I read with interest Dharmas account on Curry Plant (Karapincha) and I noted that it grows in your garden as well. I suppose most plants grown here in Sub-Tropical Brisbane are found in Florida too. I got a few pics to share with everyone.
I got Guaua, Palmer Mango, Crotons, Bananas, Kariwila, snake beans among others in our garden.Our main problem are the pests like opossums, mealy bugs, bats, fruit flies etc.
I note with interest that there are some keen gardeners among our batch mates.
Dear Wally
You have a wonderful garden. I love 💕 the flowers 🍈 🍉 🍇 fruits 🍌 bananas curry leaves 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿and everything els rsievially the mangoes which is my favourite fruit. With the beautiful weather in Brisbane you are able to grow most of these that are available in Sri Lanka. I am a keen gardener but with all my aches and pains I try to do only indoor gardening. I still love and enjoy others gardens and what they grow . Thanks 🙏 for putting your photos on the blog . Cheers. Praxy
Hi Praxy,
I do enjoy gardening and lot of my leisure time spent in my own backyard or in garden centres looking for new plants. Like everyone else I too go into hibernation or a holiday overseas during the winter, however mild it may be.
Wishing you & Ranjith a very happy, healthy , peaceful New Year
Abey
Hey Abey !
When can I come to eat your mango , ash plantains and Karapincha Sambol ?
Just LOVE it all .
It is wonderful to see all you folks in USA and Australia, taking up such a holistic hobby as gardening – special fruits, herbs and vegts .
Thank you for the lovely photos of the Araliya, and the Bird of Paradise and the yellow flowered plant- I forget the name though .
I have seen all of these growing in my friend’s garden in Brisbane, when I visited her place back in march 1998 or so.
Well Done- keep it up and Happy Gardening to you Abey in the year 2018 !
Hi Deepthie,these yellow flowers are Allamanda and there are 2 other colours, pink & purple as well. Its very colourful and flowers throughout summer and needs to be pruned back in late winter just like Hibiscus.
Thanks Abey for the name of the yellow flower .
yes I do remember this well – in SL .
I have not seen the pink and purple .
YOU are a great gardener- keep up this great holistic hobby !
deepthie .
Hi Abey, Your garden is as good as any in Sri Lanka.You have the best of both worlds.Enjoyed the pics of the bananas, mangoes and especially the Araliya.I am trying to grow one in my garden.It does not like the winter weather.Eddie.
Thanks for your comments Eddie. I spend a lot of time in the garden attending to plants and looking for pests, bugs etc. Araliya tend to be deciduous even here. Your best bet would be to grow in a pot in NZ until fully established to a decent size before putting it in the ground.If you happen to get a cutting make sure that soil drains well and avoid overwatering. It takes a long time for roots to develop from a cutting , leave it undisturbed.
Great job Abey, Yours is truly a LUSCIOUS Tropical garden. Envy your climate. Climate alone cannot do it. Its your “green thumb” and TLC. Congratulations! Keep it going.
Dharma,Thanks for your comments. Gardening is such a pleasurable , relaxing activity. Most of the tropical plants tends to go into a “cruise mode” in the mild winters here but no great harm done as there is no frost or snow.
Dharma, I just remembered something about the “green Thumb”. In Australia we have a famous singer, recording artist, Kamahl (real name Kandiah Kamaleswaran) who had recorded millions of albums in a lovely baritone voice. During a TV interview at his place with a gardening expert, latter commented looking across the garden that Kamahl got green thumbs. He replied, no its a brown thumb !
Dear Wally,
Looks like that you don’t have to go to the market.
As Dharma put it, its the Green thumb more than climate.
When I lived in Brisbane(1976-1977), my neighbors wire fence had a creeper in its entire length. When I told my neighbor that it is Bitter guard & that we can eat it – its good for diabetes etc, they didn’t believe me and told the other neighbors – ” That doctor next door eats poison”
Now we can get it everywhere !!
Do you have Eggplant (brinjal) , Ladies finger & Drumstick as well ?- I fancy these.
Wishing you & your family a happy & healthy 2018 & Good luck with your gardening.
Seelan
Hi Seelan,
With the limited space in my backyard, I tend to grow green leafy vegies mostly as the stuff we buy at greengrocers/supermarkets tend to be spayed with all sorts of insecticides. I do have Kang Kung , Kale, herbs and chillies. Drumstick plant is only 2 meters tall , too early for fruiting. We get drumsticks from an indian grocer who gets it from Bowen upnorth.
Thanks Seelan. Wish you, Jean and extended family a happy , healthy 2018.
Nice work Abey. It is truly a tropical garden. I cannot imagine being able to pick mangoes from your back yard. I just got mangoes today , at the grocery store , imported from Ecuador. I do not know how good they are. I have to wait a few more days.
We do have pink Araliya ( Plumeria ) at home growing in a big pot. It does produce blossoms ,but there isn’t much fragrance in the blossoms.
The day time temp. today here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is 17 F ( – 8 C ) . I know some of you cannot even imagine how cold that is.It can even get colder – 5 F. So forget about tropical plants except indoors in pots.
All the best of Health peace and prosperity to each and everyone on of our batch mates and their families.
Hi Nishantha,
Our Frangipani (Araliya) doe not have much of a fragrance either. Nothing to beat Jamine for fragrance, I think.
The common variety of mango here is Bowen/Kensington Pride but what I got is called Palmer which is a dwarf variety and my reading of it is that it came from Florida !!!
Wishing you , Piching and extended family a very happy, peaceful & healthy New Year.
