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String Garden: Kokedama Workshop on 9 September

It’s been awhile but I have another kokedama workshop coming up, join us on 9 September!

String Garden: Kokedama Workshop

Wish to introduce greenery to your space, but looking for something space-saving yet stylish? Also known as ‘moss ball’ and ‘string garden’, Kokedama is a variant of bonsai cultivation, where plant roots are wrapped with moss. It can be suspended using string, or left to sit on a piece of pottery, to be admired.

During this hands-on session, participants will learn how to make and care for their own Kokedama, and take home their creation along with a set of plant notes.

Date: 9 September (Saturday)

Time: 11am – 1pm

Venue: Make Your Own, Blk 4 Upper Aljunied Lane, #01-06.

Price: $69 per person

Register at the Peatix site or below!

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City

September Soil Class at Gardener’s Day Out

In mid-September, join me at my next soil class! This class is suitable for beginners.

SOIL CLASS (BASIC LEVEL) by THE TENDER GARDENER

Relatively new to urban farming, and looking to demystify the subject of soil and buying soil in Singapore? Through this talk, learn soil basics and what your plants need to thrive instead of just survive. We will cover what you need to know to gain confidence in growing healthy edible plants, so join us!

Date & Time: 16 September 2017, 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Venue: NÓNG at HortPark (33 Hyderabad Road (Off Alexandra Road), Beside the Lawn, Singapore 119578)
Nearest MRT is Labrador Park.
Nearest Bus Station is SP Jain (Bus Stop ID: 18011) 51, 61, 93, 97, 100, 120, 166, 963.
Cost: $39 per person, with limited spaces available, so booking is essential!
Registration: Sign up at the Nong website here!
What you will learn in this session :
  • Different types of soil.
  • Physical needs of plants.
  • Nutrient requirements of plants.
  • Which soil to buy?
  • Fertilisation.
  • Tips on growing seedlings.

[To learn about soil amendments and mixing your own soil, please join us for the intermediate soil workshop on a later date]

Instructor Bio :

Olivia is a gardener, nature lover and believer of a sustainable society. She writes about gardening and sustainable living on her blog – The Tender Gardener, and raises awareness of environment-related issues through a non-profit environmental society, Green Drinks (Singapore), where she is the President and Co-founder.

Very much a homebody, she likes to spend time in her garden, fussing over her chickens and watching bees in her apiary.

*Kindly present your workshop purchase confirmation email on your mobile or in a printout version on the actual date of the event for entry.

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City, Secret Gardens

Secret Gardens: A Guerilla Garden in Singapore

With a space constrained country like Singapore, it would be a missed opportunity and utter waste of space for land to be left untouched and not used grow something of value – be it for aesthetics, shade or consumption purposes. Over the weekend, I encountered this neat guerilla garden in a forested area, and I was very envious of the variety of plants growing here.

These plants are tended to by different guerilla gardeners living in apartments nearby, and once in a while, there are neighbours who come by to relax. I encountered a couple of friendly gentlemen, one a jogger, who invited me to come by anytime to visit and said I could come by to chill out, shoot the breeze, and watch the sky if I please. There was a very idyllic vibe to this space, and sounds of the city were inaudible, instead I could only hear bird calls, and what sounded like a frog.

With durian trees growing on one side, the guerilla garden features edible plants such as winter melon, luffa, pumpkin, rosella, eggplant, beans, tomato, pandan, sawtooth coriander, laksa leaf, basil, torch ginger, pineapple, papaya and bananas. Like many other community gardens, they are not immune to thievery – mostly humans, but sometimes wild boars and squirrels, the latter which enjoys a good durian tasting.

I am not able to disclose the whereabouts of this garden, and so I have decided that this would be the first feature of my Secret Gardens series. In some cases owners are publicity shy and do not wish to show their faces, and by having a Secret Gardens series, I am able to share more inspiring gardens with you.

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City

This is What Air Plant Paradise Looks Like

If you’re looking to buy exotic air plants in Singapore and Asia, you definitely need to check out Pick A Plant. For Tillandsia lovers, this is most certainly paradise. KP and I chanced upon their nursery when visiting another nursery around the corner. I was blown away by the nursery’s range of plants and how well presented the space is.

If you are new to Tillandsias and would like advice on plant care, it is best to visit them at Gardener’s Day Out at Hort Park each month, and check out their Facebook page for updates. As you can imagine, they handle lots of wholesale orders and have quite an inventory to manage, so they are not able to cater to walk-ins. If there is a particular plant you are after, give them a call to make an appointment!

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