SKILFUL WORK WITH GARDEN SHEARS

The new gardener of my school is quite an artistic fella, he managed to fashion the shrubs near the hostel area into such geometric shapes.

MALAY VERSION

MAHIR MENGGUNAKAN GUNTING
Tukang kebun baru sekolah saya merupakan seorang yang artistik, beliau dapat menghasilkan pokok-pokok yang berbentuk geometrik dengan guntingnya.

TAMAN KAKTUS SEKOLAH

Begini rupa jadinya Taman Herba di sekolah yang saya mengajar selepas Empat Tahun ditanam.  Sebenarnya pokok kaktus merupakan tanaman yang sangat senang ditanam dan dijaga.  Ada dua daripada pokok kaktus pun dah berbunga.  Cantik, kan?

ENGLISH VERSION
This is how the Cactus Garden in my school looks after four years. Actually, the kaktus is easy to plant and maintain.  Two of the plants are bearing flowers.  Lovely, aren't they?

DESERT ROSE

Nama tempatan/Common names: Sabi Star, Kudu, Fu Kwai Fa, Desert-rose.
Nama Saintifik:/Scientific name: Adenium obesum
Famili/Family: Apocynaceae
Genus/Genus: Adenium
Spesis/Species: A. obesum

LEMON BASIL: KEMANGI

Setahu saya ada dua jenis pokok kemangi yang biasa ditanam di taman rumah, satu jenis berbunga ungu dan satu lagi bunganya warna putih.  Kedua-dua pun boleh digunakan untuk masakan dan juga sebagai ubat.

Berikut adalah maklumat tentang pokok kemangi:

Nama Tempatan: Kemangi

Nama Saintifik: Ocimum sanctum Linn
Nama Lain: Cemangi
Famili: Lamiaceae /Labiatae

Kegunaan
Tumbuhan ini beraroma dan banyak digunakan dalam masakan.  Ia juga digunakan dalam perubatan tradisional.
Air rebusan daun kemangi diminum untuk menangani masalah pernafasan, batuk dan bronkitis yang kronik. Kaedah yang sama juga digunakan untuk merawat masalah gastrik. Untuk asma pula jus dari daunnya diminum.
Rujukan: http://www.melur.com/

ENGLISH VERSION
As far as I know, there are two types of lemon basil (kemangi) that are commonly found in Malaysian gardens.  One type has purple flowers while the other has white ones.  Both types are used in cooking as well as traditional medicine.

Here is more information about the lemon basil:
Common names; Kemangi, Lemon Basil, Cemangi
Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum Linn
Family: Lamiaceae /Labiatae

USES:
The aromatic plant is used in cooking, especially as a garnish.  It is also used in traditional medicine. 
The boiled water of the lemon basil leaves aresaid to help ease breathing difficulties, gastric, coughs and chronic bronchitis.  The juice of the leaves are recommended for those suffering from asthma.
Reference: http://www.melur.com/

DUKUNG ANAK (PHYLLANTHUS NIRURI)

This morning I had a call from the Media teacher of SMK Pangkalan TLDM, she had called to ask me about a plant called Dukung Anak. The teacher, Puan Noraini, said that the daughter of her friend was suffering from eczema (a kind of skin disease) and someone recommended her to use this herb as a cure.

Actually, I am very familiar with this plant and it is also very easy to find as it grows wild. We have a lot of it growing in the Herb Garden and also many parts of the school grounds. In the above pictures, you can see some of the Dukung Anak plants growing in the Herb Garden. However, I insisted that Puan Noriani come see me in school so that I could show her the plant. Sometimes, some plants look similar, so I do not wish for the young girl to be treated with the wrong type of herb.

Anyway, I did suggest using the leaves of the Inai plant as another alternative herbal cure for the skin problem. From what I know the Dukung Anak Plant is more known to treat illnesses like hepatitis, urinary disorders and fevers. In Papua New Guinea, the fresh leaf juice or fresh root juice are taken orally for venereal diseases.

SOME INFO ABOUT THE DUKUNG ANAK
THE Malays call it pokok Dukung Anak. They believe drinking the juice of the plant (including its roots) can cure, among others, yellow fever, anaemia, asthma, dysentery and to a certain extent, diabetes.
While its effectiveness in curing these ailments has yet to be proven, one thing for sure is that the plant, which goes by the scientific name of phyllanthus niruri, can indeed cure Hepatitis-B.
Sources: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/86021/novalab_invests_rm3m_on_herbal_cure_for_hepatitisb/index.html
http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/phyllanthus-niruri

TABERNAEMONTANA DIVARICATA

Nama Saintifik/Saintifik name: Tabernaemontana divaricata
Genus:                                        Tabernaemontana
Famili/Family:                            Apocynaceae

SKY FRUIT PLANT

Here is the Sky Fruit Plant in my school which is growing higher and higher by the day. I bought it more than a year ago and planted it behind the school library. It is now more than 15 feet tall but has yet to bear fruit. It is called Sky Fruit (Fructuse Swietena Macrophylla/Swietenia macrophylla) because the fruit points to the sky. According to books on herbs, it is known as the Queen of Plants and has a lot of medicinal values and is said to act as an antioxidant, promote blood circulation, prevent cancer and reduces the risk of coronary heart diseases and body fats.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

POKOK TUNJUK LANGIT
Inilah Pokok Tunjuk Langit di sekolah saya yang semakin  hari semakin tinggi.  Saya beli pokok ini lebih dari setahun dahulu dan menanamnya di belakang pusat sumber.  Pokok ini dah lebih 15 kaki tinggi sekarang tetapi masih belum berbuah.  Namanya Tunjuk Langit/Sky Fruit (Fructuse Swietena Macrophylla/Swietenia macrophylla) kerana buahnya tunjuk kepada langit.  Merujuk kepada buku herba, pokok ini merupakan Permaisuri Pokok dan mempunyai banyak nilai perubatan.  Ia dikatakan berperanan sebagai anti oksiden, membantu pengaliran darah, mencegah kanser dan mengurangkan penyakit  jantung dan lemak badan.

