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July 2, 2009 at 8:21 am
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The Indian lettuce is an edible leafy vegetable that is quite prevalent in Singapore’s community gardens. Botanically known as Lactuca indica, the Indian letttuce is a member of the daisy family, Asteraceae and related to the common lettuce (Lactuca sativa).
This vegetable is not available for sale commercially in Singapore and only the more senior gardeners are probably the ones who are familiar with it. They called it the “goose vegetable” (鹅菜) because the greyish green leaves were reportedly harvested and fed to geese several decades back when Singapore still had villages and farms.
Native to warmer parts of China, Taiwan and southern Japan, the Indian lettuce is thought to be introduced to this part of the world by Chinese immigrants. The plant is a perennial which sends up new shoots from the base of the plant. It adopts a rosette growth habit when young and depending on the cultivar, the leaves of this plant can range from simple, undivided to deeply pinnated. The one seen locally produces oblong-lanceoate in shape. There is a cultivar with prominent red mid-ribs.
With time, one will notice the leaf to leaf distance on the stem elongates and the leaves start to get narrower and shorter as well. When the plant attains a height of about 1.5 to 2 m, it will start to send up its inflorescence. The inflorescence is much branched and the daisy-like flowers each resembles a poached egg, complete with a yellow center and white rays. Growth terminates for that particular shoot and the plant spends its energy to produce seed. The plant sometimes sends up new sideshoots from the base.
Seedheads form after the flowers fade. One will be able to find numerous small and black coloured seeds loosely clustered around each seedhead. Each seed is flat, hard, black in colour and has some interesting-looking fluff that is attached to it on one end. With that characteristic, seeds of the Indian lettuce appear to be wind-dispersed. To grow this plant, one has to start from seeds but these are not available commercially as well. It is best to get fresh seeds by approaching a gardener who is growing some Indian lettuce plants in his/her garden.
The leaves of the Indian lettuce are not particularly nice to eat and are rather coarse in texture. When injured, the wound exudes a white latex. In my community garden, the Indian lettuce is grown like a cut-and-come-again vegetable where the leaves located lower down on the stems are harvested while leaving the plant to continue to grow. We do not uproot the entire plant for food. Besides being edible raw, steamed and boiled, Indian lettuce leaves have medicinal uses too. According to Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA), they are believed to possess tonic, digestive and depurative properties.
Wilson Wong
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June 27, 2009 at 8:06 am
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Grammatophyllum speciosum, the world’s largest orchid is now in bloom in the Gardens (on the Callophyllum tree next to Function Hall and on the green roof at Botany Centre and near the Lady on Hammock sculpture at Tanglin Core). It is also commonly known as the “tiger orchid” because the markings on the flowers resemble those on a tiger.
The tiger orchid in its blooming glory
Native to the region, this spectacular orchid can weigh as much as two tonnes. In the wild, it usually grows as an epiphyte in forks of sturdy trees, where its roots form basket-like structures that capture leaves and other sources of nutrients. The massive flower spikes that emerge from the base of the plant reach over 2 metres tall. Each prodigious spike may produce more than 30 large, waxy flowers, 10 cm in diameter.
Come and catch this rare show-stopping beauty in blossom today. It flowers rather infrequently needing time to store up energy to produce the massive blooms, so do not miss this auspicious occasion. The flowering of the tiger orchid on the Callophylum tree is very special as the last sighting of a blooming tiger orchid on the tree was more than 15 years ago. Please refer to map below for locations.
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June 25, 2009 at 8:50 am
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I took a short break in Cameron Highlands with some friends recently, and every one of us came home with bags filled to the brim with lots of foodstuff for our family and friends. Apart from the ‘must-buys’ such as flavored teas (which we could not get locally), fresh flowers, I also picked up a rather exotic looking fruit.
