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Category: Well-being Landscape

Suria Helang LuiArticlesWell-being Landscape
12 Aug 2015
0 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Healthy Options, Well-being Landscape

Just drink it :)

After a conversation that I had with a very good friend, I was inspired to share this. Oftimes we feel lazy to eat fresh “ulam” or find it difficult to find.  I remember my late great grandmother, late grandmother and even my mother have “ulam” at almost every lunch and dinner.  For us nowadays, in the age of technology and processed foods, we have lost this tradition until we get sick and then we scour all over the place for them.  At the farm, part of the aim is to keep the species alive and continue to propagate them.
The beauty of these herbs is that they can be consumed as a drink and done in such a way so that it becomes a regular drink and no longer thought of a medicinal or health drink.  Many can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge, ready to drink or as a concentrate which can later be mixed with hot or cold water to drink.
The can also be easily planted and cared for, and can be planted in containers for those with limited ground space.  As long as the plants can receive about 6 hours of sunlight a day, the soil not left to dry out and planted in a good soil mix, they can produce the necessary leaves and flowers for consumption.  Since we live in a tropical climate, we do not have to worry about planting times as we can plant throughout the year.
Since the purpose is to produce quality for our consumption, I strongly suggest that it be planted organically, using organic fertiliser and pest control and totally avoiding chemical and toxic pesticides.  Basically, we should feel comfortable to pluck the leaf and eat it directly from the plant.
So, here is my top 10 list:

  1. Lemon grass or serai
  2. Lemon basil or kemangi (produces small white flowers)
  3. Cosmos caudantus or ulam raja (produces 5-petal pink with yellow centre flower)
  4. Cat’s whiskers or misai kucing (produces white or lilac flowers)
  5. Holy basil or ruku (produces tiny purple flowers)
  6. Pereskia sacarosa or tujuh bilah (produces vibrant pink or red flowers)
  7. Asiatica pennywort or pegaga 
  8. Chinese betel or sireh cina
  9. Snakegrass or belalai gajah
  10. White basil or selasih putih (produces tiny white flowers)

Tujuh bilah
Misai Kucing
Ulam Raja

Ruku

Selasih Putih

The above plants either on its own or in combination is purported to address may different diseases or illnesses including cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, and gout as well as detoxifying your body.  It also includes antioxidants as well as containing many different vitamins and minerals.
It is important to remember that it is the fresh, green leaves that are used and not the old brown, dried leaf.  So, when planning you garden, whether it is in a patio, cemented space or ground soil, why not include these plants 🙂

11 Mar 2015
0 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Edible Landscape, Healthy Options, Vegetables, Well-being Landscape

The Cabbage Saga

I first wrote about planting cabbages 2 years ago and have since learnt more about it.  It still remains in my top 10 favourite vegetable, not only for the taste but also for the versatility and nutrition.  I still depend on commercial cabbage seeds as I haven’t figured out how to get my own seeds but this time around I am keeping one plant and letting it grow to see what happens as an experiment.  Cabbages are notoriously slow growers especially in comparison to other leafy vegetable like the choy sum or pak choy. It takes about 4 months before they produce a good head of cabbage.

I found that space area for a growing cabbage is important in the resulting size of the cabbage.  I experimented growing the cabbages at different length of separation of the stem and also in various sizes of polybags.  I get best results when the planting space between plants is at least 2 feet or 60 cm.  If there is a lack of water, you can see the leaves wilting but if you water it as soon as possible, you can see them perk up after about 1 hour.  So, this is a good gauge for me to see that the plants have enough water.  As with many other plants, it doesn’t like soggy soil so I make sure that the soil mix I use has good drainage but yet remain moist and I achieve it by using sufficient organicc matter in the soil mix.

By going organic and not using any growth hormones, my cabbages are not big but its leaves are tightly packed and the cabbage head weighs anywhere from 400-600 gm each.  I fertilise it with organic fertilisers (Vermicompost)  and also use an EM spray (home-made).  As the cabbage grows, I will periodically remove the old leaves at the bottom and top up the soil with some organic matter mixed with vermicompost.  I know it is time to top up with some soil when I see fine white roots at the soil surface.