Reference/Rujukan: http://www.xkl-langkawi.com.my/benefits.aspx

CUCUMBER TREE

THE Belimbing Buluh tree in the school Herb Garden has been bearing a lot of fruit lately. Its botanical name is Averrhoa bilimbi. Actually, my friends and I usually refer to this tree by its Malay name. In English, it is known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorrel.
My colleagues and I had a fun time plucking the belimbi fruit from the tree. My colleague, Tuan Haji Hasnin, took the short cut by shaking the plant and the fruits just fell to the ground where we could easily pick them up.
Let me share with you one tip to hasten the tree to bear fruit taught to me by another colleague, Puan Kamariah. She said that all we need to do is to remove the leaves from the stalk. After a while, the plant will start bearing flowers and fruits.

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

POKOK BELIMBING BULUH
Pokok belimbing buluh di Taman Herba sekolah saya berbuah dengan lebatnya ketika ini.  Nama botaninya ialah Averrhoa bilimbi.  Sebenarnya, saya dan kawan-kawan saya merujuk kepada nama Melayu pokok ini.  Nama Bahasa Inggerisnya adalah Belimbi, Cucumber Tree atau tree sorrel. 
Saya dan rakan-rakan sekerja saya seronok memetik buah dari pokok ini.  Tuan Haji Hasnin mengambil 'short-cut' dengan  mengoncang pokok untuk menjatuhkan buah ke tanah supaya senang kami dapat mengutipnya.
Izinkan saya berkongsii satu tip untuk mencepatkan pokokk berbuah yang diajar oleh rakan sekerja saya, Puan Kamariah.  Beliau berkata kita hanya perlu menanggalkan daun-daun dari batangnya.  Selepas seketika pokok itu akan berbuah dengan lebatnya.

HERBA DALAM BLOG INI

JACOBINA CARNEA (JUSTICIA SPP.)

Common names/Nama tempatan:  Jacobina, Shrimp Plant, Brazilian Plume, Flamingo Flower
Scientific name:/Nama Saintifik: Justicia carnia radiant/Justicia spp.
Family/Famili: Acanthaceae
Genus: Justicia

FENG SHUI PLANT

This is the lovely Feng Shui plant that my former principal, Puan Siti Arfah gave to me as a house warming present.  The plant is growing well and I have noticed new plants sprouting up.  In Chinese it is known as Fatt Choy Suen.  Anyone has any idea as to what it is called in English?  Better still, who knows its Scientific name?

VERSI BAHASA MELAYU

POKOK FENG SHUI

Pokok Feng Shui yang cantik ini merupakan hadiah 'house warming' daripada mantan pengetua saya, Puan Siti Arfah.  Pokok ini tumbuh elok dan saya mendapati ada pokok baru yang tumbuh.  Dalam Bahasa Cina ia di kenali sebagi Fatt Choy Suen.  Ada tak sesiapa yang tahu namanya dalam Bahasa Inggeris?  Atau lebih baik lagi, siapa mengenali nama saintifiknya?

POKOK REBEN / RIBBON BUSH

Nama tempatan/Common names : Pokok Reben, Centipede Plant, Ribbon Bush, Tapeworm plant
Nama Cina/Chinese characters: 山羊百科
Nama Botani/Botanic name:  Muehlenbeckia Platyclada (Muell.) Meisn.
Famili/Family: Polygonaceae

Kegunaan:
Daun dan rantingnya ditumbuk lumat dan didtampal pada bisul, luka, lebam, penyakit kulit, kecederaan dan gigitan serangga.  Daun dan ranting juga digunakan untuk merawat gusi bengkak, berdarah atau sakit.  Hanya perlu tambah sedikit garam pada daun dan ranting yang ditumbuk lumat dan menampal pada bahagian yang sakit.
Daun dan ranting direbus dan airnya boleh diminum untuk merawat kecederaan, darah yang bertakung, serta mengurangkan bengkak dan lebam.

Uses:

• The leaves and branches are pounded into a paste and applied to boils, cuts, bruises, skin diseases, injuries and insect bites.
• The leaves and branches are also used to treat gums that are swollen, bleeding or painful.  Just add a bit of salt to the pounded leaves and branches and apply to the affected area.
• The leaves and branches are boiled and the water is drunk to treat injuries, blood clots and also to reduce swelling. 

Rujukan/Sources:
Tanaman Hiasan: Khasia Makanan & Ubtan oleh Ong Hean Chooi
http://www.gardenjoy.co.uk/foliageshrubs/gardenshrub0236.htm

BLOGGING INTERRUPTED

I have not been updating this blog for some time.  My apologies to all my regular visitors.  The reason is that I had to move from my rented house to a house I bought after the house owner told me that he wanted to sell his house. It took me a few months to get everything settled and also to get back to my normal routine.
After weeks and weeks of getting the new house renovated and all the repairs done, I have moved in.  This morning I went and visited a nursery in Ipoh to look at the flowers and plants there.  So, watch out for my new posts about plants.

MALAY VERSION
Dah lama saya tak update blog ini.  Maaf kepada semua pelawat blog setia ini.  Sebab saya tak dapat menulis blog adalah kerana saya sibuk pindah rumah.  Dengan sukacitanya saya maklumkan bahawa saya dah selamat berpindah dan pagi ini saya dapat melawat nursery di Ipoh.
Saya akan blog tentang pokok bunga dan herba yang saya jumpai di nursery ini di post-post akan datang.