INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Ever thought of setting up your own little oasis in your home or room but have no idea what and how to do so? Fret not, for help is here! This online store is meant for gardeners of all kinds, from beginners to even professionals!The collection of tropical plants and gardening needs will be featured here and should you be interested, please kindly drop us an e-mail or even call us for enquries!We will be featuring the following catergories for your viewing pleasure. Of course, over time, there will be more.

Introduction
Flowering Shrubs and annuals
Foliage Plants
Fruits and vegetables seedlings
Ground Covers
Ornamental Trees
Vines and Creepers
Palms

We wish you pleasant shopping and viewing! =)
Home Gardeners

Palms

PALMS

No other family evokes the tropics more powerfully than the Palmae in one of its many forms, whether the graceful Coconut Palm arching over a beach or the stately Royal Palm along an avenue.

Immensely tall or relatively low, feathery or fanlike, massive or dainty, there is always a palm that will suit one's needs, gardens or balconys. All it require will be a little imagination on your part.

Cyrtostachys renda

Better known as: Sealing-wax palm or red palm

This is a tufted palm, which means that it produces offshots and grows as a group of slender trunks, each with its own crown of leaves. The main attraction about this palm is its bright red leaf sheaths, which appear down nearly the full length of the trunk as well as the leaf stalk. The colour is similar to that of old Chinese sealing wax, thus giving rise to the popular name. The leaves are stiff and feather-shaped and a fully grown clump is not too large for a small garden.

Cyrtostachys needs full or partial sun and moist soil.

Vines and Creepers

VINES AND CREEPERS

Climbing up a tall tree, spilling dramatically over benches and wood, growing over graden trellis, clipped and trained into formal shapes, vines and creepers include some of the most gorgeous and decorative of tropical plants. Bright and vibrant, they will seize the eye of the audience and hold on to it firmly. It is no wonder then, that plants such as Bougainvella is so common in Singapore!

Bougainvillea

Botanical family: Nyctaginaceae

Named after the French navigator, Louis de Bougainvelle, who came across it during an 18th century visit to Brazil, this extremely showy vine quickly become a garden favourite and has since been extensively hybridized with forms and colours very different from the original plant. By nature, Bougainvillea is a climber or a scandent shrub with stems that can reach severeal metres in length, usually clinging with the aid of curved spines. It can be clipped and trained to take on shapes, such as to form a hedge or trained into topiary shapes with sizeable trunks.

Most varieties have pale green ovate leaves in paris and the true flowers are small, white, tubular and insignficant as compared to the surrounding bracts that appear in profusion. The most common colours are purple or magenta, but nowadays, there are white, orange, pinkm crimson and more. For this, there is a need for the gardener to come down to our stores to make the selection on the spot, as there are many hues to choose from.

Bougainvillea always need full sun to flower best and prefers dry or at least very well drained soild, whether grown in a garden or as a pot plant. Because Singapore tend to have prolonged dry periods, bougainvillea will then flower in large quantities. Hard pruning after flowering promotes busy growth and more flowers.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gertrudk/213938404/

Ornamental Trees

ORNAMENTAL TREES

As we travel along the roads of Singapore, we might see some trees that showcases lovely flowers. Though commonly in parks as well, there is always the chance that a family can grow some ornamental trees in their own balcony or garden. Below are some examples that we can offer.

Plumeria

Better known as: Frangipani
Botanical family: Apocynaceae

Originating in the New World tropics, from southern Mexico to northern South America and the West Indies, Plumeria is now found in all tropical countries, including sunny Singapore. This plant is named after Charles Plumier (1646-1706), a French botanist.

There are many different variety of frangipani, and this can seen by the numerous hues of flowers that blooms every seasons. Should you want to cultivate a frangipani in your house, one has to come down personally to select the colour as we have several colours in stock. This is one plant that is easy to manage as frangipanis prefers full sun and good drainage but will still grow in semi-shade.

