Why All Flora and No Fauna?

Some of you might have been wondering why I have not featured any insects or animal in the postings. There are numerous insects in the farm and a number of animals - from birds, butterflies, dragon-flies, flying foxes, squirels, cows, goats, monkeys and wild boar...

The reason is simple - I have no patience nor agility to pursue the ever moving animals... Just watching the butterfly moves around is enough to make me dizzy.. hihi, let alone trying to capture it digitally! Furthermore, I am more fascinated with the plants...

However, there are sometimes when I come across the better behaved insects which either keep very still or move very slowly... Follows are two good examples:

I found this one moving slowly on the ground. Despite the black body, she has a electric blue tiny thorns. Click on the picture to have a closer look...

Creeping slowly, oblivious to the surroundings.


Put spider man to shame with her elegant pose... I accidently disturbed her while she waited for her lunch. She immediately moved into position...

The pattern at her back reminded me of soft corals off Terengganu islands...

The even more colorful and intricate patterns at her belly...

Labu Labi...

This posting is dedicated to all pumpkin lovers - especially Noreen... Alas, the pumpkin is still new and have yet to bear fruit. Kalau ada rezeki, maybe in the next pumpkin report? For the time being, just feast your eyes with the flowers...

The pumpkin flower is easily spotted for its bright orange color and big petals...

Basking in the morning sun...

The close-up... hmmm already looking delicious!

The Stela! Pt 2

I wanted to wait for a while - maybe until harvest time to report the stela progress, but cannot wait to share with you any longer! The stelas grow wonderfully. The source of joy looking at the colony...


The orange variety - strangely, I do not see any flower.


Unlike it's purple cousin, which bear purple (duh...) white flowers, which is soooo beautiful... (u notice the durian tree at the centre? - it remain the same like many months ago, sigh...)







...so beautiful that I cannot stop clicking the shutter...





...at every single one of it...





...again...





...and again!


Two orange tubes peeping to the world after heavy rain...

Edible Leaves Pt 2

There are many other edible leaves around, sprouting in the farm, here is another one, followed by a correction!

This is "ketumbit" or rather the "ketumbit dara" (the ketumbit that is yet to bear flower... heheh macam2...). Mother said it is remedy for heartburn - boiled and drink the water. Or take as ulam - celur, cicah budu hahaha. Collected some the other day for Mak Engku the midwife/masseuse in the kampung for her herbal remedy - I don't know what the remedy is for...





CORRECTION: This was reported as "kacip siti fatimah" earlier - which is not. The correct name is "payung siti fatimah" - see, macam2 kan...

Wild Gourd - The Newcomer

Many things kept me away from computer and farm the last few weeks. I am back again with another posting.

There are plenty of wild bitter gourd grow in the area. The plant is new to the area for I do not remember seeing one during my childhood. The gourd is similar with the "peria katak" that were sold in pasar malam, only slightly smaller in size. Looks like edible, but have never try... Cows and goats also do not quite bother the plant. The plain looking gourd turned loud with riots of red and orange colors once it over riped and "blooming", exposing the seeds.

The plant creeps indiscriminately over dead trunks and branches, with bright yellow flowers.

The budding fruit is evident very early

Voila! The seeds are ready to drop and populate!

The Alien

I stumbled upon a lone stalk of mushroom, one of the "kulat txxx lembu" I supposed, the bigger type. Quite rare and odd looking. The top was almost round, the size of slightly bigger than a golf ball, dark brown in appearance, with radiant pinkish white stalk. It was drizzling after heavy rain in the morning. I took her picture as I can, but not quite prepared and mindful of the wet floor.


Not satisfied with the result, I return to the site in the evening. To my surprise, the ball has opened up! There she was, so beautiful, and pink all over. I was on all four and took her picture until I was satisfied - I LOVE digital camera - no need to worry about changing film rolls hehehe. I really had a "field day"!




11 a.m the budding mushroom, if not for the rarity, would go unnoticed.



A closer look at the bottom. reminded me of the big headed alient character in the Star Trek movies... Wonder what Ummualya's active imagination would come up with....