As with all shop keepers, the Indonesian lady tending the stall was full of praises for this tomato like fruit which, according to her, was a ‘Cameronian Apple” and that it was a sweet and flavorful fruit. Having being sold a Tamarillo (Cyphomandra betacea) the same way many years ago, I wasn’t going to trust any shopkeeper when it came to exotic looking fruits! To cut the long story short, let’s just say that I succumbed to buying this strange looking tomato like fruit due to ‘peer pressure’ from 2 very well meaning friends. And I was also quite sure that I would have a number of volunteers who would be eager to try out the fruit back in my office, so why not? (haha)
Photo courtesy of Lily Chen
Photo courtesy of Lily Chen
After returning to office, the rather unassuming fruit sat on one of the side tables at the office pantry for almost 2 weeks before it started to ripen. Apart from the purplish brown streaks running down the length of the fruit, one could very well assume that this was another tomato cultivar except that it smells like a honeydew melon! Anyway, with much ‘anticipation’, everyone (even our picky Chongz) got to sample the strange looking fruit. The texture and taste of the yellow flesh was just like tomato, but it was sweet and a little on the ‘raw’ side. We weren’t accustomed to the ‘raw’ taste, so if I were to try this again, I would probably use it as a salad ingredient, throw this in syrup and serve it as a fruit cocktail, use it to make jam, or serve with vanilla ice cream topped with lots of fresh cream!
Photo courtesy of Lily Chen
Ok, ok, back to the fruit – so is it a tomato, an eggplant, or a melon? Well, apparently, it is neither, but it is close relative of the Tomato and eggplant. The Pepino dulce (also known as Pepino/ Melon pear) or Solanum muricatum is thought to be a native of the South American Andes and the fruit is commonly sold in markets in Peru and Chile. Away from its native range, this shrub is also grown commercially in subtropical areas such as New Zealand and Western Australia, and of course, in the Malayan Highlands. Several cultivars are also available, including seedless varieties, those that are able to set fruit without pollination (i.e. self-fertile), as well as those with better flavor and aroma (minus the ‘raw’ taste).
While the fruit does have a long shelf life, it does not seem to be sold in Singapore, which is one of the largest consumers of fresh produce from Cameron Highlands. Some possible reasons would be perhaps due to the fact that the ripe fruits bruise easily and do not transport well. On the other hand, if the fruits are harvested too early, development of flavor and sweetness can be hampered due to insufficient ripening.
Pepino planting in the highlands – ripening Pepinos appear as yellow ‘spots’ in the photo (Photo courtesy of P.E. Lim and P. Teng)
Pepinos grown in a display garden (Photo courtesy of P.E. Lim and P. Teng)
All things being said, I would still try this again the next time I’m in Camerons!
Lily Chen
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June 22, 2009 at 8:16 am
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The gardening patch outside Raffles Building at National Parks Board (NParks) was all abuzz with activity last Thursday evening as some 40 staff members from “Gardening @ Raffles” gathered to work on their plots as part of NParks’ Active Hour at 5pm.
For many of the participants, it was the first time they got to try their hands at digging and preparing their own planting beds. While it was sheer hard work, the staff enjoyed themselves tremendously and remained in high spirits as they looked forward to reaping a bountiful harvest of fruits and colourful flowers in due time.
So if you love plants, or just would just like find out more about that NParks staff is growing at their garden, keep a lookout for our next update!
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June 20, 2009 at 8:02 am
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For the month of June, visitors to the Lifestyle Corner at HortPark had the chance to savour the sight and smell of more than 30 types of common and exotic dried spices in a special showcase of spices. They were also able to view various live spice plants, such as the pepper vine, clove, candlenut and asam gelugor trees on the Timber Deck.
Spice showcase at HortPark Lifestyle Corner.
In conjunction with the showcase, a talk-cum-demo entitled “SPICE up your life!” was conducted on Saturday (13 Jun 09). More than 30 participants turned up and learned interesting facts about spice trees and how to set up a simple spice garden. Spices such as clove, nutmeg and candlenut and leaves from their respective trees were passed around during the interactive session for the audience to take a closer look.
Wilson sharing facts on spice gardens with the audience.
Leaves and fruits from spice trees were passed around in the audience.
Students from Teck Whye Secondary School’s Art Club also gave a demonstration that taught participants how to make attractive spice gifts using spices. At the end of the session, each participant received a spice magnet as a parting gift and was then brought on a guided tour of the Lifestyle Corner.
