Thursday, July 24, 2014

Rose from the community garden downstairs

Like I mentioned that some weeks ago, I finally got to meet the two elusive old uncles who ran the community garden downstairs? The Malay uncle generously gave me some rose cuttings. But frustratingly, no roots after like several weeks. 

So I laid in wait, peeping over the railing at the garden, waiting and waiting for the two uncles to show up again. Last Saturday, after returning home in a foul mood, I decided to water my roses, since they were growing new branches and buds. I was delighted to discover a bald head downstairs, and ran off to find the Chinese uncle watering the plants with much misgivings, because the sky was overcast (turned out that we both guessed incorrectly, it did not rain later that evening).

After grumbling over my failure to root the cuttings, he offered to help me plant a new cutting in the garden. Just as I was saying that I would go upstairs to get a peat pot, he suggested that I take one of the cuttings they just managed to root.

Delighted with the surprise gift, I was profuse with my thanks. I brought it home, where I then cast it with a critical eye. Other than the lack of leaves at the bottom, the four buds on the two cuttings appeared to be half dead. So I decided to snip off two of them, Another one jumped ship a few days later. Bobo said that the bud probably decided that jumping off the plant was better than remaining in my care.

I tied it to the railing like what I did with the yellow rose, in the hopes that the abundant morning sunlight will inspire it to grow more leaves. Fail. Could be the strong wind blowing hard at the spindly stems. I am now trying a new method. I am putting it on the floor and securing the rose to a cane for support. Hopefully this will work better. Also fertilized the plant.

Wish me luck!  Anyway in the meantime, I am looking out for the Malay uncle. :)

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Because Gardening makes me wanna Dance! Thanx for visiting!!!

Because Gardening makes me wanna Dance! Thanx for visiting!!!