves.  In the picture the turmeric is in the pot sitting in front of a clump of lemon grass.  I have a few clumps of lemon grass growing and I propagate more when I pick a stem or two for cooking.  I slice off about one centimetre from the base of the stem and place it in potting mix.  More often than not a new shoot will sprout and it can be planted in a pot or in the ground in a sunny position.  A bit of protection will help in winter .

The turmeric I grew from a tuber I bought from a greengrocer.  I planted the tuber in early spring and it took a while to sprout.  Being a tropical plant it loves a sunny spot.   In autumn when the leaves show sign of yellowing I harvest them to freeze.  The tuber I dig up to use in my cooking.

Basil

If you look carefully you'll see roots sprouting from the basil cuttings.  I picked the bunch of basil for the kitchen so I don't have to go to the garden in the dark when I sometimes need the herb.  Another way of propagating basil but this way is not always successful.  Another way is by self seeding, which again, is a gamble.  I was successful with this purple basil which came up in my garden box from seeds dropped last summer.

I am letting some of the basil bushes to go to seeds.  In Asia the basil seeds are added to drinks and they turn gelatinous when soaked.  I like to call them frog's eggs because that's what they look like.  I will remember to cut back some of the flower head so I can encourage more growth before the cold weather sets in.

This is the best of the basil clumps.  A few are dwarfed by tomato plants.  They me be the best companion to tomato in every way but they need space to grow to their full potential.  Basil loves warmth and sunshine and when you brush against them on a warm day you will be filled with their exotic perfume.

I bought this perennial basil from the garden club.  It is also called the cinnamon basil.  I will protect it in winter with a covering of plastic and I may be able to enjoy some fresh basils when the sweet basils are gone.

fig tree

This morning I had two very sweet figs from this tree, which my friend Linda dug up from her garden.  Fig trees will send out suckers all over the place and this one started as one.  In the past three and the half years it has shot up, taller than the fence.  It has produced very small fruits in the previous seasons but they dropped before maturity.  This year the fruits are still small but are ripening and I had the good fortune to taste them before the birds.

hibiscus

The red hibiscus is a flower I can remember from the time I was aware of flowers.  It is a common garden flower in Malaysia, and if it is not seen in a garden it is likely to be found along side roads.  It is the floral symbol of Malaysia and I planted it in my garden to bring in a bit of the tropics.

garden design

I have often wondered if I could redesign my garden.  I have not done much to it since moving in, other than building three planter boxes and creating more garden beds.  This is the view from my bedroom window. I love the soothing expanse of green lawn.  Introducing contrasting foliage colours may give the scene more interest.  More visits to the nurseries to give me some ideas, perhaps.