At that point of time, the cutting has no flowers nor buds, and nary a hint of promise that it will ever flower, and truly I didn't harbour any hopes either. I was told in some cases, it take years before any flowering takes place.
But lo and behold, on Boxing Day last year, there was a whitish pink bulbous flower dangling in a sad drooping-manner from the flat leaf of the moonflower cactus and I knew we missed the blooming of the flower the night before. You see, this bloody moonflower cactus is a night-bloomer, and even then the flower will only last the night and that's it. I was quite upset since I don't know when the next one is going to appear, i.e. if it's going to appear at all.
Fast forward January 10, 2010 and there it was, not one but two buds! I burst into smiles, gone back several times during the day to observe them. They took a long time to grow, I thought. Anyhow, I decided I will have to be patient.
January 15 was a terrible day; I saw one of the smaller bud has fallen off the leaf (meaning kaput, gone to cacti kingdom, whatthebloodyever) although the other one has elongated into a spear-like bulb. My spirits though dampened but was sustained by the obvious progress of the surviving bulb.
Damn, my life has really gone to ground, you'd think?
And then disaster: last night there was a cool change and it was blustery. At midnight, while reading in bed, I suddenly had a nudge to go check out the moonflower cactus but because it was wet and nasty out there, I convinced myself the bulb will be like me all cuddled up. I mean why would it want to bloom on a bloody night like this?
You can imagine how upset I was this morning - it looked like the @#$%ing bulb did decided to bloom last night. @#$%, @#$%, @#$%. If I have learned anything from this episode it will be, time and epiphyllum will wait for no one.
Two buds, one dead and lying on the ground. The other became spear-like.
The curved-stem pushes the bulbous bud upwards, very oriental-looking.
I know, it's quite penis-like, isn't it?
Showing great promise of bloom.
Saturday evening - so ready to bloom tonight!
Sunday morning - you're too late, much too late.
Oh well, just not my time, this time.
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