I find that the biggest pest to the cabbage is the ulat bulu and the caterpillars.  They can really much their way through the leaves.  I have yet to find a fool-proof organic pesticide or pest-deterrent so I check the plants often and pick off those crawlers.  However, handle them carefully and I find that touching them bare hands causes an allergic reaction to me –  the skin gets irritated and itchy.  I find that spraying them at least once a week with the beneficial bacteria mixed with serai wangi also helps control the leaf-eating pests.  Remaining organic is important for me as I love eat these vegetable raw and since the leaves are what is consumed, using any chemical pesticide will remain on the leaves, even if it is minute amounts.

The cabbage can be harvested when the lower leaves have turned into a dark green colour whilst the cabbage head remains a lighter green.  You can also notice leaves starting to sprout from the stem below the main cabbage growth.  The baby cabbage leaves are also edible so don’t throw them away.

Once the cabbage head is harvested, the stem with the roots can be replanted and you will get baby cabbages growing off the side.  Whilst you may not get a cabbage head again, these baby cabbage leaves can be harvested and turned into a vegetable dish.

There are so many ways to eat cabbages: raw cabbages can be made into sales, coleslaw and as ulam; cooked cabbages as a vegetable dish, stir-fried, in a soup or sayer lemak, to name a few.

There are purported to be many health benefits to eating cabbages:

  • It is high in vitamin K and anthocyanins that help with mental function and concentration by preventing nerve damage and improving your brain’s defines against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
  • Low in fat and high in fibre which will help in your digestive system.
  • The high content in vitamin C and sulphur helps the body to remove toxins such as free radicals and uric acid.
  • Purported to have cancer preventive compounds which inhibits cancer timor growth.
  • Has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Hence it is a good vegetable to add to my vegetable menu selection.
20 Jan 2015
0 Comments By admin Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Vegetables, Well-being Landscape

Tomatoes, oh Tomatoes

One of my favourite fruity vegetables is the tomatoes, organically grown and vine-ripened since I
love them raw with its natural sweetness.  I have planted them many times over the years and with each time, I learn more and more.  This time around, it looks like the yield will be more and the plants are the healthiest.

Tomatoes, whether ripe or not, are a favourite of many animals from worms and caterpillars to birds including chickens.  I have experimented planting them outdoors and in the greenhouse.  Due to the nature of my farm, where birds are free, the outdoor experiment resulted in me just feeding them.  So, now I only plant them in the greenhouse.

I plant them from seeds – it germinates in a few days – in the ground.  The quality of the seed is important for a good quality tree.  From my experiments, I find that unless you obtain vine-ripened tomatoes, the quality of the seed is not good even though it germinates.  If it is not vine-ripened, even if the tomato is left to ripen, the seed doesn’t seem to further mature enough to produce good quality plants.  Most store-bought tomatoes are picked before it fully ripens, probably due to transportation and distribution time delays.  After it has produced 3 or more leaves (after the initial baby leaves which is normally 2 of them), I will transplant most of them into 20 cm diameter polybags, starting them at half full.  Through its life cycle, the roots will appear at the top so by starting half-full, it allows for me to cover the roots with more soil without the need to transplant them.  I do plant some in the ground but this limits the utilisation of the land and I can plant more tomato plants in polybags and have a more controlled setting.

Time to top-up the soil

The soil mixture I use is rich, organic soil – I tend to mix various things and then run my fingers through them to see if it feels right to me.  So, please do not ask what the ratios of soil, organic matter,sand, etc are.  It has to be able to run through my fingers and not lumpy.  I will water immediately upon transplanting, irrespective the time of day.  When I see the roots at the soil surface, I will top up with more soil, covering them.

I fertilise weekly, in small amounts, and also spray with home-made organic fertiliser/pest control spray.  I experimented over the years and find that this spray works best so for now, my experimenting on the tomato spray is done.  It prevents ants, white flies and also other assorted pests. It also seems to improve the health of the plant.  I use vermicompost as the “solid” fertiliser which I use about 1 teaspoon weekly per plant.  Tomatoes require lots of water for nice luscious fruits but not soggy, muddy soil so it is important that the soil contains enough organic matter to hold water and not suffocated the roots with mud-like sludge.  I water them twice a day on hot days, once early morning before 9am and once again in the late afternoon and on cool, rainy days, once in the morning.