Artocarpus altilis

Better known as: Breadfruit

Botantical family: Moraceae

In it's native Polynesia, this large evergreen tree is grown primarily for it's nutritious fruit. Unfortuntely, in Singapore, this tree can only be grown in gardens and not on balconies as it require a lot of space and land. Other than harvesting the fruit for consumption (which is quite delicious), this tree can be grown as an ornamental because of its large and dark green leaves, which have promienent yellow veins. Breadfruit trees need full sun and well drained soil, but will grow under a light, high canopy. What we are offering is the fruit itself as the only grown tree that we have is over 20metres tall.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianinblack/2240830364/

Ground Covers

GROUND COVERS

Ground covers are meant for gardeners who have quite a bit of land space. This is because, as implied by the name, such plants are meant to cover up the bare ground, serve to link, set off larger landscape elements and to hold the soil during the heavy rains that are characteristic of Singapore. For certain species of ground covers, such as the carpet grass, one can even play golf upon it too!

Carpet grass

Cost: $1.20 per square feet Note: This is the type of grass that one can find in golf courses. Short and soft to the touch, this is quite ideal for gardens whereby children are around.

Pearl grass

Cost: $1.30 per square feet

Note: This is one type of grass that can survive underneath the shade of trees as it does not need sunlight at all. By means of pearl, it is referring to the pearl like sheen on the blade of grass.

Tradescantia spathacea (Rhpep spatjacea) (R. Discolor)

Better known as: Boat Lily, Moses in a Boat

Botanical family: Commelinaceae

Orginating in Central America, this attractice plant is now used everywhere in the tropics as a ground cover or to edge pathways. It has a short stem and a spiky rosette of leaves that are reddish-purple below and greenish-purple on top. White flowers appear between boat shaped bracts in the axils of the leaves, giving rise to the popular names. Given well-drained soil and full or lightly filtered sunlight, Rhoeo needs little care and spreads quickly. A very economical saving plant.

Fruits and vegetables seedlings

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES SEEDLINGS

Rather than going to the market to buy your fruits and vegetables, how about growing them yourself? Here are some easy to grow and low maintainance plants that may just be the pot that your kitchen is lacking!

Binjal or eggplant

Botantical family: Solanaceae

A most common vegetable/fruit that is commonly found in curry. As a plant, it is quite short as it grows 40 to 150 cm tall, with large coarsely lobed leaves that are 10 to 20 cm long and 5 to 10 cm wide. The flowers are white to purple. It is easy to grow as well!

Chilli

For those living in Singapore, this is one spice that we cannot do without! Chilli sauce on fries? Chilli crab? Should there be no chilli, there is no telling what our favourite dishes will come. Therefore, it is high time to grow some!

Dichorisandra thrysiflora

Better known as: Blue Ginger

Botanical family: Commelinaceae

Despite its popular name, this particular plant do not belong to the giner but to the spiderwort family. A cucculent, herbaceous plant native to tropical America, it has cane-like stalks around 1.5m in height that grow from underground stmes, spirally arranged leaves that are dark green with silver markings and large terminal clusters of flowers that are dark blue-mauve, a rare colour in tropical gardens.

Used in Indonesian dishes as well as braised duck, this is one spice that mothers cannot do without.

Foliage Plants

FOLIAGE PLANTS

Under this section, you will find all kinds of foligate plants. Despite appearances, flowers are not the only source of colour in gardens. Foliage plants can be planted along and beside the flowers, so as to beautify the garden or the house even further. On their own, foliage plants do showcase their own beauty, by means of their brilliant array of leaf hues and unusual leaf forms. Here are some examples.

Dracaena

Botanical family: Agavaceae

This is a large genus that includes plants of varying sizes and leaf colourations, many of which are used in tropical gardens. Tolerant of neglect, it can be seen as a house plant or in garden areas that receive little attention. D. reflexa (also know as Pleomele reflexa, Song of India) has small, narrow leaves which may be dark green or have bright yellow margins.

From the third picture onwards, it is the Dracaena marginata, sometimes listed as Dracaena concinna, which has long flat leaves striped wit red or purple. Though it can grow quite tall, it is more often seen in lower masses to bring colour to a garden.

