I don’t usually talk about cooking on this site, and this will certainly be the start of it. As an edibles gardener, I love food of course, and when I’m visiting Dan in the rainforest, I get a chance to experiment with different recipes in his relatively spacious kitchen. I’d have to admit that I’m not quite as adventurous when I’m in Singapore, and eat out more often than not.
I also have some food allergies (including dairy, capsicum, and I suspect, gluten) which means I have an increased vested interest in the food I consume. Shojin Ryori, or zen temple cuisine, suits me well as I find it to be quite a clean diet, and I have been looking for a good cook book on this subject, since it’s somewhat of a rare treat that I get to have only when Enso Kitchen chef, Danny Chu is in town to do his seasonal sessions four times a year.
Fortunately for me and his other fans, Danny has just launched a book of Shojin Ryori recipes – Shojin Ryori, The Art of Japanese Vegetarian Cuisine. I was at his private book launch yesterday (a day after the public launch at Books Kinokuniya) and got to sample some of the food featured in the book.
I didn’t realise there was food, so I was pleasantly surprised. I wanted to eat more but I had to practice some self-restraint, I didn’t want to look too greedy. Here are the yummy morsels – Watermelon Jelly, Eggplant with Goma Dressing, and Yurine Citrus Balls.
Most certainly not pest control! We have a shrinking population of native bees in Singapore and we need to protect them. While they might seem scary in a big swarm, don’t let it intimidate you and your family members, because they will not sting anyone unless they feel threatened. They are important pollinators in Singapore and it breaks my heart each time I hear about pest control companies killing bees.
There is a humane, constructive, and gratifying solution to this. Get in touch with Thomas Lim from Edible Gardens at thomas@ediblegardencity.com or 9632 8448, he’s the beekeeper extraordinaire at edible landscaping consultancy, Edible Gardens. He is able to re-home bees to apiaries like the one I am holding below.
Unfortunately for me, termites took over my apiary, and a pest control company had to treat the wood for me (my area has historically been termite territory, Rentokil’s van is on my street very often, and I wonder why they don’t co-ordinate home visits so they can visit the whole street on the same day). As bees are very fussy when it comes to sanitation, it’s unlikely for them to move in to spaces which have been inhabited by other insects, they also stay away from chemicals.
There’s a lot to learn about bees and I hope to try some of Edible Gardens’ city honey soon. I’ve heard from the folks at Edible Gardens that the bees are not as productive as bees in colder climates because they don’t have to store food for winter. More on this topic soon!
Singapore Polytechnic turns 60 years old in October this year and have launched a beautiful 120-page coffee table book featuring flora and fauna found on its premises, including their 11 community gardens, the book is titled “Campus in a Garden”. The school’s Board of Governors also planted 15 trees today to express their commitment to the environment, which is a really nice gesture.
I am grateful to have had the chance to visit a couple of these gardens in a tour led by staff member, Mr Ong Wooi-Hsen, a Senior Lecturer with the School of Communications, Arts & Social Sciences. Wooi-Hsen kindly spent part of his Saturday morning showing me around and let me interview him. Big thanks also to the communications department, who made all of this possible.
Me: Congratulations on Singapore Polytechnic (SP) turning 60 this year and the new book – Campus in a Garden, Wooi-Hsen! Thank you also, for taking the time to walk me through some of your community gardens. When did you and SP decide to start growing these gardens, and can you share with me the story behind these lovely green spaces?
Wooi-Hsen: It was my pleasure. The idea was mooted by me and fully supported by the then Green Committee and Estates Department in SP. Prior to this, I had been working on a community garden in the estate where I lived, but we ran into some obstacles and could not go forward. Soon after, the opportunity to start our first community garden in SP came up in 2008 and so I had ready plans for setting up a garden which we could now use here in SP.
The objectives of the gardens were to allow staff to have an office outlet for their gardening hobby. The decision to grow a mix of herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables was unanimous as it was complementary to another hobby interest of the staff which is good, healthy food. The gardens have been a resounding success. In fact, we received the NParks’ Community in Bloom Gold Award for the CASS (School of Communication, Arts and Social Sciences) Garden in 2010 and the Platinum for SP in 2012. The awards speak for themselves for SP’s commitment to sustainable existence.
I believe strongly in the community element as well. Personally for me, the crowning moment was when 30 kindergarten children greeted me warmly with a “Good Morning, Farmer Wooiz” when I went to their school to help them start their community garden. Their innocent faces and enthusiasm to be engaged in gardening gave me much hope that the beautiful journey has begun and that we have many joining us in the endeavour.
Custard Apple
Chiku
Mysterious citrus, an orange perhaps?
Here’s another photo of this citrus tree
Wax Jambu Tree
Me: You have an interesting mix of flowers, vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees here, how many plant varieties do you have on the polytechnic grounds? Also, what happens when fruits and vegetables are ready for harvest? 🙂
Wooi-Hsen: We have many varieties and from trial and error, we have learnt to grow the hardier varieties whilst we continue to experiment with new ones. I will typically harvest whatever is in season, take some nice pictures and send everyone an email to tell them to help themselves. Some items are particularly fast-moving.
For all the effort by the team to tend to the plants and share with everyone, we get many, many emails thanking us for the effort to share. What we enjoy in putting our effort into the hobby is multiplied many times when we see the affirmation of doing something for the community. Over the years, we have grown the following:
Me: The photos of birds, insects and flowers that you contributed to the book are very beautiful, and during my visit there, we saw a few different species of birds, and even a blue banded bee. It seems like SP has created a healthy ecosystem on its campus. Is this something that SP had planned for?
