Impatiens balsamina

凤仙花 is Impatiens balsamina, an annual plant of  the Balsaminaceae family.  In Malaysia, it is known as bunga keembung in Malay language.

It is native to southern Asia, but widely cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout tropical/sub-tropical Asia.  Due to its vigorous reproduction, it became invasive and noxious is many area.

Garden balsam is an annual plant capable to grow up to 1 meter in height.   It has thick but herbaceous stem.  The leaves are toothed-margin.  The flowers are brilliantly coloured with red, pink, purple or white.  Above all, the most fascinating and unforgettable feature is the explosive dehiscence seed capsules.

brilliantly coloured flower

seed pods

dehiscenced pod exposing seeds

  

Landscape : Cover over Sarikei's Drain

Drain covers are not necessary made of concrete or plastic.   Wood can be an option if the material is easily available, economical feasible, durable and weather-proof.

Along Jalan Berek in Sarikei, the drain is covered by wooden cover made of cengal wood.   Cengal wood is one of the hardest wood in Malaysia, of the Neobalanocarpus heimii tree.  The wood is hard, compact, durable and even termite-resistant.   It is however not maintenance-free.  Nothing is maintenance-free.

An unique feature in Sarikei not to be missed.

Lansium domesticum var. duku

Lansium domesticum is a complicated species of trees of the  Meliaceae family. It originated throughout the entire Southeast Asian region.  The plant differs from place to place, thus numerous varieties, impossible even for one botanist/horticulturist to identify one.  The vast varieties of Lansium domesticum often lead to some botanist to differentiate them as different species. 

Overall, there are 2 main varieties : duku and langsat.  In addition, there are also mixed duku-langsat varieties.

The fruit are borne in cluster.  Fruit can be elliptical, oval or round, measuring 2 to 7 cm in diameter.  The skin can be smooth or rough, with skin thickness varies with the varieties.   The fruit contains 1 to 3 seeds, flat, and bitter tasting.  The seeds are covered with clear-white aril that tastes sweet and sour. 

This is a variety of duku brought by KeeSiong from his hometown Malacca.  The fruit range from 2 to 5 cm in diameter.  The skin are orangey, a bit rough-textured, and is enormously thick.   In the end, what makes me conclude it’s a duku is the sweet and sour taste.  Its definitely a duku. 

The Sun : There's gold in 'em trees

Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.

Solanum torvum - terung pipit

Terung Pipit is Solanum torvum, also known as Turkey berry, Devil’s fig, prickly nightshade, wild eggplant, pea eggplant, and many other names.

Originated from the West Indies, it is now widely distributed all over the Tropics, more as a noxious weed than cultivated crop.

The plant is 2 to 3 meter in height.  The branches and twigs are covered with hairs and spines.  Leaves are opposite, ovate, and lobed.  Flowers are white, tubular with 5 pointed lobes, in corymbiform cymes.  Fruits are berries in clusters, round, about 1cm diameter, green when mature, yellow when ripe, think-fleshed.  Seeds numerous, flat disc.

Propagation by seeds and cuttings.  The plant does not live long, up to 2 years the most.  Usually used as rootstocks for eggplants, for its resistant against root diseases.

  

The green fresh fruits are used in Thai cuisine, as well as Malay and Lao cuisine.  Fruits can be consumed fresh as salad or cooked with curry or soups, sauces and stews.   Dried fruits which are pre-soaked fruits in curd, were fried in oil to make sundaikkai vattral, an Indian condiment. 

Artificial Grass @ Inspire

It Is Obviously Not Obvious

Artificial grass is an innovative product substituting natural grass, that can be used on a long term basis. With its equally natural appearance, artificial grass is not only beautiful but also more practical when it comes to maintenance and landscaping.

Usually used for sports fields, golf courses, residential and business compounds, artificial grass allows landscape lovers to enjoy perfectly maintained grass all year round, regardless of the weather condition.

The texture of artificial grass is soft yet tough, making it comfortable to walk on even without footwear. Because of its toughness, artificial grass is able to endure the weight of heavy objects without leaving any dry patches or discolouration. Most artificial grass are treated with a UV inhibitor which helps to shield it from drastic fading and degradation caused by UV.

