A Garden Tidy-up

For small home owners having a small garden, creating space is important as it could hold more party guests or be easier on the eyes. Having an untidy garden makes the space seems smaller. Hence, adding paving or turf gives an impression of a larger garden, and is especially useful when putting a house on the market for sale or rent. The following is a renovation of a garden that was neglected by the previous occupants, and the new owners wished to have an eye-catching yet simple garden.

Before

 Behind sliding gate

 Front yard

 Walkway to backyard

Backyard shrub bed

After

 

Planter boxes were used to green up the bare wall

New coat of living greens

 More living greens

 Backyard shrub bed planted with Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) in the background, which could be used in cooking and repel pests.

Terrarium Repair Service

This entry title was written half in jest, as I had reconditioned two terrariums to date, and I have a feeling that more will come. The one pictured below had dead plants and was embellished with too many pebbles on top of the soil. In addition, it had a soil media that seemed... sandy (this was replaced with potting mix). So it was a case of "everything out but some back in".

Pink Bonanza, Times Two!

A pink-themed floral arrangement for my sister's ROM at the bandstand of Singapore Botanic Garden.

Mini Orchids in Glass Container

So I got a glass container from one of the vendors during Singapore Garden Festival 2012 for cheap, as there are a few chipping at the mouth. After it idled around for some time, I thought of what to do with it. It could not be a terrarium because a closed container should be used. Then I recalled some people saying orchids should have a humid yet circulating environment, so maybe my container could work? Only one way to find out...

The "guilty" glassware.

Material

• Glass container 
• Fern tree slab (or any other organic-looking backing) 
• Driftwood branch 
• Mini Orchids (and maybe other plants)
• Sphagnum moss 
• Aquarium sand/pebbles

Tools

• Saw 
• Gloves 
• Scissors 
• String (light and dark coloured) 
• Measuring tool

First, the glassware and fern tree slab (and pebbles if you are using them) have to washed clean, and the sphagnum moss have to be "wetted".

The slab on the left is not washed and the right one is washed by lightly scrubbing with a hard brush.

Measure the size of the slab to fit the container, and mark it out using chalk or white colour pencil. Wear gloves when you are sawing. Saw the driftwood branch to size too.

Place the slab and branch into the container to see if they fit. Also, plan where to fit the orchids and other plants.

 

 In order to tie orchids onto the branch, first line the length and a bit more on both side with sphagnum moss (to accommodate for growth). Next, tie a knot at one end, place the orchid on top, and then twine around the plant, towards the other end. The twining should not be too tight or the orchid would be damaged. When you are done twining, tie a knot.

Pour the aquarium sand/pebbles in and you are done! You may choose to skip this step and leave the bottom bare.

Depending on your location, the orchids would need to be watered once or twice a day. Look at the sphagnum moss to determine. Use a spray bottle like the one pictured above in order to reach the bottom-most orchid. You may fill the bottom with water to increase humidity but not over the sand/pebble level, or mosquito breeding may occur.

I hope you will enjoy crafting your mini orchids (or other plants) in glass container as much as I did!

Native Plants of Singapore that Could Be Cutflowers

Cutflowers are basically the flower that could be used in a bouquet or other floral arrangements. The ones that are grown in Singapore are mainly Vanda or Dendrobium, which are not native plants. However, natives species such as Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata) and Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) inflorences are imported. I thought, "could Singapore possibly grow her own native plants for cutflowers?".

I will explore eight of those species below, which incidently, are mostly orchids.

1. White Batflower (Tacca integrifolia)

Photo credit: Max Fulcher

2.  Common Spathoglottis (Spathoglottis plicata)

Photo credit: David Eickhoff

3. Common Neuwiedia (Neuwiedia veratrifolia)

Photo credit: Rachmat Setiawan

4. Crinum lily (Crinum asiaticum)

 There is a variety of this that produces pinkish flowers (Crinum asiaticum var procerum) and another species that have dark purple leaves and pinkish flowers (Crinum menehune).

Photo credit: davidd

5. Bamboo orchid (Arundina graminifolia)

Photo credit: Peter Nijenhuis

6. White scorpion orchid (Arachnis hookeriana)

 

Photo credit: J. B. Comber

7. Grass Orchid (Eulophia spectabilis)

 

Photo credit: J. B. Comber 

8.  Plocoglottis javanica

 

Photo credit: P. O'Byrne

9. Grammatophyllum speciosum

Photo credit: Michael Khor

Photo credit: Reuben Lim