The white flies are the most notorious to me followed by the
caterpillar.  The white flies lay eggs at the bottom of the leave and these babies then seem to suck the life out of the leaves, causing them to yellow and wither.  The spray I use addresses this problem and I have to be diligent about spraying it once a week.  In between sprays, I also water spray them off should I notice them.  Since this spray is non-toxic and provides lots of benefits, I have now started spraying them twice a week so I have to continuously prepare more concentrate.  The EM concentrate is made by mixing vegetarian kitchen wastes such as papaya skins and other fruit skins and pulp, tomato skins, vegetable stems, with molasses and fermenting them for 3 months in an air-tight container.  Weekly, I will open the lid of the container to release the gases produced by the fermentation process.  To create the spray, I mix approximately 100ml of the concentrate to 1 litre of water with a flat-teaspoon of Epsom salts.  I also sometime mix in some serai wangi juice to add additional pest deterrent properties.

Caterpillar and what is left of the fruit

The caterpillars can munch their way through lots of leaves and also the fruit, leaving just the skin of the fruit.  It is quite amazing to see them munching their way through.  Whilst butterflies may be beautiful, they are a great pest to this plants and their babies, the caterpillars are monster leave and fruit eaters.  Then we have the ants, which creates like a white cocoon to place their eggs where the babies will then such the sap out of the stem, effectively slowly killing the plant.  I also periodically remove any leaves that have signs of pests or “illness” to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the plant and I also remove old or yellowing leaves.

From my experience, tomato plants require support as it fruits or you will end up with broken stems as it cannot support the weight. I will wind “talk raffia” around the stems to support the stems.  This time around, this is something that I diligently need to do as the plants are producing substantial fruits. Just placing a stake to support the main stem is insufficient, I need to support the fruiting branches also. When planted in a pot and if you would like for it to be free-standing and easy to move around for your landscaping, I find using a T-shaped stake is best as it allows to the main stem to be supported as well as allow you to attaches strings and fine ropes from the top T to the fruiting branches.  From seeding to this point in fruiting, it took about 2 months.

I love watching the fruit turn from green to yellow to orange before finally vine-ripening to a red colour.  Once the fruit turns yellow, it takes a few days before becoming red and then it is at its prime in taste.  Each bunch can contain several tomatoes and they do not all ripen at the same time.  You can use these seeds to start a new generation of plants.  I dry them first and this allow me the option to sow the seeds when I want to.  When picked at its prime, you can store in the refrigerator for at least two weeks without significant degradation of taste and juiciness.

Updates: March 15, 2015

11 Dec 2014
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape, Well-being Landscape

Edible or Therapeutic Flowering Landscape Part 1

The basic rule that we have for plants at the farm is that it must be either edible or have therapeutic values and is our botanical heritage.  I love flowers so I find flowering plants that meets the criteria and work on growing and propagating them as well as trying the understand what makes them grow well.  These are all relatively low maintenance so you might want to try to add them to your landscape, if you don’t already have it.
Bunga Kantan (Ginger Torch)
Ruku (Holy Basil)

Lengkuas Kecil (Galanggang)
Selasih Putih (White Basil)

Misai Kucing (Cat’s Whiskers)
Tujuh Bilah

Kunyit (Tumeric)
Kari (Curry)

As I manage to photograph more plants, part 2 will follow.  I look forward to furthering my quest whilst land space permits J
04 Jun 2013
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape, Well-being Landscape

Tumeric – a totally edible plant

As with many condiments, so does tumeric (Malay name: Kunyit; Botanical Name: Curcuma Longa), it taste better fresh and provides maximum health benefits.  In Malaysia, you can find both fresh tumeric and tumeric powder easily.  Personally, I prefer the fresh tumeric and I find that it doesn’t leave an after-taste more often experienced with turmeric powder and you can be sure that it is pure.  Apart from being used in culinary and traditional medicines, the rhizome is also used to create a natural yellow dye.

The tumeric belongs to the ginger plant family hence it can be propagated from its rhizome.  The first time I planted it, I used store-bought fresh turmeric, selection the ones with the darkest rhizome skin colour to ensure better success in propagation.  In ensuing propagation, I have used the farm-produced rhizomes.

It grows well in a sun and well-drained soil and requires substantial water for good growth.  If there is insufficient rain, then it needs to be watered.  The tumeric rhizome doesn’t grow as well in heavy clay soil.  I find that he best soil mixture for good growth after my experiments at the farm is 50% soil, 30% organic matter and 20% sand.  I fertilise it about once a month.

