Sunny again!

Now that the sun is beginning to creep into my patio once again, I shifted all my sun-loving portalucca into the sun-lit areas so that I can enjoy colourful pink and yellow blooms again.

For the first half of the year, my patio is completely sheltered from the sun as it lies in the apartment block's shadow. I like it this way because it is so bright, cool and comfortable, the green foliage plants do really well here. Unfortunately bougainvilleas don't flower in my patio because of the lack of sun.

Then as the sun shifts (due to our earth's movements) in the later months, the patio starts to receive more and more sunlight, to the delight of the sun-loving plants like portalucca. I tend to have more success growing vegetables during this period too.

My dendrobium orchids are starting to bloom. Growing up in an orchid nursery, I had never paid much attention to orchids and could never understand why people can be so passionate about them. I guess I had always taken them for granted.

When I moved into this apartment, the previous owner left some behind. I threw away the sickly ones and tossed the rest carelessly beneath the bamboo grove. Despite the neglect, they still reward me with several blooms a year. I'm beginning to appreciate them more.

This particular one has been at this flower-bud stage for the longest time, I keep wondering when the buds will finally open up to reveal pretty purple flowers.

Now I understand why mum gets so upset at some of her picky customers. We're in the business of exporting orchid stalks, but mum obliges and sells her plants to walk-in enthusiasts at wholesale prices (half of what they would pay at retail outlets). The customers would scour through the 4 acres of our nursery to pick the best ones with the most blooms. They know they're getting an excellent deal, yet they would bargain so hard like they're at a flea market.

They should understand the amount of effort that goes into nurturing an orchid plant. Most gardeners would agree that orchids are not the easiest plants to care for and their productive life (for export quality) is rather short.

Whenever I buy anything from the farms, I appreciate the time and hard work that go into the produce, so I would never bargain unless they are priced out of range. I have seen how hard a farmer's life is and I have a lot of respect for them.