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leechaorui

Garden In Landed House

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Hi all,

After having just rebuilt my place, I am conceptualising the garden area around my house. I have intentionally rebuild my house such that it doesn't stand out as one "big giant house", but to leave sufficient outdoor space for garden and to host a party in the terrace area in front, at the side and behind the house.

I am thinking of building a more unique kind of garden. I am now planning to remove some of the organic soil and remix the remainder organic soil with green compost. After which, I plan to do some simple landscaping to have more plants, more flowers, more natural fragrance from flowering plants, etc. Have not decided on the plants yet and the criteria is to be aesthetically pleasing, low maintenance, able to attract grasshoppers, butterflies song birds, ladybirds, garden gecko, etc... to visit the garden.

I have experimented with raising and releasing three spotted doves after a few weeks of care. Now, I can hear the spotted doves crooning around the vicinity of my house but they do not visit my garden to search for food. I am now raising one more baby spotted dove and this time, I will probably keep it for a few months so that it can be very familiar with the surrounding before releasing it. The birds were picked up from my uncle's place because crow usually tried to attack the spotted dove's nest and as a result, the mother spotted dove sometimes lost her life defending the nest. Hence, my uncle picked up the young birds from the nest and hand feed them to a certain stage of maturity before giving me the birds. That's how I got my supply of birds to release to the wild.

Welcome ideas on how to make this type of garden where it is inviting, a reality.

Cheers!

 

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It is really lovely to have a garden. Trust me, there is no such thing as a low maintenance garden in absolutely terms; it can only be true in relative terms. My husband was very interested in gardening when we first bought our property. He grew carpet grass, repotted the plants and created the racks for the smaller plants. I know how difficult it is to maintain the garden when he lost interest in his hobby. It is left now to my maid, my gardener and me to maintain it.

Some hardy flowering plants to consider include heliconias and bougainvillea. Sunflowers and African violets are beautiful but require greater care. My maid and I set apart a small plot for growing vegetables; which I find more gratifying than growing flowers. We have cultivated sweet potato leaves, chillies, limes, kang kong, ladies fingers etc.

 

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It is really lovely to have a garden. Trust me, there is no such thing as a low maintenance garden in absolutely terms; it can only be true in relative terms. My husband was very interested in gardening when we first bought our property. He grew carpet grass, repotted the plants and created the racks for the smaller plants. I know how difficult it is to maintain the garden when he lost interest in his hobby. It is left now to my maid, my gardener and me to maintain it.

Some hardy flowering plants to consider include heliconias and bougainvillea. Sunflowers and African violets are beautiful but require greater care. My maid and I set apart a small plot for growing vegetables; which I find more gratifying than growing flowers. We have cultivated sweet potato leaves, chillies, limes, kang kong, ladies fingers etc.

I am going to have a garden soon too and am having fears that I cant manage it. Is carpet grass tough to maintain? Any tips? I will also set aside a small plot for vegetables, herbs like you have and think it will be a lot of fun! I attend hort park courses and learn basic gardening techniques so as not to make costly mistakes when my garden becomes a reality. Currently, I am looking around for plants/trees that will give some privacy to us and our neighbours. Do you have any suggestions what kind of plants/trees with flowers that will serve this purpose well without much maintenance?

 

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Carpet grass is hard to maintain. The gardener puts some chemicals on the grass; yet manual labour is needed to pull out the weeds and the other types of grass. When the weather is dry, the carpet grass tends to be a bit brown so you need to sprinkle some water. I have not taken any courses so I cannot describe the maintenance process that well:) I think that cow grass is much easier--just grow and forget about it. But carpet grass is softer and has a more comfortable surface to walk on. Do consider yellow palms or sealing wax palms to give you some privacy. As for trees with flowers, you need to be careful where to locate them or the falling leaves and flowers can be a source of irritation for your neighbours.

 

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Carpet grass is very cheap. Die already then replant it again. If you have pets who are garden trained, it doesn't matter if its cow or carpet grass, both will wither out. But of course, carpet grass is prettier. Cow grass already looks like weeds with or without maintenance.

The trick is, save the water from washing rice, vegetables etc etc in a big pot and then use it to water your flowering plants, fruit trees, chilli, curry leaves, pandan leaves and they'll turn out beautiful. Avoid placing your plants under direct sunlight (orchids esp), or avoid placing your plants facing west..they die out very fast. if you have no choice, give it some shade like those green netting.