Each leaf grows on its own stalk.  The mature leaves are best for using in cooking.  It can be harvested as you want to use it without impact to the growing rhizome.  The rhizome has an “orangish” skin and mature rhizomes is almost orange in color on the inside by comparison to young rhizomes are yellowish-white in color.

It is a small plant, measuring under 0.5m.  As such, it can make a good walkway or patio border plant for the home landscape.  It produces a creamy white, with a tinge of green, flower when mature, taking at least 6 months from planted at the farm, and it is at this stage that the rhizomes are ready to be harvested. 

The flower grows on its own stem from the base of the plant.  At the farm, the flower has grown to about 10cm long, with multi-layers of petals.  In creating an edible landscape, this plant is a good option as it is a flowering plant require minimal maintenance.  The beauty of this plant is the whole plant is edible: the leaves, the flowers and the rhizomes.

In Malaysia, both the leaf and the rhizome are used in cooking.  It produces a wonderful flavour that enhancesNo rendang dish is complete without tumeric leaves.  The flower can be eaten as ulam or salad.  The plant produces singular leaves which can grow to be quite long, about 40-50cm long, if it is healthy.

Among the health benefits that have been attributed are:

  1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent and is useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.  In traditional medicing a paste is created and applied to cuts and burns.
  2. Has properties that appear to prevent and stop the growth of cancer cells.
  3. In traditional medicine, the juice extracted from the tumeric has been used as a natural liver detoxifier.
  4. A potent natural anti-inflammatory that works well without the side effect, it has been used in natural medicine for treatment for athritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
  5. Used in natural medicine for treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin condition, usually by applying a tumeric poultice.

 For its culinary uses and therapeutic benefits, this plant should be high on your list if you are planning an flowering edible landscape.

Updated: March 15, 2015

13 Nov 2012
14 Comments By admin Edible Landscape, Well-being Landscape

Durian Belanda (Soursop)

As I was doing my rounds at the farm today, I noticed some interesting things about my Soursop (Durian Belanda) tree.  The Malay name when translated to English means Dutch Durian.  Although it may have some similarities in its external appearance to a durian, it is very unlike the durian both in taste, smell and the fruit inside.  Its botanical name is Annona muricata.  The soursop fruit ripens with a green skin with yellow undertones but the “needles” are no longer sharp and pointy and has turned to a brown-black color.  The flesh is white with an almost custard-like texture with hard-shell brown/.black seeds.  The nearest taste that I can think of that is similar is soft green apple.

My interest in this plant was first raised when a customer at my Sunday morning market asked me if I sold Soursop leaves or know where he could obtain some.  He was from Thailand and I asked him what he wanted it for and he explained that it was for his brother that had stones in his gall bladder.  I provided him the leaves the following week and for a few more weeks after that and he told me that it helped improve his brother’s condition.  Something so simple!

Based on my research on this tree and its fruit, I am quite astounded to learn about its benefits.  The whole tree – stem, bark, leaves, flower and fruit – are purported to have many therapeutic and medicinal properties.  The extracts from the leaves and stems are reported to have anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties in attacking the malignant cells,  In some traditional medicine, the leaves and bark are crushed and boiled and the resulting mixture is strained and consumed.  It is also purported to prevent cancer by consuming it periodically such as once a week.  There appears to have been many studies conducted specifically in the treatment of cancer.  Based on a study by Purdue University, the phytochemical Annonaceous acetogenins has demonstrated its ability to attack cancerous cells whilst not affecting healthy cells.
In Brazil, their traditional medicine men have used the plant to treat hypertension, influenza, rashes, neuralgia, arthritis, rheumatism, high blood pressure, diarrhea, nausea, dyspepsia, ulcers, ringworm, scurvy, malaria, dysentery, palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, fever, boils, muscle spasm.  In Thai and Malay traditional medicine, the leaves extract that was obtained by boiling the leaves have been consumed to treat liver and gall bladder ailments.

This tree grows tall and is not “rounded” – it just seems to get taller.  However, by pruning the branches, it encourages new branches to form.   The flower has an interesting shape and unless you are looking for it, you can easily miss it, hidden amongst the leaves.  The petal is a light green and the inner part of the flower is almost a light peach colour. 

