BEIJING -- The seed of her garden life was planted in Cai Wanzi's childhood. In the 1980s, she grew up in Jiangsu, an eastern province of China bordering the Yellow Sea, in a house with a traditional courtyard and lotus pond. In summer, her grandpa taught her to make lotus tea -- putting tea leaves inside a fresh lotus bud and storing it in a cool place overnight so the tea leaves could fully absorb the lotus' fragrance.
As a little girl, she had fun painting her nails with balsamine, also known in Chinese as the "nail-polish flower." Chop the flower with the mineral alum, place it on your nails and wrap them with luffa leaves. The next morning, your nails will glow orange. "I think it is super fun but today's kids will be surprised to hear that," Cai says.
