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


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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)