in the swim : To Enjoy And To Share

Hi everyone

The frequent rain is forcing me to stay indoor. Sit in a cosy corner and do some sewing or knitting or crocheting. No. Do some reading. Novels may be. No.

I prefer to surf the internet. Read some gardening blogs. That is how it is nowadays for me.

My outdoor activities like tennis, swimming or walking will have to take a back seat for a while. This wet weather will last for sometime. Rainy days are not all negative . Rain brings pleasure and promises . Like a cheerful person having good vibes.

Everything seems to be so fresh and alive. My dying plants are showing sign of reviving.

Of course I know too much rain has adverse effects on the plants. Delicate plants would surrender even those stronger ones would stoop in heavy rain. The half dead ones may totally die if the rain continue to pour. It is lucky that the house and its compound is on higher ground so it doesn't get flooded to effect total destruction.

Light rain won't prevent me from going outdoor at home. With this renewed interest I am spending more time tending to the plants in my home garden.

I am thinking of adding more varieties at the same time spruce up what plants I have to make them grow lush and green and if they are flowering types, boost them to flower. As it is now you only see leaves.

My interest is rekindled by the gardening blogs I read. I marvel at some of the bloggers for having deep interest in horticulture and are able to identify all or most of their plants. They have great patience to carry on minding their garden and at the same time recording the plants' progress in their blogs. It is very generous of them to share knowledge and tips with their readers.

Myself is quite an ignorant gardener. I am not very serious but I do like to garden and don't mind to dirty my hands and play with the soil. And I have not been too squeamish about worms and bugs, well except for leeches because they can stick on to your skin heee.

There was a time I had quite a good collection of flowering plants. Since I spent more time with them they reciprocate with beautiful flowers which became the envy of neighbors. That has become history.

When I read those gardening blogs they remind me of flower plants that I have had before. I feel a little regret that I don't maintain them to this day except for a few. But then not all things will last and garden is dynamic, it won't remain the same year in and year out. In my case it was purely negligence on my part, no pointing to any other excuse.

Some plants are hardy. They can withstand neglect or even abuse. Usually this type of plant does not get appreciated. Like the common garden palm or the common plant as below they are left at the back of the garden to fend for itself and which in no time become bushy.

Hardy plant - has been there for so many years

It is human nature that we don't care much for plants we consider common and can be easily grown like the bunga tahi ayam or the balung ayam though collectively they can be very stunning with their flowers

We usually clamour for rare ones. Of course most are appreciated for the beauty, color and form, or their scents or fragrance. Some go to one level higher, for medicinal value or in the old days, may be even now, for their supposed mysticism. The bomoh usually request you to supply seven type of flowers for him to cure or alleviate your suffering from some kind of penyakit misteri . . .

I have very little knowledge and lack of patience in matters pertaining to plant care. That was why my attempt at planting orchids failed.

Nevertheless once I had a success with this one species of wild orchid ( wild, according to the friend who gave me ). I grew it in a pot and hanged it to a mango tree. After many years the orchid outgrown the pot and got attached to the tree. It grew so well but no flower. I gave up on it just left it there.

However after may be more than fifteen years it began to flower. I was stunned the first time looking at the length of the flower stalks, one with nearly twenty buds attached to it. What a joy.

When the bud began to open it gave out a soft scent which I did not realize initially.

It continued to bloom once a year usually in March. You know the plant was blooming when you got a sniff of the fragrance. But if you get your nostrils right to the deep purple flowers you might not like the smell .

Now what left of the plant is a half empty pot with a pathetic stalk hanging downwards. The mango tree on which the orchid grew were chopped off to give way for kitchen extension. Tree and orchids were mercilessly taken away. So heartsick. That was quite a number of years ago my heart now is already mended.

I have also grown another pot of the same plant taken from the remnants I found and it is growing well. I will care for it to see it blooming, that is if I can live to another fifteen years or more to see some flowers ha ha.