(from the cartoon series "South Park"
episode title: "Ginger Kids")
According to Eric Cartman, a "ginger kid" is someone who has a disease called "Gingervitis" that results to having very light skin, freckles and red hair. Also a "ginger kid" has no soul.Eric Cartman's foolishness really cracks me up, but enough of him and on to my subject.
The Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata) is a plant native to Malaysia. It has long, showy and brightly colored red (or pink) bracts which could be mistaken as its flowers. The true flowers are white but are tiny and insignificant. This plant will grow large and multiplies by rhizomes. It requires a warm and humid condition to thrive.
Under ideal condition, it will bloom all year round. The flowers are sought after in the cutflower industry. They lend a distinctly tropical look in floral arrangements.
The images above are of our first Red Ginger plant. It is located in a small garden just outside our humble house. It holds the record as one of the very first plants we collected in my long list of must-have's for our garden.
Now, there are around twenty separate plants growing in the nursery, majority of which are offshoots of the original plant. And that is a testament to Red Ginger's power!
Good thing our Red Gingers are proud about having red heads, Otherwise there will be a ginger riot in the garden.
