Lyna Mohamad
Businesses at Gadong Tamu Bunga are picking up after the long halt. But the standouts have got to be bougainvillea and fusion flowers, according to Pengiran Haji Omar bin Pengiran Damit of Kampong Keriam.
Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the Nyctaginaceae family, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions.
The inflorescence consists of large colourful sepal-like bracts surrounding simple waxy flowers.
The simple beauty of the inflorescences and the large variety of the plant gives rise to its popularity as an ornamental, according to Pengiran Haji Omar.
He said that although bougainvilleas can be found in almost all houses with potted flowers, an increasing number of people are using them to embellish their gardens and backyards.
Pengiran Haji Omar noted that bougainvillea is very easy to maintain as it only needs watering once a day and, if it has been raining heavily, it does not require watering for up to two days.
Not only are they a classic choice, the huge variety of colours that it offers with their own unique names plays a part in its popularity.
Another stall operator, Jack, said bougainvillea is usually a hit among visitors to the Gadong Tamu Bunga on the weekend, while showing off his collection.
“SF Marble, Suratkhabar, Citra Mandering, and Citra Cream are among the names given to these flowers and their different colours. And the list goes on,“ he said, adding that another draw of the bougainvillea is that the more sunshine the plant receives, the more vibrant the flowers become.
Pengiran Haji Omar added that when caring for the plant, trimming helps keep it in a desired shape, which means tip pruning and light topping are enough to minimise ranginess and add to the ornamental value.
In the last two weeks, he said, fusion flowers have also been growing popular, as he has seen visitors grabbing multiple pots each to add to their gardens.
Just like bougainvillea, fusion flowers are easy to maintain, needing only watering once a day and come in a variety of colours to choose from.
It can also withstand heat, has a stigma that remains yellowish-green regardless of the petal colours and has a thorny stem – all factors that Pengiran Haji Omar has seen buyers show interest in.
He said his customers tend to choose bigger plants as their flowers and thorns are more noticeable.
He added that another selling point is that the plant flowers year-round, and they give out a beautiful mixture of colours and will remain so for two weeks before falling off.
Propagating the plant is also easy, as it can be done using stem cuttings, Pengiran Haji Omar added.
“Once the petals start to fall off, just take some plant cuttings and it will grow again.
“People have been requesting for white ones recently which I am in the process of breeding, so I’ve been taking a lot of cuttings,” he said.
Plant care is also relatively simple, with pruning useful for training the plant and to remove old branches and creating the base for the adult plant’s flower scaffold.
