[nw_arizona_granny]

Someone around Reedley, California is growing luffa.<<<

It is a lovely plant, when the pods are young, it is eaten and called Chinese Okra.

Yes, mature pods last for years, I have one or two around here that are 20 or 30 years old.....they make a good dish scrubber, etc, if you grow them and have plenty.

By now you must know, I like almost all plants and if they have healing or food value, LOL, then I love them.

Of course, beauty gets loved too.

When I grew orchids, I always wanted to take an assortment of the flowers to a blind school, so they could ‘know’ them.

Now I almost never hear the word ‘orchid’.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

My dear Gramma Grace wore an orchid to church every Sunday. You're right, they are out of style now, too bad. Such beauty! The latest thing now is the cymbidium:

I found a website while looking for pictures:

Savvy Gardening