(I hope rice farmers will excuse the ramblings of this over-enthusiastic gardener)
82 grains of rice. What can one do with them?
It’d probably make a great meal … for a bird.
I had found a grain of rice germinating in one of my rose pots; part of the fertilizer mix of grain, husk and crushed shellfish.
I transferred it into a pot and placed that in a nymphaea tub. Then I found a couple more.
“Are you growing weeds?… looks like lalang,” someone remarked.
“Weeds??” I protested. I had visions of a patchwork of rice fields.
the dud
But the first plant turned out to be a dud with grains that looked nothing like rice. It didn’t look like any grain I was familiar with.
The next two plants made it all worthwhile when they formed grains of rice; a translucent green sheathe protected each pearly grain. I counted seventy-four on one plant and eight on the other.
The initially upright stalks started to become pendulous under the weight of the grains. The grains grew in length and changed gradually from green to gold.
Then an aunt dropped in for a visit.
She had hardly walked past the gate when she asked, “Do you know how I can grow some rice? I just saw a documentary and would like to try … just for fun,” she added.
When I told her about the grains on my rice plants, she thought I was joking.
It was a strange but timely coincidence.
Within the next couple of days, ripened grains dropped readily when I touched them.
I planted 18 grains in a pot for my aunt, and 20 in another pot a few days later.
Most of the remaining grains have either dropped into the water and into the mouths of hungry fish or have been pecked off by birds.
Well, at least they made a good meal for some, if not for me.
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