Orchids and Bonsai

This is one of my mother’s orchids. (Behind is my father’s old waterpump. I’m thinking of having it sold for scrap but my mother told me to leave it alone. “It is your father’s monument”, my mother said. Anyway, it blends; so be it.) It is a common orchid in our (I don’t know if you can call it that) garden but I have never seen it flower before. Maybe it’s because I never paid attention to my mother’s plants. But when my mother left for Baguio City to become my nephews babysitter (or to become my nephew’s grandmother), and my mother's plants left to my care, I began to get acquainted with her plants and get to know them. I love plants myself, but I was not a flower guy; that, is until I came to realize that flowers can relax tired eyes.

What I used to with this orchid is to cut its stem when it becomes too long and touch the ground-- it’s ugly. I thought that by constant cutting, the orchid will flower. How ignorant of me. I should have done otherwise. I should have left it alone.

I never thought that those ugly, evil looking, varicose vein like stems produces flowers like these. I was waiting for the wooden antennae like stems that would sprout from the center of the plant that would hold the flowers like some of the other orchids that my mother has, but this is orchid is not like them.

I learned my lesson; I will not cut those ugly, varicose veins like stems. I’ll just wait.

I also planted roses . Roses are beautiful especially when you open the window and the first you see are their flowers.

I also planted hanging plants and cactuses.

I took my daughter to a bonsai show and I am surprised to find out that bougainvilleas can be bonsaid too.

I am thinking of doing some bonsai myself. I’m thinking of something original, a bonsai that will be an epitome of a bonsai. A bonsai so tiny yet so detailed. I am thinking of a tree that will be unique…yes, I will bonsai a coconut tree. Beat that!