I found this orchid at my parents' home in Ipoh a day after dad's funeral. It looked dried up and dead with only one or two remaining green leaves. So, I took it home and tried to revive it.
This orchid was mum's favourite. Unlike dad who had a green thumb, my mother hardly planted anything in the garden, except for the aloe vera and this orchid. She loved cooking instead. Frankly speaking, I really do not know what is the name of this plant or what type of flowers it will bear. I can only say that it looked like an orchid. Mum did tell me about the plant when she was alive, like what the name was, who gave it to her and why she liked it. In fact, she wanted to give it to me. That was many years ago. I didn't want it because I was already all stressed up with 2 young kids and a full time job. Whatever plants that existed in my garden just had to survive on its own. So I didn't take it home. Instead, I asked her to take care of it for me. Then I completely forgot about it.
After mum passed away, I began to miss her very much; her gentle voice, her talks with me, her dishes, etc., etc. To keep her memory alive, I need to hold on to something living that she had left behind. Yes, a living plant. I regret that I didn't take it seriously. How can I forget? I thought I could ask her again and again as often as I liked. I didn't expect her to leave me forever at such an early age of 69. That was 5 years ago. After her death, dad took care of the plant until his death in early 2007.
For 2 years, I tried my best to nurture this orchid based on my general knowledge and common sense. I do not like the feeling of not knowing all the details. But I didn't want to give up. I know my mum. When she gave me something, it was definitely very valuable and meaningful. So, I persisted. Somehow, it managed to grow again from a dying plant to a better looking plant. Now I have two of them, each plant with baby plants that can be propagated. It had bloomed twice but each time there were only one or two tiny white flowers that lasted only a few hours. Very dismal. I had expected beautiful brightly coloured flowers. It was a shock to me when I found that this orchid can in fact have many many flowers. And the flowers are shaped like pigeons or white doves. The flowers can be so many and so beautiful. It is only now that I can see the pigeon in the flower!
Yes, today I know the botanical name. It is Dendrobium crumenatum orchid or pigeon orchid. Now, this plant is no longer a mystery. Knowing the name means a lot to me. It means that I can get as much information as I like from the many sources available. I want my dendrobium to have many blooms that looked like pigeons perching on a flower stalk, just like the one in Sunita's garden. It is amazing how 2 complete strangers can be connected in this way. Isn't it strange but wonderful? I have found the answer from someone who lives in a far away place. And I'm glad I did.
For the link to Sunita's post: click here.