Tag: plants

  • Making Friends With a Weed


    Meet Rosie, our shy plant – her leaves close when you touch them. I transplanted her from the curbside – without gloves (ouch!) and ignoring the confused looks from the neighbors – I know it’s a weed!

    We planted her in a pretty pot, trimmed her thorns and now we feed her blended up veggie scraps from the kitchen. She is, I suspect, the best cared-for weed in the neighborhood!  She sits on our breakfast table and every morning my daughters tickle her leaves to watch her curl up…

    It can be hard to get kids excited about plants. In fairness, it can be hard for adults to get excited about plants too – they take a while to grow, they don’t do much of anything, and they are all to easy to forget…and subsequently neglect. Rosie is different. Actually, she’s the first plant that my daughter has named – and when it comes to connecting with nature – I think that’s pretty promising…

  • Urban Farming – In your own apartment!

    Urban Farming – In your own apartment!

    I know, it sounds crazy. I’m not talking about wearing overalls and converting your living room into a tomato farm, but it is interesting and not completely out of reach. Hydroponics is a way for city dwellers like ourselves to reconnect with nature.

    Take a look at this video and consider maybe bringing this concept into your own home:

    Here are some ideas:

    • Grow salad plants and have a fresh salad with your meal everyday
    • Grow herbs to make your own tea
    • Grow medicinal plants like aloe or lavender to make your own DIY beauty products

    I called up this hydroponic shop in Singapore and right off the bat the owner was very friendly and helpful. He said to pop in on Sundays (Tanglin area), where they are open from 10am-2pm. There you can get informed, find out what’s best for your space and get on your way to having your own hydroponic garden!

    Take a look at this video. Here, Britta Riley the creator of a product called Windowfarms explains why she’s passionate about the idea of growing your own food.

    She also spoke at TED about her business and her passion.

    Photo credit: tarteletteblog.com