Green Culture Singapore Feature Articles Archive 2007
Royal
Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 - A Pictorial Tour
The
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 Expo was held from the 1st of November
2006 to the 31st of January 2007, in order to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej's ascension
to throne, as well as his 80th Birthday Anniversary at the same
time. The Expo was a combined effort on the part of the Thai people
as an expression of deep love and respect for their King, for
his benevolent contributions and great works that he has done
for his people and his Kingdom. Read how Chong Ren felt when he
was there and enjoy the pictures taken by him and valentine. (Jan
07)
Grow
a Pitcher Plant to herald the Year of the Golden Boar!
The
Lunar New Year is around the corner and many households will soon
go on a plant shopping spree to pick and purchase lucky plants
to enhance the festive mood at home. Read on to find out why the
pitcher plant can be used as a festive plant this year. (Jan 07)
The
BBC Experience
On
February 6, 2007, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was
in Singapore to take footage of two community gardens to feature
on their two-year production entitled, "Around the World in 80
Gardens". Wilson's community garden at Serangoon North was one
of the two gardens that was picked to be featured in this programme.
Read on to find out more! (Feb 07)
Demystifying
the "Magic Bean"
The
"Magic Bean" hit the shelves of many gift stores of Singapore
in 2006. Read this article to find out what exactly is the "Magic
Bean" and learn more about its growth habit and uses as food and
medicine. (Feb 07)
Heliconia
Basics
Bold, flashy and attention-seeking. From hot pink to forest green,
lemon yellow to shades of burgundy dark as night, Heliconia
inflorescences command attention the same way a stop sign
demands of motorists. Blooms can take the form of stiff and upright
lobster claws, or hanging spirals of colourful bracts. A vast
range of flower forms, coupled with a mind-boggling array of vibrant
colours, are the main reason why Heliconia form the centerpiece
of so many tropical landscapes all around the world. Read this
article written by Chong Ren to find out how you can grow this
fascinating genus of plants. (Mar 07)
Sweet
Potatoes - for Delicious Tubers & Fantastic Foliage
Sweet potatoes are best known for their edible tubers. Sweet and
starchy, the tubers are an essential ingredient in many local
desserts. There are ornamental sweet potato varieties grown exclusively
for their decorative foliage which make good groundcover plants.
Read this article written by Wilson to know more... (Mar 07)
An
Episcia Seed Growing Project
Most growers will not consider growing Episcia via seeds
as they are so easily propagated from stolons especially in Singapore
where they are literally weeds here. Just remove a stolon, stuck
it in a pot of soil and it will become a new plant. Read this
feature article written by Boon Kiat where he shares his experience
of growing Episcia from seeds which he obtained from the online
AVInternational Yahoo group. (Apr 07)
Grow
the Butterfly Ginger for Fragrance and Food!
In the tropics, butterfly gingers are perennials that will provide
constant flushes of fragrant flowers and it is commonly used as
a popular ornamental plant in the garden. But do know that its
flower buds are actually edible and can be used like a vegetable?
Read this feature article written by Wilson to know more about
butterfly gingers and how you can grow them in your garden. (Apr
07)
Johor
Bahru International Orchid Show 2007
The Johor Bahru International Orchid Show is an annual event held
in Johor, West Malaysia, from 25th May to 3rd June 2007. This
year's International Orchid Show is the 6th one since the first
show in 1999. This show is reputed to be the largest of its kind
in the region! Let Xuan Hong, one of our young orchid enthusiast
from the GCS forum, tell you more what he saw at the show via
this feature article. (May 07)
Cultivation
of Carnivorous Plants in Singapore
Carnivorous plants have never failed to arouse interest in plant
growers. Even the most faithful orchid or tilllansia grower would
take a second look at the Venus Flytrap at least. Over the past
ten years, there is an increasing number of carnivorous plants
growers in Singapore. In this feature article written by Cindy
Chiang introduce you to the carnivory of such plants and some
cultivation basics. (May 07)
Me
and my Marimos
Have you come across a Marimo moss ball? Read this feature article
written by Lynnette where she shares her love for the Marimo moss
ball which is type of aquatic algae which can be found not only
in famed Lake Akan in Hokkaido but also in various lakes in Japan.
Outside Japan, these spherical algae also grow in the lakes of
Iowa in USA, Iceland, Estonia, UK, Austria and other northern
European countries. (Jun 07)
Grow
the Crepe Ginger
The crepe ginger is a tall-growing and lush-looking, tropical
shrub that is a common feature in local tropical-themed gardens.
It is so commonly used that many of us took it for granted. The
crepe ginger bears attractive white, trumpet-shaped flowers on
showy red bracts. Read this article written by Wilson which is
aimed to increase the awareness of this largely neglected ginger.
