An Aquatic Encounter

This is my humble aquatic collection
Or perhaps the ones that can tolerate water on it.
I find that philodendron, pothos sygnonium and (Epipremnum aureum sp.)
commonly known as money plant here.
The basics of keeping them as a common thought
is to put them in a cup filled with water
with few coloured stones or marbles
(You would had seen them on the receptionist desk top)

My Lady White found mesmerised in her contemplative thoughts..
I would say..
"What a journey of life, the ways of the water..
Trinkle and flow, pushing and moving forward,
like a stream - like is travelled on one way journey..
Ahh.. yes..
Refreshing, life giving and food for thought..."

And to add more colours,
I had added goldfish in the midst of the guppies that I had it earlier.
I find that I can see the reds and gold and it really gives me pleasure
To see something swimming with the sound for trickling water

The fern had eventually adjusted to itself and growing well.
After I removed the heavy shrubs that covered all the sunlight..
(Earlier I had bird nest fern, hoya, dischidia and all the creepers
that blocked all the sunlight from here)
This one is now doing nicely.

These are some of the collection that I managed to find.
I often get tempted to buy more of this and add body this place.
Somehow, keeping a same species with different colours and shapes gives a feeling of fullness.
As I would give advice to new beginners who started gardening:

First:
Always find what you "Feel" in your Garden.
That is your first clue of your own personal garden.
What you feel?
If that makes you happy and you found that connection - then go for it.

And so,
My connection came with a combo of plants here.
Neatly compacted and I don't have to worry of over-water or underwater/

And they don't go invasive trailing everywhere.
Just neatly in their own spaces.

I had to separate the aquatic plants as these goldfish started consuming them and reducing the population of my guppies in this space.
Hopefully the net separation makes some difference here.

I seriously need to come up with a new solution for this as the goldfish finds invading into this space and eating up the aquatic plants..

Serenity in the Midst of Chaos

It's been hard to garden and to expect a neat, clean garden setting.
I for one a messy gardener.
No matter how much I try to clean or consider keeping it tidy..
There is always something that messes things up..

So,
I have come to accept my untidiness.
As part and parcel of my gardening life.
To be able to discover beauty in the midst of the storm..
In my case, in midst of my mess..
To force myself to see the beauty beyond my mess..
Others might call my garden a jungle... 😜

Another dynamic is to plant even to every nook, crook and corner..
Why let a weed grow in that place?
If you still find a small space - why not make use of it?
And so..
Once there were weeds and grass grew,
Now, you will find turtle vine make a carpet effect at the road side.
It makes the grass cutter happy to see a neat looking plant taking over the weed area

This remained faithful to me over the years when I first planted it.
I still wished I can add more plants here to give a nice contrast..
Another thing about being messy..
Though it's been here for a very long time, there were days that I almost lost these begonias.
Ransacked by rats, shrews and cats..
It was a long hard journey.

Finding an ideal plant in their correct places and spot was the most challenging moment for me.
After many trials and error where I tried bougainvilleas, pineapples, tradescantias..

They almost did but not to my satisfaction ,
I finally found that Bromeliads suits best as the first tier,
followed by orchids and the coloured foliage..
Followed by ferns and begonias.

Currently, this is my favourite spot.
I still need to re-arrange and make this place neat again..
One of the things about gardening is their constant change and adapting to that change
To go with the flow..
And the best part, enjoy while being at it.

Orchid Updates

This may appear to look like the earlier post.
Like I said.. I can't get enough of this one.

This is the comparison of the two orchid blooms side by side,
And notice the flower spikes..there are more coming on the way

I'm secretly hoping they are different from the ones I'm having .
Years of waiting finally paid off.

Orchid updates

I hope I'm not boring you on my orchid post.
I just got too excited to see their explosive blooms in these few weeks time.
Just love the arrays of spikes after spikes of orchid blooms/
Just love this particular variety of phals X doritis species.

Here the flower is draping with dumbcane as a fore-background

I was very careful this time as not to snap off the flower spike while taking this picture.

Then the two more new spikes came out..
I was hoping a different species but its the same as the first one.
Well, at least now its blooming - I now know what are they..
(earlier I was totally clueless of what I was keeping for years)

Somehow I find this light coloured from the first one..
Talking about being critical (and hoping that they are two different species)
But they are not..😝

Regardless, it is (still in bloom after 2 weeks) a pink beauty..
Just love the colour contrast (wait for it)
With the blood red one below..

I had to get a chair to get a eye view for this one.
It had gone too tall for me to reach it, let alone taking its picture is quite a feat

(not to damage anything while taking this picture or shall I say...
No orchids were harmed during these shots)

I can't get enough of these blooms..
And currently they are getting taller by the day.
Perhaps I will take another when they are at the peak of this blooming season as most of the buds are still unopened.

I love the comparison part on the size and colours.
Just amazes me on how well they look regardless.
Again..
I have to handle this cautiously less they snap and broken.