MY LATE-MOTHER had a green thumb. She made elaborate dish gardens, plus doted on her orchids and bonsais. When I lived in the United States, she'd put plants in my house, and before leaving she'd remind me, “Take care of my babies, ha!” She came every six months, and each time she returned, she would sigh in dismay that they were all dead. Finally, she got frustrated and put plastic plants in a pot and declared, “You can’t kill that now!”
Fast forward several years, I did a bento (Japanese art of packed lunch) demonstration in my son's school, and his adviser, Teacher Olwen, gifted me a terrarium, it was a succulent (nickname, succu) and cacti arrangement inside a globe glass case, enhanced by patterns of pebbles, rocks, and dirt. I took it home and several months down the line everything died. My son was dumbfounded, “Mom, how can you possibly kill a cactus!?” I shrugged and defensively retorted, “Hey, I only grow children!” He responded with a laugh, “Excuses, excuses!”
I acknowledge I have a black thumb. At least, I am green-minded (hey, not “that” kind)! I mean I do care for the environment by not littering and recycling. However, my children keep on pointing out that the best way to help mother nature is to grow more plants. That seems virtually impossible for me, but, they say I must try again. I finally decided to seek professional help so I got in touch with Ms. Rhea Pelaez, owner and gardener of Yana's Succulents and Cacti shop, in the hopes it is not too late for someone like me to learn.
It is easy to find Rhea because a lot of her valued clients speak highly of her plants, her service, and her as a person. Her shop is located across Madonna Hospital along J. Seriña St. in Carmen. They say she has the most unique, beautiful, and affordable collection of succus and cacti in Cagayan de Oro. Most importantly, she entertains her clients well by patiently answering questions and offering tips on how to handle the plants. In fact, she encourages everyone to come into her store even if it is only for a quick chat.
Rhea recalled that she started her love affair with succulents because of her husband, Bebo.
“I came across them for the first time when he brought me an Echeveria Rose as a pasalubong from one of his out of town trips. This is not similar to an ordinary fragrant rose. It is a popular succulent that grows with attractive rosette patterns.” Think the desert rose!
This very pretty gardener is very passionate about her “babies” that she even named her shop after her baby girl, Eliana. Yana for short!
“That Echeveria is so pretty and calming to look at so I wanted more,” she expounds with a twinkle in her eye.
“I learned to grow them and re-pot them. Soon, it became a collection and an addiction. My desire to propagate them just never stops. And I want to share them with people too.”
She patiently explains to me the difference between a succulent and cacti. Apparently, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. But the cacti are the more popular ones because we’ve been seeing them, even in cartoons, for a long time now.
Rhea said: “Succulents refer to plants that are a bit fleshy and are good in retaining water. There are several varieties of succulents. Now, cacti are also a type of succulent, but they have spines. Most cacti have lost true leaves and only retain these spines. These are the prickly parts of the cactus, with the purpose of defending themselves against herbivores, like grasshoppers.”
She shared that succulents and cacti are actually low-maintenance plants that are great for beginners.
Rhea added, “Taking care of them is super easy. They don’t need a lot of water. For example, I only water my pots once a week. They don’t need a lot, eh.”
I reply that no wonder my previous terrarium died. I poured a small glass of water on it every other day. Toinks! Apparently, the thing to avoid in potted plants like these are the rotting or decay of roots, which causes death.
Rhea said, “I use 1/3 garden soil, 1/3 rice hull, and 1/3 lava rocks or pumice pebbles so the water can drain fast. You don’t want the roots to be submerged in water because they will surely rot.”
Another misconception that she debunks for me is sunlight exposure. I thought they needed to be in the sun for the major part of the day.
She makes it clear that, “It is better if they have no lengthy direct sunlight exposure. For my plants, their sunbathing time is daily in the morning. I think 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. is best because the sun’s glare is not yet super harsh.”
Rhea said she loves taking care of her plants because they help her de-stress and relax.
“When my plants produce pups or babies, I find that very satisfying. When I see them bloom beautifully or mature, then that is also my reward. I consider it a gift that I can cultivate and watch my babies grow and develop. Plus sharing this succu love with other people is a huge bonus. I’ve met a lot of fellow enthusiasts. It has really been amazing!” she concludes with a big smile.
Now, I know why Yana’s Garden has such beautiful offerings, which people have gone gaga over. The love of Rhea Pelaez makes them all bloom and grow.
If you’re interested in succulents, drop by Yana’s at Door 8 Kabi Building J. Seriña St. Carmen, Cagayan de Oro, or call 0927-772-7250, or check their Facebook page: Yana’s Succulents and Cacti.
At present, the succu love craze has extended to weddings, where love clearly doesn’t suck (pun intended). They’ve become the trendiest wedding favors or table toppers, with cards that say: “Let love grow.”
So, wanna give it a try too? Let’s grow, er, go!
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