Students from Teck Whye Secondary School Art Club showing the making of spice pouch magnets to the audience.
Fragrant spice ornaments you can display in your house.
You can still view the spices showcase at HortPark even after the month of June as the entire collection will be relocated permanently in the kitchen section of the Lifestyle Corner. So come down to HortPark and ‘SPICE up your life’ with us! Spices will never be the same again!
Wilson Wong
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June 18, 2009 at 8:39 am
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I had the opportunity to visit Berlin in Mar 2009. It was early spring and a pleasant experience to be in the 6‘C environment, with warm clothes on that is.
The largest tree along this street.
Walking along the streets near the Berlin Zoo, my attention was on the trees that were standing along the roads. The new leaves for the new season had yet to sprout. There was a tree that had about a 1.8m girth at 1m height, which was comparatively the largest tree along this stretch. Somehow, I wanted to take a closer look at this tree perhaps because it appeared larger than the rest. I was also wondering what species it was and from the old dried up leaves on the ground around the tree, they appeared to be oak leaves.
Gaping tree hollow along the entire trunk.
Four metal bars across hollow trunk.
Interestingly, when I looked on the other side of the trunk, the tree actually had a huge gaping hollow for most of the trunk, from top to bottom like a hollow rod. The tree hollow was about 6m high, which was the most part of the trunk since the entire tree with the extended main branches was about 12m tall. The tree was probably still alive and the local tree care personnel had installed metal bars across the hollow trunk at various heights to create structural strength for the weakened trunk. It appeared that the tree had a metal skeleton installed to help keep it from breaking. Please take a look at the pictures. I counted nine horizontal bars across the hollow from top to bottom.
Five metal bars can be seen.
Tree branching at the top of hollow trunk.
Six metal bars can be seen.
In observing how the metal bars were attached to the tree, I marvelled that this was an example on tree preservation with a good dose of German engineering.
Brendon Phuah
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June 12, 2009 at 8:03 am
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NParks and National Library Board (NLB) have been working together to present the Bear Fruit (B.F.) series 2009, a process oriented programme that provides a suitable platform for amateurs and enthusiasts to be inspired and gain the aspirations and avenues to turn their gardening passion and interests into a reality. Stretching from June to July, this unique programme also bridges participants to subject experts and resources to help them fully achieve their aspirations.
A staff from NLB getting the participants to warm up at the start of session no. 1
In the first part of 4 outcome driven sessions, a melting pot of 25 participants ranging from CEOs, lecturers to retirees gathered at HortPark last Saturday. Participants were thrilled as they were equipped with knowledge on plants, gardening and terrarium making, as they were brought on a guided walk around HortPark, followed by a lecture session in the classroom led by Mr Wilson Wong from Hort. Excellence.
A guided tour around the Terrarium exhibits at HortPark by Wilson
The highlight of the series would be when the participants make use of their newly found skills to design and build their very own terrariums. The completed works of the participants will be showcased in an exhibition at the Central Lending Library, followed by them being placed permanently in the Terrarium Corner at HortPark.
As we outreach the love for greenery and gardening across a broad spectrum of cultures and lifestyles, stay tuned for more updates!
Lim Chong Han
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June 11, 2009 at 8:06 am
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Ever since the CIB 2008 Award, various groups often visited Jurong Central Zone G gardens. Here is a summary…
23 April – Mr. Peter Chan and members from The Caribbean at Keppel Bay came to visit our garden. They arrived at 12pm and the sun was scorching hot, however they did a quick tour around both gardens. Since our sunflowers are in full bloom, everyone was given a stalk of sunflower to bring home.
Friends from The Caribbean at Keppel Bay
08 May – We planted this tree about 4 years and we were rewarded with a good harvest. The owner of the tree claim that the tree is a “Longan” tree and it is originated from Papa New Guinea. After the harvest, we shared with the residents, garden members and also other CIB friends. They are indeed huge and extra ordinary but most importantly the taste is great too. Perhaps NParks should germinate the seeds and plant them instead of mangoes at our roadside.
