This week was the week of the orchid. However, I don’t think Zodiac signs consist of plants, so I cannot tell you what that means in regard to the stars. However, I can tell you that where there are bountiful amounts of orchids, there is a person with an unreal amount of patience behind them.
The orchid family is huge. I had always pictured orchids as the show-stopping colorful flowers you see in Japanese tea gardens, not the tiny flowers you see while hiking that almost blend in with the rest of the meadow. To begin the week, we went on a sort of scavenger hunt for wild orchids, which would have been tricky to find if we hadn’t had a guide to point them out because they look nothing like the iconic orchid. They are much smaller and grow more in a defined line than the other curved orchids. As we hiked through the plant reserve, the guide pointed out several endangered species of orchid, and it was interesting to hear about so many different ones in the same area.
The orchid family is huge. I had always pictured orchids as the show-stopping colorful flowers you see in Japanese tea gardens, not the tiny flowers you see while hiking that almost blend in with the rest of the meadow. To begin the week, we went on a sort of scavenger hunt for wild orchids, which would have been tricky to find if we hadn’t had a guide to point them out because they look nothing like the iconic orchid. They are much smaller and grow more in a defined line than the other curved orchids. As we hiked through the plant reserve, the guide pointed out several endangered species of orchid, and it was interesting to hear about so many different ones in the same area.
On Tuesday, however, things flip-flopped. We got to see an ornamental plant greenhouse, which was neat. But then, at the end of the tour, he showed us his orchid collection, and let me just say that they were the most beautiful orchids I had ever seen. They were bright and bold flowers all collaged together on the greenhouse benches, making the room a truly lovely sight.
This room was not only filled with beauty, however, it was filled with many years of patience. Some of the orchid species he had took at least fifteen years to mature and bloom for the first time, and one orchid was supposed to take at least thirty-five years. As the farmer walked around his prized greenhouse, it occurred to me that patience is not just waiting for something without complaint. Patience is also working at something while you wait. Some of the orchids have not bloomed. Yet, he still takes care of them in hopes that they will one day. It was an inspiring scene to see.
Therefore, next time you see an orchid, think about the beauty of patience.
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