189E - Asian Special

 When you are a compulsive writer, and you blog, you sometimes take a look at who is actually reading your outpourings. That's only natural, right? Well, I saw, to my huge surprise, that in the past 30 days I had more readers in Asia than from my own country. When I throw in Belgium, it just about evens up.

Baffling!

But very nice, thank you, and you are very welcome, all you lovely people in Singapore especially!

Sceptics (I know many) say that 'they' probably 'use my blog for something'. But I prefer to think about people from that tiny island to be lovers of plants. Like I am a lover of plants, gardening, and nature in general. And let's be fair, Singapore is not doing so badly in that aspect. Everyone is always going on about that chewing gum law, and 'oh, but they are so strict over there'.

I would not know, I have never been. But what I do know is that some of my favourite plants come from Asia.

Cycas tree, Hortus Amsterdam 2023

   Ever since I first encountered a Cycas tree in a Hortus palmhouse in the 70s I loved it and wanted one. There's one in my living room that totally dominates it, but I cannot bear to part with it. Did you know that it already existed 47.5 million years ago in East Asia? I have since learned that every part of it is poisonous, but I already respected it anyway for its wicked sharp points on its deceptively soft and cuddly looking fronds. Repotting mine takes a major effort, as it is too heavy for me to lift it off the chest of drawers it is living on. Soon I will have to get very creative, or move house, because it is getting too large for my tiny appartment.

Phalaenopsis 'kolibri'

Another one of my loves is the orchid. There are so many species, which are all gorgeous and interesting, but the easily accessible one in my neck of the delta is the butterfly orchid, or phalaenopsis. It is sold in supermarkets...says it all, doesn't it? On the right you see mine underneath the Cycas. The reason it is so popular, next to its obvious beauty, is that it blooms for months. What I would really like to have as well is a Calanthe triplicata. Beautiful!

My present house is a tricky one for orchids, as it is extremely light (and hot in summer) due to the 6m x 4m windows. The only spot they manage to survive is underneath that Cycas.

The Klaproos, a member of the Papaver family, as seen above in a verge near Oostvoorne, has come to our country from the Atlas mountains in Morocco, but is is related to Papaver somniferum L, which falls under our opium law and is banned. That one originated in Asia, I believe. 

In my garden there is a Papaver (the one above), which is a plant which simply 'appeared' along with a sedum someone gave me. For the last three years it has delighted me and made me giggle with its flowerheads, both ripening and flowering. You can take a guess what they remind me of. It is more orange than red, and much larger than those poppies from the Atlas.

My banana is rather hidden in the photo above, which it likes.

A very wet banana

   

   Three years ago I won a banana in a competition. It was tiny, just three leaves. And it pined, for Asia I suspect. So I put it out on the balcony and sort of forgot it was there. It decided it likes my balcony, it even likes getting soaked for months on end. It has grown quite large now, 60cm high, making new leaves like it tries to smoke a cigar. I do take it indoors from November onwards, and it tells me it wants to be outdoors by looking sad and dejected. But I dare not take the risk, we do get frosts, but especially the freezing winds worry me.

Well, these are only a few of my beloved plants with Asian roots. I hope you enjoyed the post (do follow if so), and wish you a lovely weekend.

Renée