FIRST – a recantation: My article in Jan.30 issue stated that June/July was the best time to cut back frangipani. Of necessity, these articles are written well in advance of publication. Since writing, I have observed a strange phenomenon. Frangipani trees everywhere around me in Sanur are rapidly shedding leaves. Nature often knows things before we do. Is this premature shedding a further sign of climate change?
Usually this is only found in arid tropical areas where the dry season is virtually without rain. (eg: East Bali in the rain-shadow of Gunung Agung.) As with temperate deciduous trees, this tells us that the tree is withdrawing its sap flow into the root system in preparation for a period of dormancy. If your frangipani are doing this, cut back now.
MRT of Sanur writes: Our villa overlooks the beach having a large terrace in constant use as an outdoor living room. We dine here and love watching night gather and the moon rise. Two large frangipani trees were removed and relocated as they obstructed the view. When sea-breezes blow (often), we miss the perfume from our garden. How can we get this back without affecting our view?
If large enough, create a pot garden located on the terrace itself. Dig a narrow garden bed directly in front of your terrace and plant seeds of the ‘Four o’Clock’ plant, otherwise known as ‘Marvel of Peru’ – bot: Mirabilis jalapa. Flowers open around 4pm and fall around 4am but strongly scented flowers are produced in great profusion.
Being basically a night garden, choose scented white flowers for visual appeal. Obtain seeds quite close by on Jl. Pantai Sindu, roughly opposite Restoran Kalimantan. Select black, mature seeds. A self-seeder means a dense bed soon. Sea breezes will waft their scent onto the terrace.
Frangipani thrive in pots, though a big tub is better. Eventually you will need to start again (or prune heavily – including the roots) to keep them compact and floriferous. Cuttings may be taken from existing trees, or established plants bought from the many garden stalls along Jl.Hang Tua/Jl. Hayam Wuruk.
Frangipani needs some sun to do well. Keep the tubs close to the edge of the terrace to get the morning sun. Turn frequently as the plant will grow towards the sun, producing a lop-sided specimen.
A truly beautiful shrub is known locally as ‘Kemuning’. A member of the citrus family, it produces miniature leaves, smallish, highly-fragrant, white flowers followed by tiny orange/red, lemon- shaped fruits (bot: Murraya paniculata).
The white-flowering ginger (Hedychium coronaria) produces many white, perfumed flowers. There is also a creamy-yellow form not so readily available. It bears dense spikes of honeysuckle like flowers, also heavily scented.
You could erect latticework at the ends of your terrace without obstructing your view. Ordinary honeysuckle grows well here, its sweet perfume being especially strong at night. Look around for other more exotic members of this family.
Don’t forget the jasmines! Choose from both bush and climbing forms. Gardenias make good tub specimens, though here they bear a few flowers continuously unlike cooler climates where the plant covers itself in flushes of bloom, resting during the colder months.
A lovely climber in the ‘morning glory’ family (Ipomea spp.) is the Moonflower Vine. You see many other forms growing wild here. The ‘Moonflower’ is nowhere near as vigorous. A good ‘cover’ requires planting 6-10 seeds very close together. Water the seeds well once at planting; leave alone until after germination and growing on strongly.
Pinch back growing tips to encourage many side shoots - the more pinching back, the denser the plant. Large white flowers open around 4pm, unfurling so quickly you can stand and watch it happen. These also fall around 4am but are quickly replaced the next day.
Seeds are not readily available! The only large planting I know of is at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Botanic Gardens the world over seem chronically short of cash, many having volunteer organizations such as ‘Friends of The ? Botanic Gardens’. They propagate plants from the collection to sell to the general public as a fund raiser. Type S.B.G. into your search engine and see what you come up with.
Do not neglect ferns as ‘fillers’ between flowering plants; available free from any wall or gutter right now. (I once collected seven different leaf types of Maidenhair {bot: Adiantum spp.} in this way.) Start baby ferns in small pots and pot on as the plants get bigger. Roots rot quickly if they sit in more water than the plant can use.
Pendent type ferns (eg. Boston types) show to best advantage in hanging baskets. ‘Stemmed’ varieties (Maidenhairs, Bird’s Nest) look better in standard pots. Potting mixes and pots often pose a vexed question. The next article will deal with this as I am sure it will be of as much interest to the general gardening reader as to you.
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