Using artificial grass is a smart choice because it requires minimal maintenance, making it unnecessary to mow, trim or fertilise. It is also environmental friendly as there is no need for harmful pesticides and it does not require any watering, which helps save water as well.

Some of the advantages of using artificial grass are:-

Ö  Long lasting and the colour does not fade easily.

Ö Easy to install.

Ö  Safe for both children and pets.

Ö  More hygienic as it does not require dirt or mud.

Ö  Suitable alternative in areas with little or no sunlight.

Ö  Excellent for swimming pool areas as it is non-slippery.

Le Grassi

Measuring at a height of 40mm, Le Grassi is denser and more compact, making it suitable for use in an indoor setting or padding a safe children-friendly playground.

Features

Height:40mm  Gauge:3/8"      Stitch Rate:18(±2) stitches, with a 10cm width

Le Meadow

The measurement for Le Meadow is 36mm and is suitable for outdoor landscaping. It can be used in residential or business compounds, giving it an aesthetic look and creates a scenery that is pleasing to the eye.

Features

Height:36mm  Gauge:3/8"      Stitch Rate:12(±2) stitches, with a 10cm width

Le Uniq

Specially designed with a U-shaped yarn and a green curl yarn, Le Uniq is ultra flexible and is ideal for landscaping and gardening. The U-shaped yarn gives Le Uniq a tougher characteristic, allowing it to stand upright compared to other types of artificial grass.

Features

Height:30mm  Gauge:3/8"      Stitch Rate:18(±2) stitches, with a 10cm width

Le Clubio

Being 12mm in height, Le Clubio is best used for putting and mini golf courses. Its short and neatly groomed nature makes it easier for golf balls to roll a longer distance, giving golfers a more enjoyable golfing experience.

Features

Height:12mm  Gauge:4.5mm  Stitch Rate:20(±3) stitches, with a 10cm width

The Star : Declining dietary diversity

Monday 7 October, 2013

Scan the supermarket isles and consumers appear to be faced with endless choice.

Now, take another look.  How much of this is really just different versions of the same plant ?  Pasta, bread, crackers, flour, cereals, cakes, noodles, couscous and beer, for example, are all the products of wheat.  For much of the world, dietary diversity in an illusion.  Most of our arable land is coming to be dominated by an increasingly narrow range of crops.

Maize, wheat and rice are the superstars of agriculture.   Together, they account for 60% of the world’s calorie intake.

But there was a time, within the last 10,000 years, when man made use of 30,000 plant, 7,000 of which were crops.

Cast the net a bit wider, and today it’s still only 120 species of plants that supply 90% of our diet – down from the 7,000 above.

The Crops For The Future Research Centre aims to investigate and, where appropriate, elevate the status of a variety of underutilized fruits and vegetables in our diet.   Some examples follows :

Fruits

> Asam gelugur ( Garcinia atroviridis )

> Belimbing buluh ( Averrhoa bilimbi )

> Cerapu ( Garcinia parainiana )

> Ceri Terengganu ( Lepisanthes fruticosa )

> Kedondong ( Spondias cytherea )

> Kemunting ( Rhodomyrtus tomentosa )
> Kundang ( Couea macrophylla )

> Salak ( Salacca zalacca )

> Sentul ( Sandoricum macropodum )

> Sukun ( Artocarpus altilis )

> Rambai ( Baccaurea matleyana )

Vegetables

> Beluntas ( Pluchea indica )

> Beremi laut ( Portulaca spp. )

> Gandarusa ( Justicia gendarussa )

> Gajus merah ( Anarcardium accidentale )

> Kemoyang ( Homalomena sagittifolia )

> Mengkudu ( Morinda citrifolia )

> Mata itik ( Ardisia crenata )

> Peria pantai ( Colubrina asiatica )

> Tenggek burung ( Euodia ridleyi )

> Sabung nyawa ( Gynura procumbens )

> Salam ( Eugenia polyantha )