6 p.m Full Bloom!





Under the canopy...




Delicate soft pink stalk, like a baby's bum...

Sneak Preview - Missy Pinky!

The Martians have landed!

PaPaYa!

Papaya is easy to grow and don't need much attention. We have quite a number of papaya trees in the farm. Most of it grow on its own with both red and yellow types, I guessed. Cannot tell for sure until it bear fruits.

When the papaya trees were about 1-2 ft height, "something" was so fond of the trees and nibbled its young leaves and shoots either early in the morning or in the evening. We have not encountered with the shy animal, but suspected a mousedeer... It is quite likely, for the damage to other part of the trees were minimal - unlike the damage caused by monkeys or wild boar or even cow. Furthermore, as we suspected, the trees are safe as they grow above 3 ft height... Nevertheless, most of the trees were left with permanent scars and some are freaky with 2 "branches"...

The raining season is not over yet - not until Chinese New Year (observed the elders). Papaya and chili especially, are hanging on dear lives. Both plants suffer if there was excess water in the ground. Hopefully they will survive the monsoon rain and recuperate comes spring!

The permanent scar...

The freaky 2 headed monster(?)...

New beginning all over again...

A new hope - surviving the heavy rain...

Dancing with the Wind

Now, the sweet corn is about 2 months old... A very soothing view to the eyes looking at the dancing trees in the morning breeze... We used to plant 2 rows of the corn at "rumah bujang" in SS19, Subang Jaya many years ago. The green dancing leaves in the morning is more than enough payback to our toil... Now, mentioning SJ's house bring me back to the sunflowers planted in the house compound. That was another heart warming view... Hmmm... should get some seed next...

In the meantime, the stelas are spreading like wildfire... covering every inch of the open space like there is no tomorrow... The cherry tomatoes life cycle come to an end... I am planting new ones with the sprouts that grow "wild" all over the place... plus the regular tomatoes as well... and more brinjals are on the way too...

Hope it will survive and bear fruit. I wish to plant more, but hard pressed for time lately...

The existing (long) brinjals... with new seedlings on the way...

The few last harvest of tomatoes, while okra can still last for a while... Alhamdulillah, we have more than enough for our consumption...

Kulat Bintang

Kulat Bintang is one of the luminescent mushrooms (glow in the dark). Many years ago, we used to collect the mushrooms in quite a distance kebun, put it one each on our eyelids and wait for our victims in the dark (bawah rumah, usually).... hahahah. Those were the days - when we put such efforts for a simple pleasure... Now I have the time and means to observe the surroundings and many times I was stunned by the beauty of Allah's creature... Click on the pictures below to understand what I am trying to describe but cannot find the words... except Subhanallah!


The simple mushroom on the dead log... Look at the gluten that covers the top.




The beautiful and delicate yet elegant. The gills view...



Noticed the fine white powders on the log? Only present after the mushrooms at full bloom. I also noticed the "spider web strings" on other kulat bintang - and wonder what it is... Maybe I have the chance to shoot the mushroom during night time when the glow is visible...

Four Angle Bean and a New Keladi

The Pests (except for some "bena") were so kind to the kacang botol so far... until it started flowering and fruiting...

They have big feast everyday on the flowers and young bean... Tak pa lah... share2 ok? Some for us, some for them...

Bought some small keladi in Pasar Chukai. Don't quite know its name - but look and taste similar to keladi telur. I planted the left overs, and from the new shoots, my mother noted that it might be the "keladi sarang ayam". I thought she made up the name, but obviously not... hahahah!

Other Permanent Residents

Other than durian and rambutan, I also planted one or two each of other permanent trees i.e. mangosteen, mango, ciku and jambu. We also have existing fruit trees that we kept in the farm, i.e duku, langsat (no need dokong eh, Aida/Ani?), kuini and rambai.


My favorite fruit - mangosteen! Bought in Balok Pasar Tani - Sooo slowww growing - slower than durian... This is the Thailand (again) variety - thinner skin and so sweet (the sales man say la...)




First shoots coming out - only after almost 6 months... Sabar je la...



