Root Awakening (7 Nov 09)
The first instalment of the Root Awakening column for Nov 09 was published yesterday. As usual, answers to three gardening questions were provided. The first question was about about the growing of durian trees from seeds. In general, young durian plants prefer to be grown in a sunny spot with soil that is fertile and well-draining. The roots should be kept moist at all times and not be allowed to dry out. Drying out of plants can lead to stunting of growth. One can fertilise the plant with slow-release fertilisers in accordance to rate and frequency recommended by the manufacturer. Do also remember to transplant the plant into a larger pot so that its growth is not constrained.
The second question was about a dying frangipani plant that does not generate new growth. I reckoned this particular frangipani may be grown in a location that is waterlogged. Frangipani is a drought-tolerant plant that does not like wet feet and prefers to be grown in a sunny spot with soil that is fertile and well-draining. One may want to dig the plant out from its growing location and check if its roots are still healthy. If the roots are all black and mushy, the roots are already damaged and there is no cure. The only way to salvage the plant is to cut the remaining healthy stems and use them as stem-cuttings for propagation.
The last question was about the growing of the pennywort plant (Hydrocotyle species) that is often offered for sale as a houseplant. Despite being offered for sale as a houseplant, it is important to note taht all ‘indoor’ or ‘houseplants’ need sunshine to grow and the penny plant is no exception. It should be grown in a place where it can receive some filtered sunshine about 4 to 6 hours daily. Filtered sunshine is sunlight that will cast a fuzzy but distinct shadow of a hand when the hand is placed 30 cm from a sheet of paper. It is a common misconception that indoor plants do not need sunlight to grow. Only fertilise a plant when it is showing active growth. A plant grown in a shady area will not exhibit much growth and any fertiliser added is wasted. Any accumulation of excess fertiliser can potentially harm the plant as well.
CIB Ambassadors 2009 – Mr Richmond Tan & Mr Sharif Ahmad Jusof
The final two Community in Bloom Ambassador’s include two guys who are Mr Richmond Tan and Mr Sharif Ahmad Jusof! Richmond is the youngest of the crowd and happens to be one of my moderators of the Green Culture Singapore discussion forum. I am proud of him!
Mr Richmond Tan
Mr Richmond Tan, 24, is a moderator of the Green Culture Singapore discussion forum. Richmond shares his passion on carnivorous plants by conducting talks to members of the public at HortPark and initiated and produced two e-books on gardening which he distributes freely to interested people to help them in their gardening efforts. He also oversees the gardening project at Tanglin Secondary School and conducted training for the school students and staff on aspects of gardening. He founded and maintains a gardening blog as a way to share his ideas on gardening: www.dreamandgrowit.wordpress.com.
Richmond has captured the attention of the young curious minds by introducing carnivorous plants through his outreach initiatives. His gardening blog is a platform for knowledge sharing about gardening and an avenue to broadcast his knowledge and skills in gardening. His continuous effort to promote gardening among young people will help create more appreciative future generation in greenery and gardening.
Richmond’s Quote: ‘You don’t need to be botanist to do gardening, just like you don’t need to be engineer in order to use a mobile phone.’
Mr Sharif Ahmad Jusof
Mr Sharif Ahmad Jusof, 50, is the leader of the gardening club at Al-Istiqamah Mosque. He has led a pioneering community gardening project in a mosque. His work has inspired many other organizations to successfully embark on their own community gardening projects. His generosity in sharing plants, and helping to decorate nearby community places help spread the ‘gotong royong’ spirit. By welcoming visitors to view the garden at Al-Istiqamah Mosque, he also promotes inter-religious understanding.
He has conducted gardening talks and workshops at HortPark to help guide members of the public and to inspire them into gardening and volunteering. He also volunteered his time and effort to facilitate the setting up of community gardens by conducting show & tell at the Al-Istiqamah Mosque garden, visiting their premises to offer advice and donated plants to various gardening groups including Admiralty West Prison, Mangala Vihara Buddhist Temple, As-Syakirin Mosque and St Gabriel Primary School.