This flower then becomes a brown colored bud-like shape that if you didn’t know, would think that it has dried-up. 

You might even be tempted to remove it.  However, that would be a mistake as it is the beginnings of the fruit.  At a glance the fruit may appear like a durian but it does not have the sharp points.  The fruit is green in color that will turn into a lighter shade as it ripens.  To harvest, cut the fruit from the fruit stem.  I find that if you try to twist it off the stem, it may injure the branch and this can adversely affect the tree.

Based on research by USDA:

  1. It is an excellent source of vitamin C
  2. Has a high fiber content which can prevent constipation
  3. Contains half the potassium in bananas which can help prevent leg cramps
  4. Its high magnesium content can help prevent water retention especially for women who experience this in PMS.
  5. Good source of thiamin, the B vitamin needed for aerobic energy production, the process where oxygen is used to convert sugar into usable energy
  6. Loaded with the trace material copper which is essential for healthy bones.  It also helps boost the effectiveness of vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium.
  7. A good source of niacin which studies have shown to have significant benefits on levels of HDL, the good cholesterol
  8. Good source of folate which is a mineral that is recommended to prevent deficiencies during pregnancy for pregnant women.
  9. Good source of iron, an essential element in the body producing healthy red blood cells
  10. Rich in riboflavin where studies have shown can help prevent migraines.

With its good content of iron and vitamin K, it promotes production of red blood cells hence it is sometimes used in alternative therapy for anemics.

As with anything good, over-consumption can lead to fatigue so based on my research, moderation is recommended and the consumption rate is three leaves as a tea, once a day.  At the farm, we produce soursop tea so that it can be easily stored and be ready on-demand.  It can be air-dried the chopped leaves and and to make tea, just steep it in just-boiled water for about 10 minutes.  It produced a golden-brown tea with a distinct smell of soursop.  The tea has a slightly sweet taste with the soursop flavor.  I enjoyed drinking it warm.  As a farm produce, we produce the tea using a dehydrator to dry the leaves.  

If you have a soursop tree and would like to make the tea yourselves, select mature leaves (starting from the the third or fourth leaf of the stalk) and you can either dry the leaves before or after “chopping” them to pieces.  As with harvesting of the fruit, use garden scissors to cut the leaves at the leaf stem.  You can also make an infusion by simmering the fresh leaves in a pot of water for about 10-15 minutes.  The drinks can be consumed hot or cold.  Happy growing the tree and trying the fruit and teas.

Updated: 25 July 2017

17 Jan 2012
7 Comments By admin SHL Products, SHL Project, Well-being Landscape

Misai Kucing Tea

I always enjoy a cup of tea, either in the morning or the late afternoon.  I enjoy a wide range of teas and I take this opportunity to add teas that provides me with health benefits without feeling like I am taking medication.  One of the teas that I have added to my selection is the Misai Kucing Tea also known as Java Tea or Cat’s Whiskers’ Tea (Botanical name: Orthosiphon Stamineus).  As I began my research on this tea, I discovered that it is a shrub that produces lovely flowers.  Hence I decided to experiment with it and planted two plants, to test how it would grow as well as to test the taste of the tea that is produced from it before I proceeded forward.  That was 2 years ago.  The first batch of tea was produced in July 2010 and served as a refreshment during my first Durian Fest at the farm.  From this small study, I found that those who drank the tea whilst consuming durian fared well whilst those who didn’t experience the normal effects from over-consumption of durian. 

The many health benefits that have been reported include :

  1. It has properties that enables it to be used to regulate the blood sugar hence is used as an alternative treatment for diabetes.
  2. This herb inhibits blood platelet from sticking together and has powerful hemolytics that can lower blood pressure thus making it an alternative treatment for high blood pressure as well as for reducing cholestrol, which is often used in traditional medicine.
  3. This herb has the ability to clean toxins within the blood hence it is also used in traditional herbal medicine in the process of detoxification and in removing metabolic waste within the body.  This in turn makes it a useful addition to weight loss efforts.
  4. It also has diuretic properties making it beneficial in the treatment of kidney stones and for flushing the kidney and urinary tract.  It helps to flush out the uric acid as well as block the production of uric acid.  This in turn also helps other conditions such as gout and inflammation of joints due to high uric acid levels in the body.
  5. Another health property of this herb is its ability to act as an anti-inflammatory hence its use in the herbal treatment for athritis and rheumatism.