Wooi-Hsen: I believe that it was not really planned for but the natural environment provided a healthy habitat for many species. With the over fifty species of birds in campus, it is a joy to hear bird song throughout the day but most obvious in the early mornings and late evening. A colleague sent me the picture of a snake just outside the CASS Resource Room window for identification. It was an exquisite Paradise Tree Snake and was taking shelter in the shade of the Rangoon vine I had planted next to the window.
We have beautiful Crested Tree Lizards, Changeable Lizards, a huge variety of exotic species of birds visiting the vine. The glass windows serves as a one-way mirror and staff are sometimes privileged with have a chance close-up view of them.
Bird’s nest with eggs on campus
Me: Could you share some tips for people who would like to start their own community garden?
Wooi-Hsen: NParks has a Community in Bloom Department which helps communities to start their own gardens. I have personally helped out in quite a few and it is a joy to share in their efforts too. In many of the visits to these other gardens, I am usually presented with gifts of fruits and vegetables which they have grown. Some tips include these below.
Assess the area for the garden (how much sunlight, wind, rain, good soil, pests etc.)
Identify and select suitable plants based on No.1 (E.g. Orchid garden, Cactus garden, Herb garden, Foliage garden, Flower garden, Vegetable/Fruit garden, hydroponics etc.)
Purchase or prepare the layout of the garden (plant type, size, aesthetics over the long term)
Planting (on the ground or in pots. Note: potted plants can be moved around to suit optimal conditions)
Garden rejuvenation (to listen when Nature speaks to you)
Enjoying the garden
Hibiscus
Torch Ginger flower
Torch Ginger Flower
A Jasmine Tree and other flowering plants
Me: How do people get their hands on this lovely book?
Wooi-Hsen: It is a commemorative book celebrating SP’s 60th Anniversary and is as such, not for sale, though all staff will be given a complimentary copy. For members of the public, a digital copy will be available at http://www.sp.edu.sg/publications/campusinagarden.pdf. Organisations can however, write-in to SP to request for a copy.
Here are Tuscan Kale and Curly Kale plants, grown from organic seed. I have grown them in pots in the past but I have found that I had greater success growing kale in my vegepod, more so because of its placement, and the shade cover helps too.
While kale will always taste better after experiencing frost in cooler climates, it is still tasty when grown locally. It is important that you provide optimal growing conditions so that your plant can thrive and taste good.
How to grow kale in Singapore?
After you have germinated your kale seeds in a good seed raising mix, make sure you place the seedlings in a location where it gets a very bright light or a very small amount of morning sun (make sure the soil does not dry out) for a few weeks.
At this stage, if there is not enough sun, your plants will grow leggy, as young plants it cannot be exposed to too much sun or it will wilt and die.
After the first few weeks, it is time to “harden off” your plants. You do this by introducing it to a greater amount of sun in the course of one week.
Around this time, I usually transplant the seedling into a soil mix that retains some moisture but is free draining, my preferred soil recipe includes compost, horticultural sand, and worm castings.
Kale does best in morning sun or late afternoon sun in Singapore. This is because it is just too hot around mid day and the early afternoon and your kale won’t make for good eating afterwards. The leaves will be tough and taste bitter.
However, if afternoon sun is what you have to work with, invest in shade cloth which is available at garden nurseries. It is especially useful in cutting out sun and the heat that comes with it.
As a cut-and-come-again plant, like many green leafy vegetables, harvest when the leaves are still tender and green, because once it gets thicker, the texture will feel a bit tough when you chew it. Not very pleasant at all.
Some pests to look out for include cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, and spider mites. It pays to check the undersides of leaves regularly. I have had plants that were so badly eaten that it looked like it could never recover from the damage.
Which Kale to Grow?
There are different varieties available locally, and you should pick a variety that you prefer eating. I am more partial towards curly kale because I like the taste and texture, but also, it grows very quickly and doesn’t need much space to grow. It can be used in a smoothie or made into kale chips.
I still enjoy growing Tuscan Kale but because it grows to be rather tall, I prefer not to give up important real estate to growing it, and one plant is more than enough for me.
If you’re juicing with kale every day, you’ll probably need at least 4 plants. The leaves grow pretty quick, just make sure that the plant is well watered.
It likes seaweed solution, so please give it a foliar feed once in a while. For more specific instructions on the frequency of application, refer to the directions on the bottle. Personally if I am disciplined enough, I feed my plants every two weeks. Fertilising is also a good idea once in a while.
And if you’re wondering where to get Tuscan Kale or Curly Kale seeds, you can buy them on Carousell or check with seed suppliers.
It’s not too difficult to grow, so please try your hand at it if you love kale!
I didn’t realise there was food, so I was pleasantly surprised. I wanted to eat more but I had to practice some self-restraint, I didn’t want to look too greedy. Here are the yummy morsels – Watermelon Jelly, Eggplant with Goma Dressing, and Yurine Citrus Balls.
Most certainly not pest control! We have a shrinking population of native bees in Singapore and we need to protect them. While they might seem scary in a big swarm, don’t let it intimidate you and your family members, because they will not sting anyone unless they feel threatened. They are important pollinators in Singapore and it breaks my heart each time I hear about pest control companies killing bees.
