This morning, I made my way to the Singapore Botanic Gardens for brunch and saw this wonderful living wall across from its main entrance. I had to have a closer look.
It has a lot of vibrant colours and different textures, and spans at least 50m long. Whoever designed this green wall did a brilliant job. It also attracts bees and other insects. Here are some of the flowers I had photographed.
So you have bought some plants from a nursery, or maybe someone has gifted you a plant, and you now have to figure out where to put it. You decide to maybe to look online and then you begin a process of trial and error, or perhaps you still can’t figure out why plants are just not performing. My family does this at home too, we play musical chairs with our plants sometimes, and it makes perfect sense.
As the seasons change, the sun direction changes also, for example, the sun sits higher in the sky during summer. So for the plants that we put in the ground, we have to be very sure of where to place it that season. Most of the plants we have in Singapore are in pots, so we can move them around as necessary. Also, we have a sunny, yet cooler area that we have created using shade cloth, absolutely necessary during the hot and sunny summer months.
In Australia, Dan and I mainly plant in the ground and practice crop rotation among our 8 garden beds. During summer, we have a designated shady bed for our lettuce, otherwise it will be too bitter for consumption. Some plants will bolt to seed in warmer conditions, coriander is one example.
Two weekends ago, I attended the quarterly Gardeners’ Day Out organised by NParks, and because I’d missed the last one, I made it a point to wake up very early to make it to Hort Park for this session. I generally like my sleep ins, especially on weekends. Well, it certainly did not disappoint! I did wish I had bought more plants though!
In general, I found that plants, soil, manure and some products to be rather affordable. Gardening can become an expensive hobby once you add growing systems, composting system, seeds, pots, seaweed extract and/or fish emulsion to the equation. Heirloom and organic seeds are always more pricey. The Seeds Master had a really lovely display, and each packet of seeds was going for $6, or 5 packs for $25. I ended up buying three different packs of flower seeds, I’m obsessed with flowers at the moment. There was a bit of a lucky dip for customers, and I picked a pack of Dwarf French Bean seeds.
There was a good range of plants on sale – succulents, including cacti, orchids, pitcher plants, air plants, florals, herbs and even eggplants and mulberry. Young seedlings were also available. There were also interesting talks and workshops, but I didn’t attend any.
Calendula Officinalis, or Pot Marigold is an incredible medicinal plant with healing properties, good for treating eczema and skin inflammations, and also a beneficial plant in the garden. In Dan’s garden in Australia, it has been so easy to grow, and has self-seeded from one plant to a whole cluster, adding vibrancy to an otherwise uniform sea of green.
There is a range of marigolds, and it is important to note that if you are after Calendula Officinalis for a homemade recipe, that you do not purchase or use the wrong type of marigold. Also, it is advised that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid ingesting calendula infusions, as it could cause a miscarriage for the former, as for the latter, its effects on babies are not yet known and it is more of a precautionary measure.
If you’re not keen on growing your own, you can find dried calendula flowers at Herbs 4 Life at 722 North Bridge Road, or prefer to order online, Abundant Earth stocks 30g-120g packs, starting from $14.50.
Personally, I use the infusion as a rinse for my face, on insect bites and wounds, and even as a mouth gargle. There are lots of uses, including treatment of ulcers in the mouth or digestive tract, and so it is good to have some in the pantry. I would choose this over any pharmaceutical product any day.
If you’re looking for ready made Calendula products, consider Four Cow Farm‘s Organic Calendula, Oat & Chickweed Bath Soaks, and Calendula Remedy. Their range is really natural and lovely, and I’m a fan of their baby wash too. Do check it out!