Last November marked an important juncture in my gardening hobby. That was the time where I shifted my place of residence from Serangoon North to Hougang. Over at my former house, there were no suitable areas for gardening because I do not have an area at home that receives sunshine all year round.
The only place I could grow my plants at my previous residence was the landing in the staircase that leads to my apartment!
All my flat’s windows are facing either North or South and sunshine streams into the house in either direction for about 5 months a year when the sun shifts its path every half-yearly. Because all the window panes were frosted for frosted for privacy (the neighbouring block was situated close by) and sunshine that hits the glass becomes dispersed.
For those of you who have visited my old house at Serangoon North, most would have noticed that I actually had a balcony in the house. It was a huge one but strangely, the architect designed it to be located inside the lift lobby area which was dark and therefore, hardly conducive for growing plants.
The only space up in my apartment where I can do some gardening was at a landing in the staircase that leads up to my unit. I had to raise my plants just below the level of the parapet so that they are able to ‘see the light’. The growing area faced south and the plants grown there could only receive direct sunshine from October to February annually.
As you can see, my plants are not exactly healthy-looking. Do not laugh when you see the cactus situated in the center of the above photograph. It is a well-known sun-loving plant that was given to me by my teacher in Primary School. The plant exhibited etiolation for half a year when there is no sunshine but resumes with healthier growth when the sun returns!
That growing area was also quite dry and windy. The relatively shade-tolerant plants like various prayer plants (Calathea and Maranta) did not grow well as a result and rolled up their leaves which is evident from the picture shown above. The only plant that seem to thrive is the Orchidantha which is a forest floor plant given to me by a gardening mentor. It is largely a foliage plant with lush green leaves. Its flowers are not easily spotted as they are brown and produced near the soil surface.
The original balcony design in the new house.
Things only started to change come last October. My parents decided that we should shift for a change of living environment. I seized the chance to go look for a new house with my parents with areas that are conducive for gardening. We finally settled on a maisonette apartment in Hougang and I finally got a long-awaited balcony where I can grow my plants!
The second picture above shows the balcony in its original state when we first moved in. The design was a little dated and my family decided to change the tiles to those that were more earthly-looking. The floor was later retiled with non-slip slabs too. The original balcony grille was about to break apart and was changed to a new one made from wrought iron with grille rods which were fashioned to curve outwards so that I can safely grow plants in hanging pots without having to worry that they fall and hit someone.
I did not get a perfect package with the new balcony because it faces North and sunshine only comes into the balcony space during the April to August period. Even thought the balcony ceiling is high and supposedly there should be more light, the lack of direct sunshine limited the range of plants I could grow. Cacti and succulents, flowering shrubs and edible plants such as herbs and vegetables are hence out of the list.
My unit is located on the 14th storey and winds can get quite strong and frequent during certain times of the year. My initial try with foliage begonias and ferns failed miserably because their leaves got torn by the wind or became dessicated when I positioned them along the ledge of the parapet.
I also tried growing a couple of species of spiral gingers (Costus spp.) which I thought could grow in shady areas but not all of them were happy with the prevailing growing conditions. Those that did not fare well were found to be easily infested with aphids and thrips. I did not encounter such pests when I grew these gingers outdoors in my community garden!
At present, the search for ideal plant candidates is still on. I experimented with hoyas and found that those species with thick waxy leaves are able to tolerate the windy conditions. Because they are vines, I had to ensure that they do not climb all over the balcony and bring about an invasion. What was very much welcome was the fragrance that hoya flowers emit at night, which fills the entire balcony space.
The renovated balcony with plants added.
I still keep some spiral gingers which performed well in the balcony. Costus woodsonii is the most rewarding species to grow because it reliably produces its attractive red cones. Costus erythrophyllus seem to do quite well but was taken out because its leaves were particularly easily damaged when the plant was situated in a high traffic area. The rather petite lemon ginger, Monocostus uniflorus, showed itself to be a good hanging basket candidate which bears large single, yellow-coloured blooms.
Airplants (Tillandsia spp.) were observed to grow quite well too. I did not have to soak them in water like I did in the past and water was provided only via a fine water spray that was applied daily. They also get their source of water whenever the rain comes in during a storm. So far, none of them rotted on me, probably due to better air circulation afforded by the large open space.
I also experimented with growing various species of prayer plants. The larger ones like the wheat calathea (Pleiostachya pruinosa) and rattlesnake calathea (Calathea crotalifera) seem to be able to take the windy conditions quite well. The smaller ones like C. roseopicta need to be grown almost on floor level so that they do not catch the wind that will cause them to dry up.
I have to admit that I am still in the midst of learning about the environmental conditions in my new balcony and gardening in that space is something that challenges my knowledge and experience.
