Spice Garden at Fort Canning Park

"Bunga Rampai" is given as souvenirs to guests at traditional Malay weddings in Singapore. To make "bunga rampai", "sireh" (betel) leaves are filled with finely shredded "pandan" (Pandanus amaryllifolius) leaves, fragrant flowers (for example, "cempaka" flowers), and sprinkled with rosewater. These souvenirs symbolise wishes of beauty and well-being to the newlyweds. (Picture taken during walking visit around the Spice Garden organised by Fort Canning Park.)


I wrote a few weeks ago about a walk around the Spice Garden at Fort Canning Park, where participants had the opportunity to find out about some of the plants, herbs and spices used in traditional Malay cuisine. I enjoyed the Spice Garden so much that I thought it deserved a more complete write-up:
The-Spice-Garden-at-Fort-Canning-Park

A couple of interesting FREE NParks Events on 18 April 2009

D.I.Y Vertical Garden
Date: Saturday 18 Apr 09
Time: 3 pm – 4pm
Venue: HortPark, Fruit Room

For more information and registration:
http://nparks.eventshub.sg/ems_wb_Details.aspx?CalID=5&EventID=28417


-----------------------------------------------

Jemput! Rediscovering Plants in Malay Cuisine & Culture.

Date: Saturday 18 Apr 09
Time: 4pm (lasts approximately 1.5 hours)
Venue: Fort Canning Park

For more information and registration:
http://nparks.eventshub.sg/ems_wb_Details.aspx?CalID=5&EventID=28557

Indian Borage (Plectranthus ambroinicus) - Amazing Cough Remedy

This plant was first brought to our attention by a friend, as being great for persistent cough. Almost instant relief if you're suffering from cough and throat irritation. Just pluck a few leaves and chew them. The best part is that it's so easy to grow from a cutting.

Check out this excellent article if you want to know more: Indian Borage - a must-have in a herb garden. I learnt quite a bit from the article, like what the Indian Borage is used for, (other than for coughs). More importantly, I found out why the leaves of my plant are starting to curl and yellow (seems it's getting too much sun!). The article also gives useful tips on how to propagate the plant.

I've also collated information I found from sites and books in this article: Indian Borage


Useful references:

• Wee Yeow Chin, A Guide to Herbs and Spices (available in Singapore libraries).
• Wendy Hutton and Alberto Cassio, Handy Pocket Guide to Asian Herbs & Spices (Handy Pocket Guides)

Gardening: Gravel at bottom of pot DOES NOT improve drainage

I was reading Stuart Robertson's Tips on Container Gardening and realised that I'd been doing something very wrong. Layering different types of soil in the same pot. Uh oh!



Robertson writes in the book: "Never use a layer of gravel or small stones in the bottom of a small container, " that it's a common misconception that it improves drainage.

Robertson explains that if the soil has several layers, when water reaches a transition between layers, it slows down, and accumulates until it's heavy enough to break through that layer. The surprising part? Even if the water is flowing from a more dense layer to a less dense one, it still slows down! So, if you put a layer of stones at the bottom of your pot, you may find a lot of water accumulating right where the roots are growing.

And if you're wondering what the rest of the book is like, I thought it's extremely useful for newbie gardeners (like me). Rather than emphasising pretty pictures, he provides lots of useful tips and helpful diagrams.

And, incidentally, if you live in a flat, I've found that books on "Container Gardening" can be really helpful in giving you ideas and tips on growing and keeping your plants healthy.