In all my research on this tea, it has not been reported to cause any adverse reaction.  Based on my un-scientific study with the guests at my Durian Fest, the various properties of this tea ensured provided for a balance to the high-sugar durian enabling those who drank it to not feel the effects from too much durian.  Now this tea is one that I serve whenever I have guests over for rich, high sugar, high cholestrol feasts.  Personally, I consume it at least 3 times a week and have been doing it for the past year, mainly as a maintenance program for health, without feeling like I am taking medication, as I do love those raspberry yogurt cheesecake as well as many of our local sweet dishes.  Family and friends have also tried my tea and the response have been favorable.

To ensure quality and maximum benefits, it starts from the plants.  I do not use any chemical herbicides or pesticides on the farm and the water source for the plants is from a clean water source upstream or from the rain.  To me, it would be an oxymoron to use unhealthy products to produce a “healthy” product.  It requires more effort to maintain the plants as weeding will have to be done manually and the fertilizer used is the compost from the farm.  However, the effort is well worth it.

Currently I have approximately 200 plants and I am in the process of planting more.  The seedlings are produced on the farm from the existing plants.  I harvest once for at least every two months and this not only allows me to keep the plant groomed but also encourages new growth and flowering.  I find that tea produced with the flowers mixed-in results in a “sweeter” tasting tea.

The cut stems are rinsed and air-dried before the next step of the process.  The leaves, flowers and the flower stem is used to make the tea.  It is chopped and then placed in trays to be air-dried within a covered, netted box.  It is not exposed to sunlight or extreme heat to preserve its properties.
For sales, the tea is packed in loose-leaf form, in a plastic container that can be used to store the tea once the plastic package has been opened.  The tea is best prepared using recently boiled water, 1 flat teaspoon per cup.  It is left to steep for a few minutes, 5 minutes normally, and produces a lovely golden brown colored tea,  This tea can be drank hot, warm or cold.  For hot afternoons, I add ice and turn it into a refreshing iced tea.  Enjoying this tea makes taking care of my health a a normal course of my diet and not a pill-popping or additional act.

Suria Helang Lui produces this pure Misai Kucing tea that is sold in 20gm packages at RM 8 each as it is being introduced to market.  For more information on purchasing these tea, please e-mail suriahelanglui@yahoo.com.   This tea is also available at:

  1. Organic Shop and Life Cafe, 125, Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
  2. POLIKLINIK NORIHA, 19 Jalan Teratai PJU 6A, Kg Sg Kayu Ara, Damansara, 47400 Petaling Jaya

If you have diabetes or high blood, you should monitor your levels.  For treatment of conditions, you should check with your medical practitioner.

25 Dec 2011
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape, Well-being Landscape

Pereskia Sacarosa (Bintang Tujuh / Jarum Tujuh)

This is one of the most interesting plant from the cactus family which is often used in herbal medicine and in Chinese medicine, known as qi xing zhen.  It is purported to be used for treatment of cancer (colon, breast, ovarian and cervix) as well as a preventative measure, stroke, high blood pressure  and other types of ailments in holistic or traditional medicine.  It is also used in treatment of hemorrhoids, stomach gastric and bloating. 

A very good friend of mine gave me three stems that she had obtained from her father for me to add to my collection of medicinal plants and herbs.  Planting the stems was an exercise in caution.  It was quite difficult to handle the stems as they were covered with sharp, pointy, needles that can stick into you easily.  I received a couple of jabs when I was planting them and yes, it did feel like a sharp needle sticking into you.  Being from the cactus family but a tropical plant as opposed to the normal dessert cactus, it loves the sun and the rain but does well in soil with at least 50% sand and 50% organic soil.

Four buds in bloom
Four buds

I find it to be a very beautiful plant with its rose-like flowers and beautiful green leaves but it has to be handled with care because it has the sharp needles on the stem.  You will definitely feel the effect of the needle prick for a few hours.  As such, if you have small children, I suggest that you plant it in areas where it is not accessible to them.  It is a great natural way as a deterrent to intruders when planted as a “fence”.