In genereal, Dracaema prefers partial to full sunlightm though green leaved forms will do well in shady locations.

Flowering Shrubs and annuals

FLOWERING SHRUBS AND ANNUALS

Flowering shrubs are amongst the most memorable features of any tropical garden. Though only a few species may fill the air with their frangrance, they still offer a dazzling range of colour and forms. Under this section, you will find quite a number of selections and should you puchase a particular species, rest assured, they will come along with the clay pot. Of course, one can always come down personally to the site to choose your favourite pot!

Lantana camara

Better known as: Lantana
Botanical family: Verbenaceae

Though Lantana is native to South America, it was an early introduction elsewhere in the tropical world, where it soon escaped the confines of gardens and become a weed. This plant is quite a prickly shrub and can grow to a maximum of 1 metre in height (assuming if you give space for it to grow), with ovate rough leaves and clusters of tiney florets, ranging from orange, red-orange, yellow or even white. Lantana grows best under a full sun and well drained soil.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/merceblanco/232850720/

Adenium obesum

Better known as: Desert Rose or Fortune flower

Botanical family: Apocynaceae

Growing to a height of about 1 metre, this succulent plant is native to arid Arabia and East Africa and a member of the family as Plumeria. Its swollent, often twisted trunk is pale grey, leaves are glossy and club-shaped, and the flowers, whoch appear almost continuously, are trumpet-shaped and range from bright pink to crimson.

Adenium is a highly decorative pot plant and can be used in rock gardens. It needs full sun and a well-drained potting mixture. This species is also prized by the chinese as it is associated with wealth and fortune. In our store, we have both the grown and seedlings for your cultivation pleasure.

Hibiscus

Botanical family: Malvaceae

The national flower of our closest neighbour, Malaysia, hibiscus is one flower that is well known to all. Growing in gardens, schools and park, this is one plant that can be found anywhere. In fact, the most common hybrid is called the Hibiscus roas-sinensis and hibiscus 'snowqueen'. Most hibuscus require full sun to flower well and benefit from ocassional pruning, especially when used as a hedge. Of course, it can be grown in pots as well.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-c_goersch/2885040680/

Ixora

Botanical family: Rubiaceae

Ixora (from the name of an Indian deity) is native to India and tropical Africa, some of which rival hibiscus as garden shrubs. Ixora javanica blooms are often seen as a sizeable shrub with largish, pointed leaves and red-orange or pure red flowers that appear in rounded clusters of many as sixty at the tips of the branches. Ixora coccinea is amller, with flossy, more ovate leaves, usually red, but there are cases whereby they are white, pink, yellow and orange. In full sun or light shade, ixora flowers can be left to grow on their own, with little or no pruning. When grown as a house plant, it needs high humidity (Singapore is the best for this condition!!), warm temperatures and exposure to strong light.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/2877757919/

Wrightia religiosa

Better known as: Bonsai
Botanical family: Apocynaceae

A shrub that varys in terms of size, from small pots to middle size, about 2 metres tall, from Thailand and Malaysia. IT has slightly pendulous branches, small oval leaves and frequent clusters of small, fragrant white flowers. In terms of management, this is one plant that requires little care beyond the occasional pruning for shape and applications of liquid manure.

Wrightia prefers full sun but will also grow in light shade.

Introduction

Ever thought of setting up your own little oasis in your home or room but have no idea what and how to do so? Fret not, for help is here! This online store is meant for gardeners of all kinds, from beginners to even professionals!

The collection of tropical plants and gardening needs will be featured here and should you be interested, please kindly drop us an e-mail or even call us for enquries!

We will be featuring the following catergories for your viewing pleasure. Of course, over time, there will be more.

1. Ornamental trees
2. flowering shrubs and annuals,
3. foliage plants,
4. vines and creepers
5. fruits and vegetables
6. palms,
7. ground covers
8. Others

We wish you pleasant shopping and viewing! =)

Home Gardeners