Her First Gardens

Her imagination would take her to faraway places where ancient gardens grew, outside castles in England or country farms around the world. She had no idea, when she began, about soil and water, or how to plan. She just got out there into the garden. Her soil was sandy, it had little nutrients; but she was more concerned with the design of her rows. She made the most unusual trenches that swirled in river-like forms and she imagined this is how a garden is planted. She placed the seeds carefully, as instructed on the package, one in each finger hole, about an inch apart, with a half-inch of dirt on top. For days she misted the squiggly rows until, seven days later, amidst the bare dirt, came little leaf pairs emerging from the earth. Each morning shed look out to see how they were doing and sure enough, they grew into tall skinny zinnias. When they finally bloomed she had to laugh because even in the unhealthy soil they still presented many shades from salmon pink to magenta, bobbing on heavy heads almost falling over.

Cymbidiums My cymbidiums, oncidiums and phaleonopsis all grow in cinder and hapu fern like the Japanese ladies do.

The epiphytes with aerial roots grow so easily. They like the elevation up country I know. I learned that in a book about how certain orchids grow.

But mostly Ive learned from others and by trying everything. I keep them evenly moist but never overwater!