Temu Kunci Boesenbergia Rotunda

September 2015

Thai Krachai or Malaysian Temu Kunci Boesenbergia Rotunda, also known as Finger root , lesser galangal, Chinese ginger has been exciting addition to my garden. I love it delicious and unique taste in Thai curries. Needless to say I did everything I knew to encourage the ginger to take root. The Krachai is planted in the same bed as the Cekur. Both these Asian ginger seem to love the filtered sunlight of the location and hot summer. It too has been gracing the garden with its beautiful bloom. The blooms are hidden within the leaf stalk and it is easy to overlook the fleeting bloom.

Exotic Blooms

August 17, 2013

Cekur (Kaempferia galanga) is a herb I have tried to grow numerous times with very limited success over the years. Even if it sprouted and I tended to it with the tenderest of care, it inevitably dies. It does not matter if I keep it in the house or outside..

This year I planted the cekur in Temecula instead of San Diego. Temecula's climate is more extreme; hotter in the summer than San Diego with a chance of frost in winter. So far, it has been a fine balance of watering, shade and heat. Too wet and the tuber rots. Too dry, they become dry and shrivelled. Then there are the snails that absolutely love to devour them. 

Temecula went through a weekend of over 100F this past weekend. I made sure that the cekur had the moisture to combat the heat. I was handsomely rewarded by a delicate and beautiful bloom that rivals and resembles an orchid!!