I am stoked to be partnering Plain Vanilla Bakery on a couple of workshops in August, as part of Picnic Days – a series of events held over Summer. I’ll be leading workshops on making Kokedama, also known as ‘moss ball’ or string garden, and growing edible flowers. There are lots of interesting activities, including film screenings and an exhibition, see below for all listings.
Photo by Leong Kwok Peng (that’s me, furthest from the camera)
Over the weekend, I joined my friend Kwok Peng and a couple others to explore Tagore Forest. This secondary forest is slated for housing development later in the year, but it is a pity to clear it, as it houses two rare freshwater streams, nationally and globally endangered mammals such as the Sunda Pangolin, Banded-Leaf Monkey and Sunda Slow Loris, endangered and vulnerable plants, as well as naturally and globally threatened birds.
I was most keen to view the Elephant Foot’s Fern, considered vulnerable by NParks. I also got to see tree ferns, which I rarely see here. Interestingly, I saw a lot of dumb cane plants – an introduced species, which is invasive and is a bit out of place in our forests, also, there were lots of plants that are commonly displayed as house plants, you will recognise them in the photos below. I hope these photos will interest you in paying the Lentor Forest a visit. Scroll all the way down for instructions on how to get there!
Looking for unique plant stands to elevate and highlight your potted plants? I brought in a limited number (1-2) of plant stands for sale and you can find the range at Nong‘s Hort Park space – where Plant Story used to be. These stands are priced between $39 and $89, get it while stocks last!
Kenneth Tham’s zest for life is inspiring. Aside from running a hairdressing business, parenting teenagers, and caring for his dogs in partnership with his wife, he finds time to tend to an incredibly lush corridor garden, a plant conservatory at their hair salon, as well as raise funds to support the needy.
In late August, Kenneth and other cyclists will ride 1000km to raise awareness and donations to provide basic monthly necessities to 330 households. Plants are part of his efforts to gather contributions to his nominated charity – he sells Begonias and Episcias, and proceeds go to the beneficiaries of Sunlove Neighbourhood Links.
He has a great sense of aesthetics, visible from the highly complementary manner in which he presents his plants – colours, textures, shapes, and even the way the leaves sit – everything falls together nicely. As you can tell from the photos, he’s also an incredibly neat gardener.
During my visit, I noticed an Olive-backed Sunbird sitting on one of his trellises, and he pointed out that he had a family of Dwarf Pigeons living among the foliage. How delightful!
Image courtesy of Kenneth Tham
Clearly an avid Begonia fan, Kenneth has several varieties on display at his corridor and also enclosures for some of his plants at the hair salon. Not all of the plants in the hair salon are for sale, especially not the rare ones. There’s even a sign indicating so, he must have had lots of enquiries.
Many are curious about where he lives, but in order to protect his privacy, I can only divulge that he lives in the north. I can however, share that his hair salon is located at Serangoon Avenue 2, his preferred location as a pick-up point for plant purchases.
At his hair salon, he sells Begonias, Episcias, self-watering planters and accompanying sleeves that fit snugly. These sleeves are knitted by his mother, and they come in different sizes for differing purposes.
Begonias have been popping up on my radar for the last couple of years. I wasn’t very keen on them initially but I kept encountering Begonia enthusiasts, usually members of the Singapore Gardening Society. Early in the year, I attended an interesting talk organised by the society about how Gardens By the Bay staff travelled to Japan on a Begonia planthunting trip. I can now appreciate the allure of these plants.
In meeting Kenneth, my interest was further piqued, and I decided to take the plunge and purchase my first Begonia. He assured me that when anyone buys a plant from him, they are paying for a well presented plant, and pointed out how well-arranged the foliage is.
One plant of his which I found interesting is the Jewel Orchid, which looks like it has gold dust on the veins of its leaves. That one is not for sale, as it was a gift from a friend. I photographed it, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture its gold shimmer.
Please read on to find out more about Kenneth, and how you can contribute to his nominated cause!
