“Connection with gardens, even small ones, even potted plants, can become windows to the inner life. The simple act of stopping and looking at the beauty around us can be prayer.” — Patricia R Barrett

MoBay-based Karis Bailey’s love for gardening developed five years ago during one of the darkest times of her life. Her daughter had just started recovery from a major car accident that she survived. Karis’s spirit was broken but a small, unlikely and unforeseen burst of joy would come. In the midst of a glum day, a good friend insisted that, to lift her spirits, she take a drive to visit the famous garden of Betty Ashley. Karis decided that it would be a good fresh-air outing for her wheelchair-bound daughter.

As living testimony to the healing power of nature’s beauty, once Karis stepped out into Betty’s driveway it was if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She recalls, “The plants were so beautiful. They lifted my spirit and that of my daughter’s, as well. From then, I realised that orchids really do something. From then, I decided that I would grow one and two of my own which I got from Betty as well.”

Today, she has over 4,000 orchids in her garden of which around 2,500 are dendrobiums, 800 are shade vandas, 400 sun vandas and the balance, a mix between arandas, phalaenopsises and others.

Dendrobium Care

Dendrobiums being Karis’s favourite, the Unlikely Gardener had to get some tips as to how she keeps the 2,500 strong of 1,500 different colour variations all healthy and beautifully blooming. Crediting all of her orchid care knowledge to Betty Ashley, Karis’ regiment is to spray with fungicide and insecticide once per week but never on the same day. Additionally, she fertilises twice per week. Due to the volume and close proximity of her plants to each other, she advises that one must “keep an eye open because if one plant has fungus it spreads easily due to the closeness…stay on top of the fungicide and insecticide”.

For nervous beginners, Karis encourages and by experience feels that orchids are easy to grow once you get the regimen down pat. She started to grow hanging shade vandas about two years ago and finds them the easiest to manage due to their aerial roots.

Health Is Wealth…Now More Than Ever

With the uptick of COVID-19 cases during the pandemic, throughout the curfews, lockdowns and the overall fear associated with this global catastrophe, mental health and self-care have taken centre stage. Now more than ever, our well-being is of paramount importance due to our new and confined normal. An immediate soother within this social distance paradigm is definitely gardening and I would highly recommend it.

Many of us — just like Karis — who have found our garden passion are spending 1 to 2 ½ hours over our patches solely for the love of it. The positives are not only the benefit of having physical exercise which is always needed, but the outdoors also provide us with a natural therapeutic calm that can be attributed to simply being around nature. Horticultural therapy and gardening are becoming more common aids for individuals who need various kinds of healing, running the gamut from anxiety to physical and other disabilities and/or impairments.

On the topic of nature’s healing, Karis was unequivocal and confided, “I would like to express that orchids helped me to keep my sanity. It’s my sanctuary. Some people drink and some people party, but I do none of those. When I walk into my own space, I am able to breathe freely. My garden lifts my spirits. It’s my way of letting my hair down when I get home in the evenings.”

Karis recommends sharing gardening information and tips with friends, new enthusiasts or even with people who are simply curious.“It’s not as difficult to grow when you have someone who is willing to take you through, step by step…a lot of persons who grow orchids are very selfish with their knowledge…[you] shouldn’t hold anything back.”

As Karis grows and tends to her sanctuary of healing, I hope that more people take a page out of her beautiful book of gardening. Mental and spiritual well-being are keys to intangible wealth now more than ever. Please take care of you.