Zanzibar Gem

Springtime has arrived but unfortunately it’s raining all week. I’m taking refuge indoors which also means more attention given for indoor plants. This is Zanzibar Gem (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia), and even with the low light available, has managed to grow even more leaves. My first encounter with this plant was in a shopping centre. I find the shiny leave irresistible. I thought nothing more of it. Then I spotted it in Bunnings and discovered what the plant was called. Apparently, after handling Zanzibar Gem, wash hands well with soap and water; every part of this plant is said to be poisonous!

Knitted scarf

This scarf has taken me over a year to knit. It’s a combination of me being a slow knitter and forgetting about it for months at a time. Seeing as it was wedged in a plastic bag between the wall and the couch, it was easily overlooked. Despite it all, I can say I did complete it by winter.

I love the gradual earthy colours from cream, brown to blue-grey and the speckles of bright colours.

I used purl stitching - two balls of wool and 8 mm knitting needle.

Pita bread

I finally attempted a pita bread recipe I found in a weekend paper from over a month ago. Instead of using a BBQ grill, I used a very hot fry pan to cook the flattened dough for 30 seconds on each side. I was doubtful about the recipe making twelve pieces, but with some vigorous stretching, it was adequate.

Fish pond

Nearing the end of winter and the fish pond is in need of a good clean. The cooler temperatures have slowed growth of the lily pads, exposing the gunk at the bottom of the pond. Except for the few lilies that remained, the rest went into the compost bin. Those few lilies left will quickly turn into many come the warm seasons. Pictured right are the fishes hiding and raindrops hitting the water of the now clean fish pond. Below is the pond before the clean-up.

Nectarine blossom

The dwarf nectarine is blossoming and looking like candyfloss on a stick. The shadow cast on the green fence brings out the soft pinks of the buds. Apparently, stone fruits do best trained with no central branches. The idea is to let the sun shine into the center of the tree to ripen the fruit from the interior as well as the exterior. With that in mind, I will need to inspect my other trees and prune them before spring arrives.

Rose Campion

What started as one plant has quickly turned into four. I divided a clump of Rose Campion (Silene coronaria) and potted them up ready for their new permanent site. I’m waiting for a spare area to become available, somewhere with full sunlight. I am looking forward to their magenta flowers in summer. It’s a shame they don’t make good cut flower.

Vanda Miss Joaquim

This potted orchid sitting on top of a Rubik cube is Singapore’s national flower. Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen for this purpose as it was the first registered plant hybrid from Singapore. I purchased this from the Singapore National Orchid Garden gift shop back in January, and thankfully was allowed into Australia by customs. It’s still very small so it will be a while until it finally flowers. They require humidity of at least 60% and 7+ hours of sunlight. They grow to about over 2 metres tall as pictured below.