A Desert In The City

December 11, 2023

"Life is full of thorns, but the cactus shows us that beauty can still bloom amidst adversity."

- Anonymous

When I was younger, my mother started growing cacti in our garden, and that's when I developed a fascination for them. Back in the day, this plant was used as a medicine to treat a variety of illnesses. That's one of the reasons why we plant cacti at home. A man with a green thumb, my late father, also enjoys cultivating succulents and cactus. Aloe vera and a few cacti are among the ones we have at home. However, since I work overseas at the moment, I'm unable to provide you with pictures of them.

When I went to Hong Kong's Conservatory Center back in the spring, I fund a desert area inside. There are many different varieties and sizes of succulents, cacti, and plants from arid areas. In this section, dry plants are preserved in an environment that mimics the desert habitat of dry plants.

Different kinds of dry plants came from America, South Africa, and parts of Asia. Enormous cacti are amazing, and small succulents are cute. One of the main attractions are these giant Echinocactus grusonii, also known as golden barrel cactus because of its spherical shape and golden thorns over its body. Its information says that it can grow up to one meter in diameter, and it can also survive for up to 100 years. That is amazing!

That's one thing I admire about dry plants. They can survive for long years amidst adversity. Their character shows resiliency, and despite their living conditions, they still bloom beautifully. I hope all humans can adopt their character, stay resilient, and grow beautifully despite the challenges life throws at them.

(All photos are mine)

You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected:

•Facebook
•YouTube
•Twitter
•noise.app
•read.cash