My Secret Garden

Long ago before I have too many hobbies to take care of, I had a secret garden. It started small like all hobbies but grew to an extand that 20% of my daily life was devoted to it. Below picture is part what remains of that secret garden. There is only orchids here. Back then, the whole place is full of orchids. My friends thought I was opening a florist shop! But honestly, most of the orchids are rare orchids. I got some crazy forum friends who will go into jungle just to look for them. Not any kind of orchid species but Paphiopedilum species. This orchid species flowers can last for more than one month. There are some species that flowers one after another for a long time. I have one that flowers for 6 months. One after another. I kid you not!


This was taken long ago. This shot is those that is in flowering. Quite a nice sight no?


Paphiopedilum Niveum. Found in Penang, Kedah and Thailand.


Paphiopedilum Rothschildianum. Most sought after orchid. Found only in the foot hills of Mount Kinabalu. The flower is big and it look like a Kadazan woman dancing with the hands spreed out. Lots of people have died because of this flower.


Paphiopedilum liemianum. From Indonesia. Can flower non-stop for a verrrrry long time. Can get bored looking at it!


Paphiopedilum barbatum. Found in lots of places in Malaysia and Thailand.


Paphiopedilum helena. Another very rare flower. Found in China limestone hill.


Paphiopedilum parishii. Found in Thailand on big trees.


Paphiopedilum henryanum. Found in Vietnam. Named after the man who smuggle it.


Paphiopedilum concolor. Found in Thailand.


Paphiopedilum villosum. Found in Thailand.


Paphiopedilum primulinum. Found in Indonesia living at the based of big tree. This flower can also bloom non stop for long time. The founder of this little flower said he dream a God told him where to find this flower in a certain hill and so the next day he set out with his brother to look for it. They fought big phyton on the way. To his supprise he found the flower but his brother died that day. Suppose to be true story.


Paphiopedilum sp. Found in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. People are still debating if this is a true species or hybrid.


This is Paphiopedilum sanderranium. The most expansive flower I ever bought RM500 per pot!! It is in my collection still but this picture is in the wild in Sabah. It is only found there in the whole world. It is protected by mountain rangers now. Anyone found removing them will be shot!


Another photo of them in the wild. As you can see the petal is very long. They grow by the cliff of limestone hill. And when the wind blows, the petal will sway with the wind. A wonderful sight in the daytime but quite scary at night.


I have other orchid collection in another secret garden but that’s a secret!! Hehe!