Sunday, January 25, 2009

Chinese New Year Of The Ox: Kung Hei Fat Choi=Congratulations And Be Prosperous

When I lived in Southeast Asia many years ago I visited Chinese gardens in Hong Kong and Singapore and fell in love with their diversity of plants. Click the word CHINESE in the title above to read about the flora of China. Since it is the beginning of Chinese New Year and in their zodiac cycle this is the Year of the Ox. As a gardener I am thankful for the wonderful plants we grow today that originated in China. Can you imagine what we would do without having rice, tea, soybeans, oranges, cucumbers, lemons, peaches, apricots, ginger, anise, ginseng, and the hundreds of species of rhododendrons, magnolias, camellias, viburnums, gardenias, jasmines, forsythias, primroses, chrysanthemums, etc., etc.?

7 comments:

Southern Lady said...

Jon, I've never really thought about all the wonderful plants and flowers we enjoy that originally came from China.

How wonderful for you to have lived in Asia ... I can see its influence in your breathtakingly beautiful gardens.

I want to thank you for the information about Mr. Buddie Newman's railroad museum. I wish I had known its history the day I was there in VALLEY PARK.

That's what I love about traveling the back roads. You just never know what treasures you're going to find.

Sincerely,

Janie

Anonymous said...

Hi Jon, how lucky you are to have seen those gardens in person. We are so fortunate to have all those plants you named, for our tummies and our other senses! Kun Hei Fat Choi to you too!
Frances

Unknown said...

What, indeed, would we do without China's influence? Some of the most marvelous of plants, as you observe, come from there. Soybeans (as tofu) we could leave there, though. The rest of the plants, wonderful.

FrenchGardenHouse said...

What a great post, Jon! I am so sending a link to your blog to my husband, the gardener. I think he will enjoy your posts, and your beautiful photographs.
Lidy

Anonymous said...

Jon, it is amazing how many plants we have gotten from China, especially when you consider how long the country was closed to foreigners. You were so lucky to have lived in Asia. It must have been a wonderful experience.

Jan
Always Growing

Anonymous said...

Jon, Liked your post. You might like to take a look at our Chinese classical garden located in downtown Portland, Oregon:

www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

Dave

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing with us.. Nice blog..


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Jessica
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