Harvestingin progress…
Glorious fruits!
09 May – Our gardening members had a surprise when Mr Lim Boon Heng, Minister of Prime Minister’s Office visited the garden with CCC chairman Mr Henry Ho and Mr Tan Poh Eng. They also got to taste the longans.
Surprise visit by Minister Lim Boon Heng at our community garden!
11 May – Today we did the final harvesting of the longans and distribute some to Ivory Heights and NTUC Wellness Centre. All of them are trying to germinate the seeds to plant in their garden. Our member, Hamidah is so protective over the final harvest since she doesn’t want the tree to be hurt.
Protective Hamidah with the logan tree.
15 May – Matthew (SW-CIB Manager) brought a Pharmaceutical Company, Schering Plough Pte Ltd, to my garden. It is really amazing that big company like Schering Plough wanted to set up a garden in their premises. CIB is really doing a great job by attracting MNC Company. They tour around my garden and all the staff was given a sunflower as souvenir from Jurong Central Zone G.
Friends from Schering Plough Pte Ltd
Mdm Kamisah (Gardening Leader)
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June 4, 2009 at 8:43 am
· Filed under General
The Green Wave is a global biodiversity campaign to educate children and youth about biodiversity. It leads up to the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010. Each year, The Green Wave will contribute to worldwide celebrations of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB). It also supports other national, international and global tree planning initiatives such as the UNEP-led Billion Tree Campaign.
Each year on the 22nd of May, the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), participating schools around the world will plant a locally indigenous tree at 10:00am local time, creating a “green wave” across time zones. Participants then upload their stories and photos onto The Green Wave website to share with others around the world. An interactive map goes live in the evening at 20:10 local time, creating a second “green wave”.
This year, 17 schools in Singapore participated in The Green Wave. Schools were encouraged to organize their own events and activities in celebration of IDB, such as exhibitions, skits and outdoor learning. Kranji Secondary School, which is very strong in environmental education, was one of the participating schools and also took the opportunity to hold a ‘graduation ceremony’ for students who completed the Young Arborist Programme (YAP), a programme designed by NParks to inspire budding ‘tree doctors’. Mr Simon Longman, Director/Streetscape, presented the YAP certificates to the students and delighted them with his nuggets of witty wisdom. He planted a tree together with the students and alumni of Kranji Secondary School as part of their celebrations for The Green Wave.
Students, alumni and staff with their newly planted trees
Mr Simon Longman planting a Kopsia fruticosa with Mdm Maureen Lee, principal of Kranji Secondary School
Joey Gan
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June 4, 2009 at 8:35 am
· Filed under General
Thousands gathered as HortPark celebrated its first anniversary last Saturday, 23 May 2009. In conjunction with this significant occasion, HortPark unveiled its latest themed garden – Butterfly Garden – and invited park visitors to join in an inaugural tour of this new attraction.
The 150 sqm landscaped theme garden comprises an enclosure and an outdoor garden. Providing a visual feast of tropical plants and nearly 20 species of native butterflies, the Butterfly Garden enables visitors to learn about the different stages of metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar into butterfly. Within the enclosure, visitors are greeted with an up close and personal encounter with these flying jewels and can observe how pupae emerge into adult butterflies before taking their maiden flight.
The Butterfly Garden also serves as an experimental garden for NParks to work on a Butterfly Species Recovery Programme to research on suitable nectar and host plants for breeding a variety of butterfly species, including locally extinct species such as Clipper (Parthenos sylvia) and Common Sergeant (Athyma perius). To further commemorate its first year of operation and to thank visitors for their continuous support, HortPark organized a series of free activities consisting of health and wellness workout sessions, gardening talks and enrichment workshops. Families and kids spent an enjoyable day at the bouncy castle and mini boat pool.
A family working out at the Mutli-Purpose Hall
Sharing new recipes at the Cooking with Herbs and Spices Workshop
Fun activities for the kids at HortLawn
Commemorative butterfly bookmarks were given out to all visitors that day
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