In Singapore, our equatorial climate can pose some challenges to gardening

Visitors to a typical five-star hotel wouldn’t usually concern themselves with the basil, mint, or fragrant pandan found in the hotel’s kitchens. But ask the guests at Fairmont Singapore or InterContinental Singapore and they will tell you a different story. Many of them will be able to enlighten you about the origin of the herbs used in their meals, and perhaps, may even teach you a thing or two about the herbs’ unusually short journey from soil to table.

Pest control is an issue faced by all gardening enthusiasts. If you are a home gardener, you may be understandably hesitant to use chemical insecticides on your plants – especially if you have pets or young children. For a safe alternative, try using horticultural oils instead.

Many Singaporeans live in high-rise apartments, which pose space constraints for home gardeners. If this describes your living arrangement perfectly, how about trying your hand at vertical gardening instead?