Right from school days, we are bombarded with many sayings like never give up, failure is a stepping stone to success, there is no substitute for hard work, move forward not backward, start each day afresh, patience is the key, those who are patient will rule the world, Rome was not built in a day. Also comes the familiar tale of Robert Bruce and the spider. However, when we face a situation where things don’t go our way, remembering these sayings is indeed difficult.
When I began the project of cultivating a particular plant species for my home garden, all the above sayings were churning in my mind. I read up all the material available and became familiar with the dos and don’ts. I purchased seedlings, followed instructions and waited for them to grow. This began from the COVID years. Some grew and some remained stunted. Years passed but the ones that grew and looked healthy did not bloom.
I thought that, perhaps, they needed a bigger pot and shifted them to a pot of a bigger size but things did not change. I even changed the growing medium but to no avail. Next I changed the location of the pot and even added home-made fertilizer, but no result. In desperation, I threw away some of the stunted ones thinking I was wasting my time. Perhaps it was the weather that was the culprit. Also the “I told you so” remarks by curious people did not help. I decided to ignore the plants but I could not let them wither away. So I kept watering them whenever water was needed, clinging to a glimmer of hope because they were still green. My daily ritual of having a close look at each one still continued.
I live in a coastal city in the South known for its hot and sultry climate and the month of September called Puratasi by local people is generally very hot and extra humid. At the beginning of this month, I noticed something strange growing on top of a particular plant of this species. I wondered what it could be because it grew longer and longer as days passed. Perhaps it was some infestation. The toads in my garden found it cosy to snuggle up inside these particular pots as also the tiny centipedes and black ants. After three weeks, I noticed something which looked like a bud. I felt elated but sighed in desperation. Would it survive, I wondered, for the heat in the air was terrible.
October began with four buds and after 10 days, there was one exotic looking bloom and after a week another bloomed. I was in seventh heaven. People questioned me in sheer surprise as to whether this flower had really bloomed and in a city known for its heat. Make no mistake, it has.
Weeks later, I spotted all the buds showing off their grand outfits. These dainty pink and white orchids add a special glow to my garden. I have five more such plants and hope has grown by leaps and bounds that they may bloom and spread cheer some day. It seems like Mother Nature has her own timing. Also, tucked way inside these blooms dancing gaily in the wind is a lesson in persistence.
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