Some time ago, my aunt and cousins went to Ipoh and brought back some ribena ruits. They gave me some and asked me to plant them in my planter.Now the plants are growing up and I saw my first ribena fruit!

Ribena fruits

Young ribena seedlings

My ribena plants growing happily!

The last time my aunt boiled the ribena fruits with sugar, it tasted really good. Just like the ribena drink but with a stronger aroma of the berries. I hope I can make my own ribena drink with the fruits from my planter soon!

The ripen ribena fruits

My home-made ribena drink!

Shirley Tey

“I’m in a team that is in charge of the park connectors.” – an answer I always give when asked of my occupation and job description in National Parks Board. 

An all too familiar response would be “Oh, I see,” followed by an awkward silence. Through their eyes, I can almost hear voices in their mind whispering, “Park connectors? What’s that? Doesn’t sound like a park to me at all.  How boring could that be, working in a ‘park connector’.”

Many do not know exactly what a Park Connector is, despite the recent media release on our first completed cycling loop – the Eastern Coastal Park Connector.  Park connectors are links from one park to another, providing an avenue for recreational cyclists, in-line skaters and joggers who do not wish to shorten their life by breathing in exhaust gases while doing their thing.

In fact, with the completion of the Eastern Coastal Park Connector, many organizations, big and small, have hosted their sports events along our park connectors. For example, the up and coming Sundown Marathon in 17 May 2008 by Hivelocity, Delta Senior School’s involvement in NPark’s Adopt-a-Park program along Alexandra Park Connector for their school’s curriculum, Health Promotion Board’s Feet-to-Walk to promote healthy lifestyle among the community and many more.

APSN Delta Senior School’s students conducting gardening activities at Alexandra Park Connector. 

Most sections of our park connectors are actually linear gardens, with attractive, colourful and luscious trees and shrubs lining the dull and boring canals, thereby enlivening the park user’s experience while carrying out their exercise regime or recreational activities.

So, a note to everyone out there reading this, don’t miss out on the Park Connector EXPERIENCE!!

Go to one nearest to your residence and sweat it out while enjoying the beautiful blooming flowers of the shrubs and trees, fresh air and everything a park has to offer, or simply take a relaxed stroll either in the morning (cool morning breeze), evening (park bustle with children laughing, pets and their owners jogging, and housewives chattering) or night (romantic ambience), each offering a unique experience, or meet up with your friends to take a night cycling trip around the Eastern Coastal Park Connector.   

This interesting plant is called Cleodendrum myricoides, also known as Ugandense. It is native to West Africa. 

Park Connector- Linking the FUN to U!

Cheers,

Wendy Lee

It was a warm and sunny April afternoon when Mr Lucien and myself decided to accept Mr Krishnan’s invitation to view his grape vine which he had nurtured for 9 years. After these years of patient gardening and nurturing, Mr Krishnan’s efforts had finally borne fruit, to all our surprise in sunny, warm, hot, humid and tropical Singapore, and for the second time in his living memory, too. This is the time when it is more common to see the durian kings & queens enjoying the king of tropical fruits. The little, humble grape stuck it through.

 As it was about lunch time, Mr Lucien & myself thought that we should pop by for some free grape sampling appetizer as promised, from Mr Krishnan. Though, the grapes were small they tasted sour-sweet to our surprise. Now, that’s an indication of a good variety with crude upbringing. From a distance it was thought they were a seedless variety from Sheng Siong supermarket.

Grapevines growing at Mr Krishnan’s balcony.

Nevertheless, it was an achievement for Mr Krishnan as his untested gardening skills was indeed witnessed by us in his beautiful and roomy 5-room HDB flat balcony with inclination to invite ‘birds of any feather’.

 Mr Krishnan is an avid nature lover and his high rise balcony garden includes his aquaria with water plants and freshwater fishes and if I am not mistaken, caged birds and free roaming rock pigeons ! He told us that he gets frequent visits from such free roaming birds that are brave and friendly enough to pass by for a free meal.

Mr Krishnan and his grapes. 

 We had an enjoyable 45 minutes session at Mr Krishnan’s residence discussing the joys, trials and tribulations of maintaining our own gardens. He shared with us his career in Singapore and his wish that he can spend more time in his retirement days working in the parks and gardens of Singapore which as a nature lover, is something close to his heart.

Brendon Phuah