Mr Sharif lent potted plants and helped decorate places such as Serangoon CC, Serangoon Zone 5 RC and En-Naeem Mosque for community events and took part in events to promote and share gardening tips with visitors, such as the Singapore Garden Festival and Launch of Clean & Green Singapore.
Mr Sharif’s Quote: ‘Gardening keeps me healthy. The sight of colourful blooming flowers and butterflies in the garden makes me very happy. I am glad to be able to share gardening tips with everyone who is interested’.
CIB Ambassadors 2009 – Mdm Helen Chan & Mdm Kwoh Toh
Here are the profiles of the next two Community in Bloom Ambassadors for 2009!
Mdm Helen Chan Jiat Mui
Mdm Helen Chan Jiat Mui, 58 is a teacher and the chairperson of her school’s Environmental Committee (Telok Kurau Secondary School). She has conducted gardening workshops and show and tell for numerous eastern cluster school teachers and students, as well as to overseas visitors as part of creating awareness and facilitating them in their own gardening efforts. Helen also actively promoted gardening by taking part in several events such as Singapore Garden Festival and Launch of Clean & Green Singapore, and organized roadshows at other schools too. She also used gardening creatively as a mean to motivate students and to transform the school garden into an outdoor classroom, thereby increasing students’ interest in learning.
Helen made full use of her school garden to motivate and guide other schools in their own gardening projects. In addition to sharing ideas with students, she also trained teachers of other school clusters, who in turn taught their own students about gardening. The roadshows and exhibitions conducted in other schools helped explain the connection between gardening and environmental conservation to the young, thereby creating a positive image about gardening to them.
Helen’s quote – ’Plants are vital to our environment. Take care of them as you would a growing child. Love them and they will bring us joy.’
Mdm Kwoh Toh
Mdm Kwoh Toh, 81, is an active member of Jurong Central Zone ‘G’ RC community garden. She has helped conduct tours and show & tell for members of the public, numerous start-up community gardening groups and foreign visitors at her community garden in Jurong East and spent many hours and days to help promote gardening and share tips and plants with visitors at numerous community and national events such as Singapore Garden Festival, SICEX 2009, to promote gardening and share gardening tips with visitors. Mdm Kwoh als helped set up and sustain several community gardening projects including; Jurong Primary School and Jurong Wellness Center.
Despite being an octogenarian, her tireless effort and positive attitude have inspired many others towards an active lifestyle. Her dedication and commitment to help promote gardening, evident at the roadshows and garden festivals that she took part, have motivated others in their own gardening efforts.
Mdm Kwoh’s quote – ‘The greatest joy of gardening is seeing the fruits of our labour and flower flourish’.
CIB Ambassadors 2009 – Mr Albert Quek & Mdm Gina Ong
Let’s take this opportunity to know more about the new Community in Bloom Ambassadors! For a start, I shall share with all readers of this blog the detailed profiles of Mr Albert Quek and Mdm Gina Ong…
Mr Albert Quek
Mr Albert Quek, 46, is the founder and facilitator of Gardening club, Yokogawa Engineering Asia Pte Ltd). Albert is very passionate about gardening and his DIY vertical garden. His willingness to share his ideas has benefited many community gardening groups and homeowners in their gardening projects. His efforts helped spread the gardening bug to other local and multi-national corporations to convince them that gardening is fun and worthwhile activity for staff.
He has helped facilitate community gardening projects through conducting gardening talks and sharing his experiences with start up gardening groups. He also cconducted garden visits and show & tell for staff of other MNC’s and foreign visitors, to the garden at Yokogawa premises. Albert also invented the DIY Vertical garden that inspired homeowners to garden in their limited apartment spaces. He willingly shared his innovative idea to members of the public through talks at HortPark and Libraries, setting up and maintaining a demonstration of his DIY vertical garden at HortPark, and taking part in the Singapore Garden Festival. He also contributed several articles to local and foreign media and publications to share his DIY vertical garden, including Straits Times, Lian He Zao Bao, Asia Pacific Times, Trubus Magazine (Indonesia), AFP, etc. He also helped the Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden Corporation in Hong Kong to set up its own DIY vertical garden.
Albert’s Quote: ‘Gardening is a real stress buster; it gives us a break from the rush of life!’