(Jun 07)
Brassavola
- The Fragrant Lady of the Night
If you like fragrant plants, the Brassavola is a must-have orchid
to grow in your garden. As its name suggests, the orchid blooms
emits a pleasant fragrance at night. Read this feature article
written by our young gardening enthusiast, Xuan Hong, where he
shares some tips which you can follow to grow this delightful
orchid. (Jul 07)
The
Cocoyam - More than just an Edible Corm
The cocoyam can be found growing untidily in large numbers along
streams, canals and ditches in the rural areas of Singapore. As
such, they may have been overlooked as a landscaping candidate
in today's gardens due to its "weedy" status. For some others,
it may be a plant that is more suited for growing in a vegetable
garden in the kampong. In this feature article, Wilson will introduce
to the reader the ornamental varieties of the cocoyam, which should
change the perspective that one has for these plants. In addition,
he will also share with all what he has learnt about growing the
edible version of the cocoyam. (Jul 07)
My
Visit to the Putrajaya Garden & Flower Festival 2007
The Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival is Malaysia’s largest
Flower and Garden Festival to date. Ian Chung visited the show
which was held at Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, from 25 August to 2 Septemer
2007. Read this article to find out more and view the pictures
of the show taken by him. (Aug 07)
The Luffa - for food, sponges & more!
The luffa that most Singaporeans are familiar with is the angled
luffa. The fresh fruits of the smooth luffa on the other hand
are seldom seen on sale in the markets of Singapore and do you
know that the rather costly vegetable sponges actually come from
the mature fruits of the smooth luffa? Learn how to grow both
the angled and the smooth luffas by reading this feature article!
(Aug 07)
Celebrating
3 years of Green Culture Singapore
More than sixty members turned up at the Serangoon Community Center's
Viewing Gallery on Saturday, 15 September 2007 to celebrate our
website's 3rd birthday. It was a time for all members to congregate
at one place and put faces to the names seen on the forum. It
was a homecoming occasion as well as an ice-breaking opportunity
for newcomers. Read this feature article to find out what happened
and also to recap what has GCS contributed to the Singapore gardening
community in the past year.
(Sep 07)
Your
Coriander Substitute
The sawtooth coriander is an alternative to the true coriander
that one can choose to grow at home for use as a coriander substitute.
The aroma and taste of a sawtooth coriander leaf are similar to,
but much stronger than that of the true coriander and it is an
easy plant to grow. Read this feature article written by Wilson
to find out more about this herb that anyone, even beginners,
can try their hands on. (Sep
07)
Albert's
Phalaenopsis Growing Experience
Albert, a member of the Green Culture Singapore discussion forum,
focusses his efforts on the cultivation of Phalaenopsis orchids.
He feels that, Phalaenopsis, with their broad leaves and
elegant sprays of colourful blooms, are far more captivating than
any other genera of orchids he has grown. Not only does he enjoy
the beauty of these orchids, he likes to research, experiment
with and learn all about them. In this article, Albert shares
with readers how his Phalaenopsis plants are grown in relation
to how some factors and constraints posed his home's balcony where
his plants are currently situated. (Oct 07)
I
am not a Mint!
In Singapore, the Indian Borage is often mistakened as a type
of mint. To make things worse, a rough search using the Internet
search engine will yield has several confusing common names. Botanically,
the Indian Borage is known as Plectranthus amboinicus and
is a member of Lamiaceae and this herb is famed for its
use as a cough remedy. Read on to find out how to grow this plant!
(Oct 07)
Growing
Cephalotus follicularis in Singapore
Cephalotus follicularis is known as the Albany Pitcher
Plant or West Australian Pitcher Plant. This distinctive species
has a reputation of being difficult to grow and not readily available
for purchase even from overseas nurseries. Read this feature article
written by Cindy Ng to learn more about this carnivorous plant
as well as how to care for it. (Nov 07)
Introducing
the Artemisia (Part One) White Mugwort (Artemisia lactiflora)
This is the first article in the series consisting of three articles
written by Wilson on the genus Artemisia. It focusses on
the white mugwort, which is both a vegetable and medicinal herb
that is not commonly available in local vegetable markets but
one that most senior Chinese Singaporeans will be familiar with.
(Nov 07)
Reflections
at GardenTech 2007 & Borneo Exotics
Xuan Hong, together with Hong Rui and Cindy, all members of Green
Culture Singapore had the opportunity to help out at Borneo Exotics’
booth during GardenTech 2007. Read this feature article written
by Xuan Hong where he details his experience during this garden
fair held for the first time in HortPark. (Dec 07)
Getting
to know the Leopard Lily
The leopard lily is better known as an ornamental plant that is
currently getting a little “over-used” in Singapore because it
can be seen in many of the new and upcoming condominium showflats
where they are planted en masse outdoors. Little is known that
it has medicinal properties. Read this article written by Wilson
to learn more about this plant and how to grow it. (Dec 07)
