Hydrangea

One of my most beloved non-fragrant flowers is none other than hydrangea. I first cultivated it more than twenty years ago when I was still studying in college. Then it was all forgotten and neglected at my parents' place until I moved into my current house. When I failed twice to propagate it from cuttings, I decided to move the one and only remaining plant to my place. Shown some TLC after years of neglect, it bloomed again. However, a kind of pest eventually killed my very old plant and what I managed to save are just cuttings of the shoots which surprisingly seem to grow after being planted in the soil. So, the lesson learnt is hydrangea is propagated by taking the new stems and not old ones.

Only a hint of blue is seen here although years ago at my parents' place it used to be all blue.

A lovely pink cluster....

Now that I have pink hydrangea, I miss the blue one.

Pink Pentas @ Egyptian Star

Thanks to my Facebook gardening buddies, I learn that the flower posted here is called Pentas. Armed with the name, I went googling and found more information in Autumn Belle's blog www.mynicegarden.com. Actually the specimen displayed here isn't mine but my SIL's. It is a perennial in the tropics and supposed to flower most of the time. There are a few other colours available too. Beautiful clusters of petals it has but without any fragrance. 

Rudbeckia hirta

Rudbeckia hirta is another flower in my gardening history. I successfully nurtured a single plant to bloom but was defeated by mealy bugs in the end. The plant had to go because the leaves harboured the bugs. I saved some seeds but none germinated. I probably still have the original purchased seeds but I don't think I will sow them again just yet as there are so many flowers in the waiting list to be planted.

Marigold honeycomb

From a cheap seed packet with very few seeds inside, I managed to get one plant growing quite majestically, if I may say so, based on the gorgeous blooms it has gracefully bestowed on me. Alas, they last but a few weeks and I can't get the seeds saved to grow like the original plant ever again.

Angel Wing Jasmine

I bought this online from Mee Lan Ting's nursery in Batu Caves, Selangor. It looks quite similar to the jungle jasmine but bigger and with more petals. With 11 petals compared to its jungle cousin's 8 or 9 petals, look wise it's the winner in my eyes but I still prefer the sweet scent of the wild jasmine.

Potted into a small pot for the time being.

Its current location is in the shade next to the gate.

Long dainty petals are now blooming in my garden.

Dark Pink Waterlily

This variety of waterlily blooms early in the morning and closes before noon. Having to leave home early every morning, I was unfortunate not to be able to see it bloom....by the time I came back, it was all closed. Frustrated, I had to ask my other half to snap its picture before he left for work. Luckily, he was happy to oblige.

From afar and with its guardians in the pond

Lovely!

Closer and lovelier!

So, is it gorgeous or  not?

Vallaris glabra

The fragrance of this flower is akin to that of the fragrant screw pine (Pandan in Malay). Its Malay names are Kerak Nasi or Kesidang. This creeper grows in a pot outside my fence but climbs up a pergola all the way to my balcony in the upper storey of my house. As a result, I can enjoy its lovely fragrance even at night from the comfort of my balcony!