Mdm Gina Ong Liat Wah
Mdm Gina Ong Liat Wah, 50, is the leader of Laguna Park Condominium gardening club, as well as, founder & member of Marine Crescent Ville Resident’s Committee gardening club.
Gina has consistently promoted and created awareness through organising gardening roadshows at national events such as Singapore Garden Festival, Clean & Green Singapore Launch and GardenTech and grassroots events. She put in a lot of effort to ensure that her gardening booths are creatively done and attractive to visitors. This includes giving out free plants and seeds, and interacting with visitors. Gina spent time and effort to conduct garden tours and show & tell for members of the public, and foreign visitors to her gardens at Laguna Park Condo and Marine Crescent.
She has helped to galvanise and lead her neighbours at Marine Crescent Ville and Laguna Park Condominium to plant and sustain their own Award-winning gardening projects, allowing them to experience the joy of gardening. The two gardens are used as fine examples for others to model after. In addition, her creativity and sheer enthusiasm has helped win over many others to also embark on gardening.
Gina’s Quote: ‘The joy and satisfaction of being able to harvest fresh herbs and vegetables for our own cooking, and flowers for our table setting is simply fantastic! I wish for others to experience that too.’
Community in Bloom Ambassadors 2009
On the Official Launch of Clean and Green Singapore 2010 on 30 Oct 09 evening, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong handed out awards to six new Community in Bloom Ambassadors. The CIB Ambassadors Award recognizes individuals who have contributed through various means and channels to foster the love for gardening among the people in Singapore. CIB Ambassadors are volunteers with passion, who go the extra mile, to help spread the gardening bug and help others enjoy gardening. They contribute time, effort and/or resources regularly and actively engage with the community to facilitate their gardening-based initiatives.
Community in Bloom Ambassadors for 2009 include (from left) Mdm Kwon Toh, Mr Richmond Tan, Mr Sharif Ahmad Jusof, Prime Minister Lee, Mdm Gina Ong, Mrs Helen Chan, and Mr Albert Quek. These six CIB Ambassadors per year, from the public, private and people sectors.
A brief profile of each CIB Ambassador is given below:
- Mr Albert Quek – Founder and facilitator of Gardening club, Yokogawa Engineering Asia Pte Ltd)
- Mdm Gina Ong Liat Wah – Leader, Laguna Park Condominium Gardening Club
- Mdm Helen Chan Jiat Mui – Teacher & Chairperson Environmental Committee, Telok Kurau Secondary School
- Mdm Kwoh Toh –Member, Jurong Central Zone G RC Community garden
- Mr Richmond Tan – Undergraduate, NTU and moderator of Green Culture Singapore online forum
- Mr Sharif Ahmad Jusof – Leader, Al-Istiqamah Gardening Club
Launch of Trees of our Garden City (2nd Ed)
The second edition of National Parks Board’s (NParks) publication “Trees of Our Garden City” was launched on 21 Oct 2009 at the ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity. Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), launched the book at the conference’s welcome dinner.
Dr Djoghlaf, who penned the edition’s foreword, complimented the book and read out an excerpt from its first chapter “Our Garden City Story”, a brief history of tree planting since the founding of Singapore. He was also presented with a signed copy of the book by Mr Tee Swee Ping, the book’s team facilitator and editor.
This book is a must-buy for anyone who is keen in the trees that are part of Singapore’s landscape. Gardeners, horticulturists, teachers and students who want to learn more about the various species of trees commonly planted around Singapore should grab a copy. There is an addition of 70 species of trees and palms to the 80 from the previous edition! Although information on a large number of trees found in the book can be found on the Internet and various books, what I like about this book is that the information you are reading are put into the context and relevance of Singapore.
What I find particularly useful is the inclusion of some self-sown ‘wild trees’ in this edition which include the albizia (Falcataria moluccana), African tulip (Spathodea campanulata), wattle (Acacia auriculiformis), snakewood (Cecropia peltata) and rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and the reader can now know why these are not or no longer planted by the authorities and are often seen in areas that are disturbed and left alone afterwards.
