#Love # garden

A simple comment from his wife inspired a Chinese man to transform a barren valley into a huge garden filled with colorful flowers. The 80-acre valley is located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province China. Today it has become a beautiful flower filled home for Zhao Xiaolin and his wife, Yin Zai. A promise inspired by his wife Zhao got the idea in 2013 when his wife talked about her childhood memories in Beijing and shared how much she loved flowers. Her words inspired him to create a garden where she could enjoy flowers every day. He promised to turn the idea into reality. He had no gardening experience Zhao had no professional experience in gardening. Despite this, he sold his home bought land in a town called Zhuanlong and began learning how to grow flowers on his own. Over the years he collected seeds from different parts of China and other countries. He continued working on the land for more than a decade. From empty land to a flower paradise After years of hard work Zhao completely changed the landscape.  The area is now being described as one of the world’s largest hollyhock flower gardens. The garden is open to the public and contains more than 700 varieties of hollyhocks.  It is also home to around 150,000 lilies and 100,000 Chinese hibiscus plants. A love story that lasted 35 years Zhao says his wife and flowers are the two most important things that make his life beautiful. The couple has been married for 35 years and does not have children. They now share their life with several cats and dogs. Even after all these years they continue to exchange handwritten letters on birthdays and other special occasions. What started as a simple conversation about flowers eventually became a remarkable garden and a lasting symbol of their love.