Garden Diary - Page 3

14 February 2008
Saint Valentines Day! I had a lovely complement from my dear husband. While breakfasting on the veranda, he looked at a pretty canna flower and commented: "this flower is so lovely and pretty, just like my wife..." . This was the best complement that he could say, although I think he could be biased.

The garden is coming along nicely. At the moment my orchids are coming into flower. Yellow "dancing ladies" are back and, as always, look very pretty just floating through the air. A deep red cattleya orchid is flowering too.

25 February 2008
I have been tidying things up as I am planning to go to the UK for a while. It is such a pleasure to go back to UK but I am always apprehensive about leaving my garden. My plants are like babies, I worry about them. I am leaving them in good hands of Seiku and Alieu who help maintain the garden during the day. In the evenings Modu and Tamsir make sure everything has been watered. However, Modu likes to over water and this could spell disaster for some plants. I really hope all will be well when I am away.

My orchids are doing very well. Over the last two years I managed to build up my collection. Most were purchased from a gardener called Mumin, a young and enterprising man, keen to explore any opportunity to make money. As the plants are never in a flowering state when he brings them to me, I take his word that I now have a collection of orchids in many colours and shapes. The truth is somehow different - so far they all turned up to be various shades of mauve! Even though they should be rainbow colours, I don't really mind they are not. I enjoy them for what they are, lovely and interesting flowers. I think it is more the anticipation of flower than the flower itself that gives me so much pleasure.

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