This second edition of Trees of Our Garden City includes various new chapters such as tree care, function of trees in Singapore, including tree biology and trees and the environment. Many people have always asked me how they should plant a tree in their garden and care for it. I am glad this book has appeared where the public can now refer to it for guidance. Planting a tree involves more than just digging a hole and plonking the sapling into it! Read up the chapter on tree care to know more on the various aspects of growing trees such as tree planting, tree pruning, tree inspection, pests and diseases and tree conservation.
There is also an important chapter for all Singaporeans to read which is the ‘Our Garden City Story’. It details how Singapura was turned into a Garden City in a short span of 190 years! The format of this book is also revamped to make it reader-friendly. The reader can look forward to seeing many colourful photos too. Trees of Our Garden City (2nd edition) can be purchased at the Singapore Botanic Gardens Library Shop, and at major bookstores from the first week of November. Its retail price is $35.
Container gardening on Suria…
On two days in mid-September, I was asked to be a trainer and demonstrator for container gardening where I will show 2 couples how they can select, combine and display a variety of plants together in a dish garden. The entire process was put on film for a variety programme named “Kata Dulang Paku Serpih” that will be broadcasted on Suria. The filming took place at the Lab at HortPark.
For my demonstration, I used a variety of houseplants with attractive variegated leaves which include the variegated rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia ‘Variegata’), red nerve plant (Fittonia verschaffeltii cultivar), English ivy (Hedera helix) and the satin pothos (Scindapsus pictus). To add height and some more colour, I also used two flowering flamingo flower plants (Anthurium andraeanum cultivar) for my work.
The end product of my demonstration resulted in a dish garden shown in the photograph above. I used a container that has been woven out of dried stems for its unique appearance with an interesting texture. The center of attention were the two flamingo flower plants. Below these two plants are shorter plants with variegated foliage to add some splashes of colour to the green leaves of the flamingo flower plants. To soften the look of the container, some trailing English ivy plants were used. This container garden is still looking great and is on display in HortPark’s Lifestyle Corner.
I conceived of four different container gardens for the two couples to choose from. Two were dish gardens based on cacti and succulents. The third one was an Asian culinary herb garden and the last container garden comprise various tropical houseplants. The completed dish gardens are shown in the photograph below.
The aim of making container gardens was to allow partners to show their appreciation for each other. Interviews were done and process of making the container gardens were broadcasted on 14 Oct 09 at 8.30 pm and 15 Oct 09 at 7.30 pm.
Root Awakening (24 Oct 09)
The last instalment for the Root Awakening column for October 2009 was published yesterday. The first question of the usual three asked about the care of cacti in the tropics. Cacti, in general, are sun-loving plants that require a location with direct sunshine to grow well. If one are growing them in an apartment, place your cacti either on a sunny windowsill or corridor. Make sure they get some direct sunshine for at least 4 hours daily.
These plants are also drought-tolerant and they need to be potted up in a very well-draining, gritty, soil mix, for example, one that consists of 1 part of commercial houseplant potting soil mixed in evenly with 1 part of good quality, sifted burnt earth and broken charcoal chips. Use our index finger to test for soil moisture below the surface before watering each time. Cacti do benefit if their root zone dries out a little before the next watering.
The second question was about the yellowing of leaves in a passion fruit vine. Yellowing of leaves may point towards a lack of nutrients essential for growth. However, if a plant is well-fed, the loss of lower leaves may mean that a passion fruit plant is suffering from a lack of water. A large plant grown in a pot would require more frequent watering. One may want to consider to transplant the vine into a larger pot and also lay a layer of organic compost on the soil surface to help conserve moisture. Note that the passion fruit vine needs to be exposed to at least 6 hours of direct sunshine for it to flower and fruit.
The last question dealt with the growing of the cooking ginger. The leaves of the cooking ginger turned yellow and dry because its growing environment is excessively hot and this is commonly experienced by high-rise apartment gardeners. Hence, it would be beneficial if you can relocate the plant to a semi-shaded site. It should also be protected from excessive wind which can cause your plant to dry out. Grow your ginger plant in moist, fertile and well-draining soil. Rhizome rot is likely to occur if a plant is grown in heavy clay soil that is constantly wet.