News, Views and More from Batch'64, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, SriLanka 
Dear Wally
You have a wonderful garden. I love 💕 the flowers 🍈 🍉 🍇 fruits 🍌 bananas curry leaves 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿and everything els rsievially the mangoes which is my favourite fruit. With the beautiful weather in Brisbane you are able to grow most of these that are available in Sri Lanka. I am a keen gardener but with all my aches and pains I try to do only indoor gardening. I still love and enjoy others gardens and what they grow . Thanks 🙏 for putting your photos on the blog . Cheers. Praxy
LikeLike
Hi Praxy,
I do enjoy gardening and lot of my leisure time spent in my own backyard or in garden centres looking for new plants. Like everyone else I too go into hibernation or a holiday overseas during the winter, however mild it may be.
Wishing you & Ranjith a very happy, healthy , peaceful New Year
Abey
LikeLike
Hey Abey !
When can I come to eat your mango , ash plantains and Karapincha Sambol ?
Just LOVE it all .
It is wonderful to see all you folks in USA and Australia, taking up such a holistic hobby as gardening – special fruits, herbs and vegts .
Thank you for the lovely photos of the Araliya, and the Bird of Paradise and the yellow flowered plant- I forget the name though .
I have seen all of these growing in my friend’s garden in Brisbane, when I visited her place back in march 1998 or so.
Well Done- keep it up and Happy Gardening to you Abey in the year 2018 !
LikeLike
Wally please don’t forget to keep my share of the mangoes when you are enjoying them with Deepthie. Praxy
LikeLike
Hi Deepthie,these yellow flowers are Allamanda and there are 2 other colours, pink & purple as well. Its very colourful and flowers throughout summer and needs to be pruned back in late winter just like Hibiscus.
LikeLike
Thanks Abey for the name of the yellow flower .
yes I do remember this well – in SL .
I have not seen the pink and purple .
YOU are a great gardener- keep up this great holistic hobby !
deepthie .
LikeLike
Hi Abey, Your garden is as good as any in Sri Lanka.You have the best of both worlds.Enjoyed the pics of the bananas, mangoes and especially the Araliya.I am trying to grow one in my garden.It does not like the winter weather.Eddie.
LikeLike
Thanks for your comments Eddie. I spend a lot of time in the garden attending to plants and looking for pests, bugs etc. Araliya tend to be deciduous even here. Your best bet would be to grow in a pot in NZ until fully established to a decent size before putting it in the ground.If you happen to get a cutting make sure that soil drains well and avoid overwatering. It takes a long time for roots to develop from a cutting , leave it undisturbed.
LikeLike
Great job Abey, Yours is truly a LUSCIOUS Tropical garden. Envy your climate. Climate alone cannot do it. Its your “green thumb” and TLC. Congratulations! Keep it going.
LikeLike
Dharma,Thanks for your comments. Gardening is such a pleasurable , relaxing activity. Most of the tropical plants tends to go into a “cruise mode” in the mild winters here but no great harm done as there is no frost or snow.
LikeLike
Dharma, I just remembered something about the “green Thumb”. In Australia we have a famous singer, recording artist, Kamahl (real name Kandiah Kamaleswaran) who had recorded millions of albums in a lovely baritone voice. During a TV interview at his place with a gardening expert, latter commented looking across the garden that Kamahl got green thumbs. He replied, no its a brown thumb !
LikeLike
Dear Wally,
Looks like that you don’t have to go to the market.
As Dharma put it, its the Green thumb more than climate.
When I lived in Brisbane(1976-1977), my neighbors wire fence had a creeper in its entire length. When I told my neighbor that it is Bitter guard & that we can eat it – its good for diabetes etc, they didn’t believe me and told the other neighbors – ” That doctor next door eats poison”
Now we can get it everywhere !!
Do you have Eggplant (brinjal) , Ladies finger & Drumstick as well ?- I fancy these.
Wishing you & your family a happy & healthy 2018 & Good luck with your gardening.
Seelan
LikeLike
Hi Seelan,
With the limited space in my backyard, I tend to grow green leafy vegies mostly as the stuff we buy at greengrocers/supermarkets tend to be spayed with all sorts of insecticides. I do have Kang Kung , Kale, herbs and chillies. Drumstick plant is only 2 meters tall , too early for fruiting. We get drumsticks from an indian grocer who gets it from Bowen upnorth.
Thanks Seelan. Wish you, Jean and extended family a happy , healthy 2018.
LikeLike
Nice work Abey. It is truly a tropical garden. I cannot imagine being able to pick mangoes from your back yard. I just got mangoes today , at the grocery store , imported from Ecuador. I do not know how good they are. I have to wait a few more days.
We do have pink Araliya ( Plumeria ) at home growing in a big pot. It does produce blossoms ,but there isn’t much fragrance in the blossoms.
The day time temp. today here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is 17 F ( – 8 C ) . I know some of you cannot even imagine how cold that is.It can even get colder – 5 F. So forget about tropical plants except indoors in pots.
All the best of Health peace and prosperity to each and everyone on of our batch mates and their families.
Nisantha and Piching
LikeLike
Hi Nishantha,
Our Frangipani (Araliya) doe not have much of a fragrance either. Nothing to beat Jamine for fragrance, I think.
The common variety of mango here is Bowen/Kensington Pride but what I got is called Palmer which is a dwarf variety and my reading of it is that it came from Florida !!!
Wishing you , Piching and extended family a very happy, peaceful & healthy New Year.
LikeLike