FAQs

Q: How did you get started on gardening as a hobby?

I started gardening because I wanted to have at my disposal various herbs, in particular the sweet basil. This was in November 2008. So I grew only culinary herbs for a good six months before I started getting distracted by the carnivourous plants, followed by begonias, orchids, alocasias and caladiums. Recently, I have also been attracted to cacti and succulents.

Q: What do you grow in your garden?

Due to space constraints, I grow mainly plants which do well in container pots. Broadly speaking

Q: Have you grown any plant from seeds?

I have only ever grown two plants from seeds – one is the sweet basil and the other is the pak choy.

Q: What plants have you propagated?

I have progapated various plants through stem cuttings – episcias, nepenthes Viking, artemisia scoparia, sedum mexicanum, spearmint, kala mint, lemon balm, citronella and rosemary. Martin’s Mystery is easy to propagate via rhizome cutting.

The aloe vera is an easy plant to propagate – via separation of the rooted pups.

Q: What is your first favorite plant, and is it still your favorite? Do you have favorites that come and go, but one all-time favorite that you've always loved?

My favourite first plant was the spearmint for its boundless life-force and its ease of propagation.
My current favourite is hi lo beauty alocasia.
Sweet Basil and Rosemary shall the position of being my all-time favourite.Q: What's your favorite gardening chore?My favorite gardening chore is propagating plants / re-potting plants which have outgrown their pots. Q: And your least favorite?Treating diseased plants.

Q: What have you learned from gardening?

Life is a miracle.
Plants are hardier than they appear.
Local growing conditions matter.
You won’t know if a plant can grow under your care until you have tried growing it.
Some plants are pest-magnets.
Some plants are high-maintenance.
Most, if not all, plants require sunlight in order to grow healthily. But some plants love the sun.

Q: Are you trying out anything new this year?

Growing cacti and succulents.

Q: What is your current wish list of plants?

Begonia Brevirimosa ‘Edinburgh’
Agave
Brugmansia – white flowers