Apart from appreciating their natural beauty, the Chinese have attributed different characters to flowers. Lotus flowers, for instance, are known for their purity even though they grow in mud, and scholars in imperial times often compared themselves to the lotus. The plum blossom, China's national flower, blooms in mid-winter, symbolizing the hard-working spirit of the Chinese people.
To contemporary city-dwellers, potted flowers and plants fulfill the need to be closer to nature. But growing and caring for indoor flowers and plants is not easy. According to National Taiwan University Horticultural professor, Ling Te-lin, beginners should first buy potted plants from nurseries before trying to start from germinating seeds. "It's best not to have too many varieties of indoor plants, though be sure to have plants which flower during different seasons," he said.
While there are many shops in Taipei providing everything from seeds to fertilizer, Provincial Museum horticulturalist Cheng Yuan-chun pointed out: "It is important to treat plants lovingly and understand that their requirements for sunlight and water can be substantially different."
With more attention being paid to the decoration of offices in Taiwan, many companies specializing in renting potted plants have sprung up recently. For a small monthly fee, plants are changed every two weeks and are given a rest before being returned to their office environment.
A recent development in Taipei is the establishment of weekend flower markets. Using the space under elevated high ways in Taipei, the weekend markets have proved a great success.
Taiwan's tropical location allows flowers to be grown all year round. Despite the island's industrialization, there is no shortage of people to look after flowers as a refreshing respite at the end of a busy day.
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