This plant can grow to over 20m tall.  Periodic trimming of it will enable you to control the height of the plants whilst encouraging it to “bush out”.  I enjoy watching how the flower changes from its bud form to a beautiful, striking red-orange or vermillion colored petals.  Sometimes, the buds are in multiples and sometimes, single.  Due to its appearance, I find that it makes a colorful addition to my herb section and can add beauty and color to your gardens to.  I often wonder where the name Bintang Tujuh comes from and then I started counting the number of leaves the level below the flowers.  Guess what?  There are seven leaves!

For medicinal purposes, the leaves are eaten raw, normally two to three young leaves a day.  It has a creamy taste, neither sweet, salty or sour.  In my research, I found that some articles indicate that it is bitter in taste but I have not found it to be so.  Personally, I consume 2-3 raw leaves about 3 times a week for general well-being – another reason why I prohibit usage of pesticides and herbicides on the farm.  These leaves are a definite positive addition to my “snack” list as I walk around the farm.

It is also a great addition to salads, adding some crunch.  It can also be blended with other items to create a health drink.  It also produces an edible fruit that is green in colour which changes to light yellow as it ripens but do not be fooled, it remains to very sour.

Updated: August 20, 2015

17 May 2011
0 Comments By admin Well-being Landscape

Well-being Landscape – Flowers of Suria Helang Lui Part 1

Malaysia is rich with edible plants that produce beautiful flowers that can be included in our landscape, thus providing us with beauty and nutrition.  I enjoy photographing them and enjoy sharing them so here are some :

 

Serai Wangi



Serai Wangi – known as a food condiment as well as a natural pest repellant and in beauty products.
(Lemon Grass)



Lengkuas kecil


Lengkuas kecil produces orchid-like flowers.  The roots are used as food condiment and in traditional medicine.



Bintang Tujuh



Bintang Tujuh produces a bright orang flower.  The leaves are used in traditional medicine.



Papaya flower- soon to be a fruit



Edible papaya flower



There are two types of papaya flower, one which is eaten as  ulamand one which tranforms into a fruit rich in vitamins.



Ulam Raja


Ulam raja, the king of the ulam, rich in vitamins and minerals, produces a beautiful flower.



Misai Kucing

 

This beautiful lavender Misai Kucing flower makes a lovely ulam and tea.  This plant is used a traditional medicine and is edible.
(Cat’s Whiskers)



Bunga Kantan



Beautiful, striking pink Bunga Kantan is often used as a food condiment or as ulam.  It also has a lovely fragrance.
(Ginger Torch)



Gourd pumpkin



Bright yellow flowers of the gourd pumpkin provides beauty as well as being edible.  When it matures, it transforms into a gourd, a tasty fruit.



Senduduk Hutan



Dainty white flowers of the Senduduk Hutan.  The leaves are used as traditional medicine and is also used as a cooking condiment.
Senduduk Kampung
The lovely purple petals with a yellow center flower of the Senduduk Kampung.  The leaves are used in traditional medicine.
21 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape, Well-being Landscape

Edible Landscape – Ruku (Holy Basil)

This shrub is also know as Selasih Hitam in Malay (Botanical name : Ocinum Tenuiflorum) and grows to about 1.5 m in height in sunny, good drainage and with regular watering.  It makes for a beautiful shrub in your garden and is propagated via seeds.
Unlike its cousin, Kemangi (Lemon Basil), the leaves and flowers have a licorice-like taste.  Traditionally, it has been used as a treatment for coughs and chest congestion.  It is purported to be used as a treatment for diabetes as it lowers the blood glucose level.  In Ayurveda, it is considered to be “the elixir of life” due to its extensive healing properties such as remedies for common colds, heaches, stomach disorfers, inflammation, heart disease and various forms of poisoning and malaria.  It is also often used in herbal cosmetics due to its anti-bacterial properties.

The leaves are are green which turn to purplish as it matures and it has tiny clusters of flowers at the end of the stem.  When the flowers matures and dries, it produces tiny seeds which is easily blown away by the breeze so on the farm, I let natural propagation to take place.  The stem is purple – color – which makes it an interesting plant to have in the landscape.  Frequent pruning keeps the shrub nice and healthy as the stems tend to dry out after the flower matures.

Similar to the other varieties of basil or Selasih in Malay, the leaves and flowers can be eaten raw.  It is also used as a condiment in savory dishes.  The leaves and flowers can also be dried to convert into a tea.  This herbal tea is prepared similar to other herbal teas and can be served hot, warm or cold.