Jardinerong Sunog (the Burnt Gardener)

I have been cultivating Kaempferia marginata for quite some years now, and although it blooms reliably during summer, two flowers appearing at once is not at all the norm. Today one of my plants did just that. This ginger is widely distributed from India to Yunnan, and Myanmar to Thailand (where it is used as a vegetable), and is said to grow on scrubby forests and grasslands. The species has naturalized on Hawaii. A striking feature is the pair of orbicular, wavy-margined leaves that lay flat on the ground. The leaves may be entirely purple or green with purple markings, and even plain green. The flowers are tinged with purple, although pure white ones are known too- like in my plants. To me, these blossoms are like butterflies resting on the foliage, and in shape reminds me of Hedychium coronarium , although with no discernible scent. These flowers are short-lived, and last only until late morning. No worries though as these plants bloom practically everyday when actively growi...

Our 'drier' months aren't as dry as they should be. Just the past week and earlier today we had showers particularly at night and early morning, and we also had frequent rains last March. Not a day passed during the month of December when we had not experienced a downpour. I am not complaining, as rains cut my watering time drastically, but the frequent precipitation also meant that the dormant plants have now been tricked into thinking (sorry for the anthropomorphization) that the rainy season has arrived and it is time for them to wake up to a new season of growth. Amorphophallus macrophyllus 'Bluto'. The tuber evidently has formed two active growths. Kaempferia marginata The curiously shaped tuberous rhizomes of the climbing Flame Lily, Gloriosa tuberosa . The past two weeks have seen the renewed activity on kaempferias, and two days ago some of the Amorphophallus have shown signs of doing the same. I often repot these plants, along with ...