Category Archives: Gardening

Is this my hydrangea?

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Is this my hydrangea?

Is this my hydrangea?, originally uploaded by malyousif.

I’ve tried several times to cultivate hydrangeas in Bahrain but all attempts resulted in failure unfortunately. I fell upon this plant in one of the garden centres here but have no idea what it’s actually called (they didn’t have a label on it and couldn’t find it in the book) but just described it as “it brings clumps of small flowers”. That was enough of a trigger for me to get it and this, my friends, is the first time it flowers.

If you know what it is, please let me know.

Have a wonderful New Year.

Olive tree’s new growth

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Olive tree's new growth

Olive tree’s new growth, originally uploaded by malyousif.

We brought this young olive tree – just about a meter and a bit in height – back with us from Italy. As I was worried about it suffering immediately if placed in the garden at that time, it was still a bit hot then, I planted it in a pot and left it inside for about a month or so. Once I saw new growth happening, I thought it was acclimatised enough to move into a prime spot in the garden, and that was exactly what I have done a few weeks ago.

Going out to inspect the garden this morning and take my customary Friday pictures, I noticed even newer growth on it since it has been planted in the garden. Needless to say, I am thrilled!

I planted a few complementary plants around it: 5 bunches of broad leaf grass (I don’t know exactly what it’s called and the garden centre I bought it from didn’t either – now their’s a surprise!) which brings out lovely small delicate light purple flowers. In between the grass I planted 3 or 4 carnations. I also placed a few asparagus to add texture to the spot.


I decided to go a step further in this area of the garden, which is on the right hand side of the main gate and is approximately 9 meters by 4.5 meters. I removed all the grass there and replaced it with two tonnes of RAK 10mm aggregate. I have created nice mounds of aggregate in there rather than leave it plain. I plan to rake it much in the style of Japanese gardens but after I find a large enough rock to place in it too. Even without that, I really like this new feature in my garden. I’ll now call it the “Olive plot”.

Have a wonderful Friday my friends!

She’s dead.

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Passion Flower's WallMy first and once flourishing Passiflora Caerulea has died. I just pulled it out of its erstwhile abode this morning and disposed of it. It’s roots were rotten, but that could be because it was dead in the ground for more than a week but I left it were it was hoping that it will regenerate. No such luck.

But it didn’t really die as it left behind a number of descendants who adorn at least three other gardens in Bahrain, and of course my own as well. That baby is doing very well in its new location which is facing the North just like its mother plant.

I can see that some shoots are available at the feet of the daughter plant which I might well pot and nurture and eventually plant where the mother was. That is, if I can’t find another replacement. I have an itch to get an even more grand passiflora and plant there, I’ll see how it goes over the next few weeks. I’m in no hurry, especially that I have to have that wall (maybe the whole house) repainted.

Thanks Mrs. Passiflora, you’ve been very good to me.

Mr. Froggy relaxing on a rock between the asparagus and the cleaned up pond which is now equipped with a biological and chemical filter to fight the damned green algea and the stink that it creates. We can actually now see the bottom of the pond.

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Mr. Froggy relaxing on a rock between the asparagus and the cleaned up pond which is now equipped with a biological and chemical filter to fight the damned green algea and the stink that it creates. We can actually now see the bottom of the pond.

Mr. Froggy relaxing on a rock between the asparagus and the cleaned up pond which is now equipped with a biological and chemical filter to fight the damned green algea and the stink that it creates. We can actually now see the bottom of the pond., originally uploaded by malyousif.

Cactus flower (Ferocactus latispinus – Devil’s Tongue Barrel)

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Cactus flower (Ferocactus latispinus - Devil's Tongue Barrel)

Cactus flower (Ferocactus latispinus – Devil’s Tongue Barrel), originally uploaded by malyousif.

It’s the second time this barrel flowers, and since it last flowered, I had moved it into a pot and it seems to be doing okay and likes its new abode.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends.