Orchid represent elegance and fertility in Chinese New Year, which is February 1st in 2022, but the gifts are already in supermarkets worldwide.
In London, I can buy orchids in all colours from Tesco. They sit on the kitchen windowsill.
In Singapore, I rescued this plant from a dump in a condominium. The plant had sat, abandoned, forlorn, unwanted, beside the rest of the discarded trash beside a huge bin. It was just a little bamboo-like twig in a pot in dry earth.
I thought, the pot will come in handy.
Upstairs, I washed the outside of the pot. I carried it onto the balcony. I didn't want to make a mess. So I left the old soil there. Now wet.
I asked my husband to fetch a bag of potting soil from a garden centre. Nothing special. The cheapest soil.
He went there on his motorbike. If you don't have a means of transport, some garden centres will deliver heavy items.
For a couple of days, as I watered everything else, the new pot got a sprinkle, an accidental share of the shower. Then, up popped a teeny green shoot.
I watered it deliberately. And it grew leaves.
Imagine my surprise when, a few weeks later, it grew white buds. They grew larger and larger. Finally, one opened out. marvellous magenta. Then another.
We counted the two flowers and the buds. We had nine. We were expecting nine. Like proud parents.
They all opened out to vibrant magenta orchids. I stood next to them for photos.
Angela with magenta orchids on a balcony in Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot.
After they died, the plant went back to looking dull. It took up space on the balcony. My family threatened to de-clutter and throw it out. (Now I knew why the poor plant had been discarded by the previous owners.)
"No, no, no!" I cried. "That's an orchid!"
It had to be watered daily, like all the other plants in hot and humid Singapore.
For a while nothing happened. We bought a big bag of soil to plant a new cutting we had been given. I decided to use some of the leftover soil to top up my existing plants with extra soil to give them a boost of nutrition.
I don't know whether the supplementary soil helped. But it looked good, and could not have done any harm.
Eventually the dormant orchid woke up and grew white pods again. This time we knew what to expect.
Here is our second or third show. Aren't they lovely!
You can buy orchid plants from garden centres.
Singapore Botanical Gardens
Also in Singapore from shops in The Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens are free, but The orchid section makes a charge. Well worth visiting once to take photos of the plants and yourself with them.
See the national flower of Singapore, the Miss Joaquim orchid. It was first seen, or grown in her garden, so the story goes.
Vanda Mis Joaquim from Wiki.
Thatcher
If you are from the UK, or interested in British history, you might be interested in seeing that there is a Mrs Margaret Thatcer orchid. The name Thatcher is from a person who used thatch, or straw on houses. How appropriate.
If you travel a lot and cannot water your orchids, or entrust a neighbour or family member to do so, you can buy artificial orchids on Amazon for under 5 dollars, plus postage.
Useful Websites
UK
Singapore
Singapore and worldwide
UK
Orchids from about 30 pounds reduced from 40 in January 2022 - add delivery charge?
The Author
About the Author Angela Lansbury
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
translateforfun.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.
Quick Quotations
Who Said What When
