Today, I am going to talk about my mom's obsession. Ever since my family moved out of the place we were renting and got our own place two years ago, my mom started planting. I didn't even know she had a "green thumb" until two years ago when she surprised the whole family by going to the hardware store and bought a bunch of potted plants. Since then she'd filled the little backyard we have with plants and had gone to plant shows and fairs. I asked her about this sudden change because the old place we were at had a bigger back yard (albeit we had to share it with the owner) and the landlady was a gardener herself; she could've started a little garden then. She said it wouldn't be hers and would eventually have to leave it. She told me how she used to have a vegetable garden back in the Philippines when she was my age and would sell whatever she'd harvest for extra cash.
I didn't know this about her and while I don't share her enthusiasm for gardening, I am very happy she finally have a hobby and is not focused on work all the time. She's very proud of her garden too, and is convinced she has found a way to make orchids flower year 'round. According to my friend who was in botany, most only produce flowers every few months and some only once or twice a year. So, either my mom was really lucky in her orchid selections and somehow bought ones that flower all the time or her secret (a secret she guards close to her heart) way does work. All I know is her all her orchids always have flowers on them and they are the envy of her friends. Here are some of my favorites:
That last picture above is an orchid seed pod (who knew orchids produce seeds?). My mom is trying to figure out how to cultivate it. My botanist friend said it's really hard and she needs special equipment to do so. Something about a hydroponic systems if I heard correctly? My mom is not giving up. Any one knowledgeable about plants have any suggestions?
3 comments:
Those photos are beautiful...your mum must be a really talented gardener!
I have an obsession for books too...and also magazines, handbags and clothes. I just can't help myself!
New reader. :o) Those orchids are gorgeous. I want my wedding to be covered in orchids. My Dad has the same gardening obsession, too. Maybe it's a Filipino-Hawaiian thing. hehe.
My dad is a hardcore gardener. He use to grow orchids--in fact he named me after them. All of his siblings have gardens too. Must be an Asian thing. :) Now, he's more in to growing domestic flowers and vegetables and fruits. His backyard is huge and full of plants. He even put a little fountain in; he filled a concrete, cylinder with water and added fish, water lilies, and I think he hooked a little pump up to it. I love gardening too, but I don't live in a place where I have a yard to grow plants. I have a little mint plant in a pot on my apartment porch.
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