Jambu, from Balok Pasar Tani - Not so keen to plant this one as I was made to understand that the jambu requires special attention and chemicals to get the sweet fruits like sold in the fruit stall. Otherwise, the fruit is bitter and fall off early - before it ripe properly.



Ciku from Agri Expo - Thailand variety (and again...) which is claimed to bear fruit earlier and sweeter than the Malaysian variety...




Duku! The 2nd batch since we work on the farm. The first batch of fruits were gone overnight when a group of bats partied all night long... I remember my late uncle would go to the kebun in the evening and hang the "pelita" on the tree to keep the bats away... I am thinking of hanging the blinking lights and make the big x-mas (duku) tree hahahah...

Paraphernalia, Tools and Team Pt 2

Here are the rest of the tools collection...





The Apek at Balok Hardware shop (my mother's batch) laughed at me when I asked for this "tajak"... He said that no one is looking for a tajak anymore nowadays... The tajak is useful while working in the swamp... My mother asked me to look for padi seeds! hehehe. Any of you know where can I get a handful??

Palm fruit cutter - as an alternative to a regular spade. Sharp and slim but heavy - effective to dig deep and slim hole in harden earth to plant fence posts.

I am fond of this hoe... "Cangkul cap buaya", registered trade mark in England - stamped on the blade... Relatively light weight, with the right angle, and sharp. Cut hard earth and roots like a breeze... A dream come true... (yes, I used to day-dreamed of "menyangkul"). It is very hard for me to let go, each time I use it hehheeh... This one bought at the favorite Balok shop. I have another, bought in Kemaman - "cangkul cap ayam"! Honest! I am not kidding - it is "cap ayam"! Slightly bigger, I would settle for it if not for the cap buaya... The golf lessons in Setapak Driving Range does not go to waste after all, as I practice each swing of the cangkul hahahah!

Latest addition - I saw Pak Su Dir using it the other day... wasted no time and I got one... The "sabit" is useful to cut grass and wines - Covered bigger area with one swing, compared to the curvy, slim blade type...

Paraphernalia, Tools and Team Pt 1

I might have started the kebun project, however I was supported by a team of people who contributed their respective time and energy to make the kebun what it is so far. My mother, for one, is the reason and spirit behind the project. She used to reminiscence of the old good days when she work in the kebuns like this one some 40 years ago, and wish to have her own durian and rambutan trees for her grandchilden... Due to her vast experience, she automatically became the supervisor of the project. She is frail and do not have much energy, so I am the energy part of the project... She taught me how to cut tress for instance, so now I have the skills to cut a sizeable tree properly (about 2' dia.) and "plan" for where it eventually fall. Not to mention the "mass falling" technique... Now, that is something I am quite certain that many of you don't know hihih...

While their children are not quite interested with the project, my 2 brothers would lend their hands whenever they can, after work or during weekend. So does my sister in law...

After the experience in the kebun todate, I now appreciate the accessories and tools so much more than I would imagine... And also appreciate my mother more for all her hard works in her younger days, working with bare ands and minimum tools... While most of the tools were bought from hardware shops in Balok, I also bought some from Kemaman.




Now i know why Phua Che Kang can't leave home without it! Once you are in it, there is no terrain you dare not enter. Surprisingly comfortable, I confidently work in the swamp or in tall grass... Btw, I also have another pair, yellow color, just like Chu Kang's... hehehe




So common, and taken for granted. Not anymore, as I appreciate every pair of it for keeping my hands clean and protected from small thorns and splinters and mosquitoes...

Surely not trying to be fashionable (I wish they do not paint the flowers on it), this one protects me from rain and shine and ppl's glare... hehehehe

This is the first parang I used to cut the trees. Thin, sharp, lightweight and surprisingly sturdy. Bought in Kemaman hardware shop. Handy with crawling wines as well...

I bought this one just outside Kemaman Wet Market - while the parang is quite common nowadays, it's the sheath that I was for... Rarely you can find the "sarung" anymore - I suspected this one is made of jack fruit wood, going by its color and texture. Note also the knots on the "belt" - my mother tied it for me... Handy when you want to have both hands for other things...