The first time I met the now 56-year-old Mary Yeoh during the onset of the pandemic three years ago was at her house-turned-whimsical-cactus-nursery in Kampong Pulaie, and mind you, the scene felt somewhat like a movie.
Visualise a rustic open-air greenhouse with hundreds of cacti and succulents, beautifully arranged and gracefully cascading towards the ground in rugged spikes of silvery greens, yellows, and pinks.
The prickly plants are stacked upon one another, pouring elegantly out of their kitschy ceramic containers, painting a pitch-perfect picture of what an urban fantasy looks like.
During that first encounter, I was with my mother, and I comically recall her gawking at Yeoh’s majestic succulent arrangements.
It was also at the hour when the Miri native was watering, and she let it pour. Despite our knowledge of common cactus care tips, we were confused, thinking it was a lot of water for cacti – or at least, more than we were used to.
Questions bubbled up about whether that level of watering was okay, and I remember the moment clear as day. She paused her watering, looked at us slowly, and asked, “Who told you that? Nonsense.”
A THORNY BEGINNING
Yeoh’s fascination with her thorny garden guardians began in her teenage years. She always had a love for plants and the tranquillity that comes with nurturing them.
However, her focus was not on cultivating the rare or the challenging; instead, she found joy in the simple pleasure of caring for plants which led her to the world of cacti, renowned for their low maintenance.
“I came to Brunei in the 1980s and I’ve had this nursery for more than 20 years. Initially we lived in Kampong Delima, and before that, we were in Sungai Tilong,” shared Yeoh in an interview with the Bulletin.
“I used to take care of other kinds of plants, even orchids, but every time I moved, they couldn’t seem to survive. The environment probably wasn’t the right fit, and my tastes also changed.”
She found foliage plants to be tolerable, but she often encountered challenges with them. They required significant maintenance, and any error in watering could be detrimental, explained the 56-year-old.
Affectionately referred to as Aunty Mary within the local plant community, Yeoh openly acknowledged that certain succulents can be more temperamental than others. However, she noted the extensive variety within the species as this diversity allows one to discover succulents that align with the level of care their comfortable providing.
As a dedicated cultivator of cacti and succulents, Yeoh highlighted the significance of comprehending each plant’s unique characteristics and growth patterns.
Echeverias, she said, are generally easy-going, easy-growing and easy to propagate as you could cut and plant them back into the soil but the echeveria ‘Derek’ could withstand full sun and rain.
“Certain succulents dislike or can’t endure rain, requiring shelter. On the other hand, there are varieties that thrive in full sun and rain,” she continued.
LIFE FULL OF PRICKS
Surrounded by a diverse collection of cacti and succulents in the hundreds, selecting a favourite proved to be challenging for Yeoh.
Among her most cherished succulents are the timeless echeveria ‘Derek’ and the distinctive ‘Raindrops’ variety which are adorned with tear-drop shaped bumps on its leaves.
A special place is also reserved in Yeoh’s heart for the spiral cactus, for its whimsical appearance and remarkable potential to reach heights of up to five metres.
Reflecting on over two decades of cultivation, Yeoh fondly recalled how the local market for cacti and succulents has evolved, yet in many ways, it still echoes the market of her youth.
“When it comes to rare plants or more modern cacti, I don’t need to elaborate. You name it, and I likely had it back in the day when it was affordable because we didn’t know what it was.
“I’d have customers seeking a specific cactus or succulent, emphasising their rarity or difficulty to acquire. Those plants enjoyed their prime among us old-timey gardeners; we simply lacked their identification.”
Whilst discussing the changes over time, Yeoh marvelled at the ease of accessing plant knowledge nowadays as platforms like YouTube make learning about any plant convenient, coupled with the accessibility in importing plants now, too – provided one follows the rules and regulations.
“Initially, this was just a hobby for me, but I began receiving inquiries from people interested in my cacti. This sparked the idea to look beyond and bring in plants that people in the community would relish.” Yeoh’s journey may have begun as a hobby, but now it has blossomed into a crucial pillar of the local plant community, particularly cherished by enthusiasts of cacti and succulents.
Now celebrated through word of mouth, the 56-year-old takes satisfaction in her role as a curator of diverse plants, contributing significantly to the flourishing community of cacti and succulent enthusiasts in the Sultanate. – Wardi Wasil
