What I Unearth About Nature After Writing More Than 30 Stories

My 30-Nature Story Challenge

Photos by Ching Ching

Some time back, Katie Michaelson challenged me to write 30 different plants and flowers from my community farm.

The intention was to provide a guidebook for volunteers to remember what we have on the farm and to share characteristic of the plants/flowers.

I thought of listing all the scientific facts but I could not remember nor was I able to pronounce their names properly.

Instead, I gave plants/flowers a ‘human-like personality’, similar to avatar on computer games, except these avatars are blooming and growing around the farm.

My journey started with an open letter pleading to calamansi to ripe soon.

Thereafter, Snow White poison apple made an appearance with an entourage from King Salad and Queen of the Garden to craft a fairy tale.

Of course, life is not complete without the romance of a long-lost flame lighting the heart of a hummingbird. Together with a promiscuous social butterfly they bring drama to nature.

And when life becomes boring like potatoes, a wispy blue flower is there to mix a drink and cheer, while Buddha mediates in the corner.

So, with a string of hearts to celebrate this journey, my challenge shall close for now, while I wait for that ice cream flower to turn to ancient magic beans. 💝

What I have learned from this beautiful writing experience.

1. Pictures matters when writing about nature. I used them to match them with a plant app — PlantNet. It’s my starting point to learn about the plant/flower.
2. I tasted a lot of different herbs. Some are really spicy and unpleasant to me. I will not be adding them to my salad. 🤢
3. Waiting for flowers to turn to fruits or for them to ripe takes patience. There are no devices in the world to speed up this process. Nature has its own timing.
4. I learned the true meaning of delayed gratification, when the fruit you have been waiting is stolen by monkeys! 😫
5. If someone gives you seed, plant them in good compost soil. No one can guarantee that you will get a bountiful harvest, but at least you set them up in good rich soil, giving it the best chance to grow. Like how we should nurture ourselves to be happy inside so that we can help and love others.
6. In the right conditions, nature does not need human intervention to survive, they are smarter than human and do not whine at all. They know how to grow a seed on their own and they can prevent drought or flood.
7. I have learned while foraging around a food forest, if the ecosystem is balance, I do not need insect/mosquito repellent because nature will sort this out naturally.
8. Nature has a way to provide an inclusive environment to every plant species including weeds, something we human can learn to do better in our own space.
9. Nature evolves quietly, slowly. There is always something new to enjoy every day — a new flower bud, new sprouts, new leaves, fruits turning ripe, compost maturing or trees suddenly seems taller. Humans should stop more often to enjoy these sights. 🌳🌳🌳🌳
10. Flowers often smell nice and we should stop to smell more often. But be sure to leave them alone if you see a bee. You don’t want to be chased all over the farm. 😄

Thank you for reading all my plant/flower stories.

My source of nature inspiration. 😃

Kebun-Kebun, Bangsar @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A Forgotten Land Transform by Nature Into a Mini Food Forest