Dede Sophie

Oh my goodness, my orchid cacti have been absolutely fine wintering outside for the past 6 years, then this year they have been absolutely smashed!  If you didn’t know before, Orchid cactus – Disocactus ackermannii is an species of epiphytic cactus that occurs in the cloud forests of Veracruz and Oaxaca, in Mexico. It is a gorgeous, evergreen plant with an arching trailing habit and produces dark green, long, flattened leaves which are only 2-3 inches wide but up to 36 inches long! Usually tough as old boots I like to grow it outside hanging from my trees. This year however a polar vortex descended on the garden and stayed for a couple of weeks, just long enough to kill a lot of my ‘on-the-edge’ hardy plants. Even the back up plan cacti in the greenhouse were frozen to mush! Luckily it wasn’t a complete disaster as you will find out in this video.

I know that this may not be the best time to travel. But, once we are all vaccinated and the international borders open up, we can hope for a slow return to normalcy. And this includes going on those international holidays that we have dreaming of for the past two years when we have all been indoors or inside our respective cities. And to make it special for you, I have come with a unique list of 10 international holiday destinations that Indians can visit for less than 1 lakh (100,000) rupees. Such a holiday would be for a couple traveling from India to one of the below mentioned 10 destinations for a period of 7 days and 6 nights and would include their flight tickets (return), visa charges, 3 or 4 star accommodation, food, logistics and entry fees. This international holiday would not only be customizable as you get to choose the itinerary, but it will also not burn a hole in your pocket. 1) Thailand This country is the eternal favorite of the Indian traveler. This cultural hotspot