Adopt a Green Lifestyle and “KNOW 10 TREES”
Clean and Green Singapore (CGS) returns to HortPark from 30 Oct 2009 to 1 Nov 2009. In line with the CGS theme of encouraging everyone in Singapore to adopt a clean and green lifestyle, National Parks Board (NParks) is launching the ‘Know 10 Trees’ movement for more people to learn about 10 common trees in Singapore and to better appreciate the tall green giants that clean the air and beautify our island.
The 10 trees selected to be featured in the movement are trees that are commonly found in Singapore, with distinctive features that would be easily recognized. Apart from learning about the journey to a clean and green Singapore at the main CGS site, visitors will be able to view a ‘Know 10 Trees’ exhibition at the HortPark Gallery, get free calendars on the 10 trees, vote for their favorite tree, and stand to win attractive prizes such as IPods, shopping vouchers, and book hampers.
A total of 5,000 ‘Know 10 Trees’ calendars will be given out from 5pm to 9pm on 30 October, and 9.30am to 9pm on 31 October and 1 November. Online voting and lucky draw starts from today to 10 November 2009 at www.nparks.gov.sg/vote10trees.
As part of the “Know 10 Trees movement”, a series of activities has been planned throughout 2010 to engage the public and reach out to people of all ages. Some of these include a tree-themed online video contest, match leaf/fruit to tree contest, guess the most common tree contest, and Heritage Tree guided walks. NParks is also working with SingPost on a stamp series to feature the 10 trees. This is likely to be launched next year or in early 2011.
On the objective of ‘Know 10 Trees’ movement, Dr. Leong Chee Chiew, Deputy CEO (Professional Development and Services Cluster), said: “Trees are a significant feature of our City in a Garden, and play an important role in making Singapore a distinctive and endearing city to live, work and play in. They line our roads beautifully, soften harsh landscapes, provide shade, reduce the ambient temperature, and clean our air. Through the ‘Know 10 Trees’ series of activities, we wish to share the importance of trees in our environment, and hope that people of all ages will come to appreciate and develop an affinity with the trees around us.”
My Green Space (Issue 3/2009)
The third issue of My Green Space, an e-newsletter of the National Parks Board (NParks), is now available online! The number of articles in the gardening section has doubled and readers are treated to a total of 4 articles to read from. Three of the articles in this issue are contributed by members from my team and division to interest the public on the gardening hobby.
One of the four articles entitled ‘Succulents: Uncommon Plants for Tropical Homes and Gardens’, touched on the topic of succulent plants that can be grown in Singapore. Written by myself, this piece introduces to the reader some succulent species that can withstand and grow in our tropical climate and should be considered if one wants to plant an arid-themed garden. Plants mentioned in the article have been recently featured in the succulent plants archway that greeted visitors to GardenTech 2009 and are also used as candidates for growing in tropical rooftop gardens.
URL – http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/nparksenewsletter/issue3/gardening/gardening-succulents.html
The next article to read is the one written on a DIY garden project. Titled ‘Get Cracking with Eggshells in Your Garden’, this article shares the multitude of uses of eggshells in a garden. Usually thrown out with the trash, eggshells, which contain calcium can be added to soil and the compost heap. They can also be used to make pots for raising seedlings and environmentally-friendly plant containers.
URL – http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/nparksenewsletter/issue3/gardening/gardening-getcracking.html
The third article titled ‘Watering Your Plants Wisely’ that was penned by my colleagues shares some tips on how to water our plants. Many a time, novices kill plants by over-watering them. Different plants have varying water needs and one can simply use one’s finger to feel for soil moisture to know whether or not to water. No knowledge of rocket science is required.
URL – http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/nparksenewsletter/issue3/gardening/gardening-wateringplants.html
The last gardening article was contributed by a fellow colleague, Mr Mohd Azmi, from Community in Bloom. By reading this community garden feature article, one gets to read about the experiences of a group of residents who gather to enjoy the gardening hobby at the the community garden located at Blk 666 Jalan Damai.
URL – http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/nparksenewsletter/issue3/gardening/gardening-community.html
Wilson Wong