Some favorite plants.

Bamboo - good fengshui, easy to maintain, they grow very fast, pretty to look at when it sways. Leaves drop like crazy but if you have a maid, then get the maid to sweep

Frangipani - Pretty, can be planted in a pot so it doesn't break your walls. Cheap <$150 (big big plant) or $50 can get a medium plant. Install some flood lights to focus it so it looks pretty at night. (same for bamboo)

Grapes - possible to grow but sometimes taste very sour, looks pretty if you have a long fence to grow it out.

Israeli pears - possible to grow provided you have a greenhouse then must maintain temperature (if you got bungalow or alot of spare space....)

Bitter gourd - easy to grow but the birds will eat it faster than u.

Mango - will break your wall if you plant it in the soil. If you plant it in a pot, doesn't grow well. Throw in some rice water and it grows very fast

Custard apple - surprisingly the roots are manageable, not as big as mango tree but please look for good saplings. Abit hard to cultivate.

Chilli/pandan/curry leaves/malay lime leaves - normal day to day herbs used in your dishes. Can be planted in pots so very simple.

Pomegranate - fengshui plant, useful if you are sway, u can use it to shower...

Sunflower - super hard to grow, before it blossom...mati already

Water lilies - very easy but careful of mossies

Orchids - sorry to say...i hate the pots and you have to plant alot to be pretty, waste alot of space. Better to get like shelves if you want to grow orchids. And oh you need the nets to mask out direct sunlight.

bougainvillea - Personally i don't like...coz when the flowers drop, look like **** on the cement

malay/indian white flower plant - i don't know what it's call but easy to grow in a big pot. when it flowers, there's a nice scent.

 

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Thanks for the ideas and suggestions. I have seen some nice garden too but they don't attract song birds and butterlies. How to make the garden inviting for these creatures?

 

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Thanks for the ideas and suggestions. I have seen some nice garden too but they don't attract song birds and butterlies. How to make the garden inviting for these creatures?

Someone in your neighborhood must release it. There was once a humming bird (i think it's humming bird, long curve beak, tiny bird) made a nest in our backyard and the father bird was living in our living room while the mother bird lived in its hanging nest with her eggs in our lime plant. was quite amazed that the lime plant could hold the nest.

My neighborhood has white parrots! Last year, there was even a monkey living underneath my brother's window. Courtesy to some neighbors who release their pets after they moved out.

 

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Thanks for the ideas and suggestions. I have seen some nice garden too but they don't attract song birds and butterlies. How to make the garden inviting for these creatures?

You may want to consider getting the book '1001 Garden Plants in Singapore' publised by Nparks. For every plant there is a key symbol on how much to water, amount of light requred, whether it attracts butterflies etc. Very informative.

 

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I am going to have a garden soon too and am having fears that I cant manage it. Is carpet grass tough to maintain? Any tips? I will also set aside a small plot for vegetables, herbs like you have and think it will be a lot of fun! I attend hort park courses and learn basic gardening techniques so as not to make costly mistakes when my garden becomes a reality. Currently, I am looking around for plants/trees that will give some privacy to us and our neighbours. Do you have any suggestions what kind of plants/trees with flowers that will serve this purpose well without much maintenance?

hi

All types of grass needs to be trimmed. I had cow grass for 1 month, and gave up. dug out everything and replaced with carpet grass.

put fertilizers every 7 days and the grass will be green. I personally have planted 6 Eugenias along the the fencing seperating my neighbor, waiting for it grow. it can create a privacy screen for your garden.

I am against planting fruit trees unless I stay in a bungalow where land is not an issue.

Leave the maintenance to the professionals, reckon about 100-150/mth.

 

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Carpet grass is very cheap. Die already then replant it again. If you have pets who are garden trained, it doesn't matter if its cow or carpet grass, both will wither out. But of course, carpet grass is prettier. Cow grass already looks like weeds with or without maintenance.

The trick is, save the water from washing rice, vegetables etc etc in a big pot and then use it to water your flowering plants, fruit trees, chilli, curry leaves, pandan leaves and they'll turn out beautiful. Avoid placing your plants under direct sunlight (orchids esp), or avoid placing your plants facing west..they die out very fast. if you have no choice, give it some shade like those green netting.

