How It All Started

Shallots are for babies, onions are for me, garlic are for heroes (Anonymous)

Gardening vs My Favorite Venezuelan Soap Opera Show on TV
When I was 15, I remember my late father had the passion and patience in gardening, turning our lawn into colorful spectrum of tropical flowers and leagues of green leaves. I was entirely indifferent to his newly founded hobby after his retirement, and was partly annoyed when I was summoned to water his plants at 4:30 pm in the evening, compromising my favorite Venezuelan soap opera show (it took one freaking hour to finish watering all plants!) And the worst part of all? Pulling out those nasty weeds from the ground that surrounded our home. But I would have to admit that it was a pleasant feeling, cycling home from school, to a bunch of colorful flowers that bloom under the hot scorching tropical sun. 

The Garden that Withered Away
When I was 17, my late father was diagnosed with colon cancer. We were devastated. I was too ignorant to know that cancer had no cure. That cancer entailed multiple hospital visits that caused us to stay longer in Kuala Lumpur. That cancer caused my father to be weaker than ever. That cancer caused his flowers and plants to be shocked and tragically unhappy that they withered away, one by one. I remember one day, we went back to Muar, and my late father was touching each dying flowers and leaves, apologising in silence, that he could no longer tend to them like he used to be. 

My Newly Founded Passion
Now I am 35. My late mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer, followed my late father's pursuit. They were buried next to each other in Muar. I was crushed beyond imagination and seek solace in denial. I felt so far removed from all the path we went through. Then I bought a plant. Then another. Then another. Somehow I felt connected with my parents - the way they smiled when they touched the flowers, the way they smitten when watering the leaves, they way they cleaned their hands from the dirt. 

I had no knowledge whatsoever in gardening or tending plants. In fact I have murdered a few. But that does not stop me from tending to more and try again. I have dozens of pots of flowers at home, and I do not intend to stop. So here I am, trying to codify all kind of information I gained concerning plants. Hope you will enjoy them too. 

Cheers, 
Sepet