Outside, Inside

Early this morning, I took time to walk around the garden in Kuching and did a couple of clearing up job at the side garden especially areas along the south fence. My efforts were rewarded well. The Blood Banana ( Musa zebrina) at the front garden seems to grow into a beautiful small clump now( see inset). I have constantly been watching its growth to ensure that any unruly adventure by the clump to surrounding areas be checked in time.

Below can be seen two pictures showing some of the planting details I incorporated to provide initially a green and colourful screen to the black metal fencing material. With my secateurs in hand and in rapid succession I took cuttings of young blood banana leaves, the multi-painted coleus leaves, the pendulous red bracts of the 'Firecrackers' ( Heliconia rostrata) , parrot flowers and finally the pink hybrid canna. I placed all of them inside a glass container that's was being held inside a tiny 'tambuk' or the local Bidayuh basket. Then I had them inserted inside a special decorative piece - a lamp shade, to hold the plants together for the show.

I made two versions for today's arrangement. One is for outside and the other for an inside arrangemment. Am I lost for a title? Well, guess what my mind said just now....Colour Outside, Colour Inside.

At the centre of attraction is the Dracaena marginata 'tricolour', being greeted by the parrot flower amidst a chorus of coleus and spider lily.

The 'Firecrackers' ( Heliconia rostrata ) and parrot flowers in the background .

Arrangement # 148

Outside Version

Inside Version

Coleus, Pink Frangipani and Costus

This is the fifth variety of coleus that I have in my Kuching garden right now. Coleus plants with its very colourful leaves are a respite to the evergreeness of our tropical gardens and I think they are a must to be planted . Other species that can give the masses of colour to our Kambatik garden are like the caladium, cordyline, psederanthemum, irisine, pisonia and mussaenda among a few.

Arrangement # 125

Here three varieties of the coleus ( solenostemon scutellarioides ) are placed inside a glass vase which is hidden by the mini 'tambuk' . The red terminal bracts of the costus woodsonii are added in to add variety. Finally I add perfumery to the display by throwing in the flowers of the pink frangipani ( plumeria rubra).
Surprised at the rich variety of colours I name the composition....Magic Colours.

Colourful Coleus leaves and Jasmine flowers

Arrangement # 124

My Kuching garden is slowly shaping up. Before we left for Bintulu last October, I had planted four varieties of the coleus ( Solenostemon scutellarioides ) which I bought from the Satok Sunday market. I noticed they are in their best looks today. Among the Malays the plant is called 'Bunga Ati-Ati'. They plant them for their multi-coloured variegated leaves more than for its flowers. They have 4-angled stems with small flowers and toothed edges. Planted in pots they are beautiful decorative plants for official functions. Coleus are native to this region ( South East Asia). Now you are likely to see more varieties appearing at the market place due to the fact that this plant is a favourite among hybriders who constantly try to produce new cultivars.

The coleus I chose above has dark maroon and red colours. Then to add contrast I plucked three flowering stems of the white jasmine flowers (jasminum multiflorum) .

Finally I like to name the above composition as ....Coleus in Contrast