Some favorite plants.

Bamboo - good fengshui, easy to maintain, they grow very fast, pretty to look at when it sways. Leaves drop like crazy but if you have a maid, then get the maid to sweep

Frangipani - Pretty, can be planted in a pot so it doesn't break your walls. Cheap <$150 (big big plant) or $50 can get a medium plant. Install some flood lights to focus it so it looks pretty at night. (same for bamboo)

Grapes - possible to grow but sometimes taste very sour, looks pretty if you have a long fence to grow it out.

Israeli pears - possible to grow provided you have a greenhouse then must maintain temperature (if you got bungalow or alot of spare space....)

Bitter gourd - easy to grow but the birds will eat it faster than u.

Mango - will break your wall if you plant it in the soil. If you plant it in a pot, doesn't grow well. Throw in some rice water and it grows very fast

Custard apple - surprisingly the roots are manageable, not as big as mango tree but please look for good saplings. Abit hard to cultivate.

Chilli/pandan/curry leaves/malay lime leaves - normal day to day herbs used in your dishes. Can be planted in pots so very simple.

Pomegranate - fengshui plant, useful if you are sway, u can use it to shower...

Sunflower - super hard to grow, before it blossom...mati already

Water lilies - very easy but careful of mossies

Orchids - sorry to say...i hate the pots and you have to plant alot to be pretty, waste alot of space. Better to get like shelves if you want to grow orchids. And oh you need the nets to mask out direct sunlight.

bougainvillea - Personally i don't like...coz when the flowers drop, look like **** on the cement

malay/indian white flower plant - i don't know what it's call but easy to grow in a big pot. when it flowers, there's a nice scent.

Thanks for sharing. You know alot about plants! I like weeping tea tree and have asked the trainer at Hort park if its roots are intruding and hence may damage my turf and wall but he says it is not. However, my builder strongly advises against this tree as it has extremely intruding roots and creeps all over in search of water. What are your thoughts?

 

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Big garden is not easy to maintain. Unless you got a gardener or love gardening, it is good to keep the garden simple and designed for easy upkeeping. One example, Large tree provides shade and attract birds but will drop dead leaves every day and more in autumn (read pick leaves every other day), crack your retaining walls eventually as its roots extend, attract ants and other insects which eventually will make their way into your house. Do select what u want to plant carefully.

 

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hi

I am against planting fruit trees unless I stay in a bungalow where land is not an issue.

yes. Fruit trees = bats!

There was a night i came home, a bat was hanging above my maindoor and it **** on me!

 

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Someone in your neighborhood must release it. There was once a humming bird (i think it's humming bird, long curve beak, tiny bird) made a nest in our backyard and the father bird was living in our living room while the mother bird lived in its hanging nest with her eggs in our lime plant. was quite amazed that the lime plant could hold the nest.

My neighborhood has white parrots! Last year, there was even a monkey living underneath my brother's window. Courtesy to some neighbors who release their pets after they moved out.

Thanks for the sharing. Monkey is a NO NO to me. Song birds are okay, not mynah, sparrow or crow. Problem with birds is they flew away after being released and most don't return. I have released two green parakeets, three spotted doves and some other small canaries that were rescued. There was a sun bird that makes a nest on a tree outside my house. So far, not much success in inviting birds to return.

My neigbour who has a fish pond and keeps lots of guppies in it, had kingfisher patronise his garden and pond. Quite interesting but so far, no shama, puteh, etc.. kind of birds visit his garden.

 

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2 thumbs up for this thread!!. I have an airwell, the sun does not get in very much. Any suggestion on what to grow there? I used to have one of those "elephant ear", no idea what is the scientific name for it but it rotted away due to excessive water logged a year ago.

 

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2 thumbs up for this thread!!. I have an airwell, the sun does not get in very much. Any suggestion on what to grow there? I used to have one of those "elephant ear", no idea what is the scientific name for it but it rotted away due to excessive water logged a year ago.

I have an airwell too. Thinking of doing a vertical garden, waiting for far east people to come check if it's feasible (coz like u say not much light plus i tint the glass) not much UV to get through cannot photosynthesize. if not will just build a book shelf there then do vertical garden for the backyard wall so the occupant for the granny room can have a green view.

 

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