Plants For Tropical Balconies In Singapore

A vine on a balcony in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
What can you plant on a Singapore balcony and how will you water it?

Answers
Look around at the balcony of nearby blocks or go to the allotments or simply chat to other people you meet.

ANTI-MOSQUITO
My first contact at an allotment told me about flowers which repel mosquitoes. A local garden centre sold us an anti-mosquito plant.

VINES
We didn't think vines would grow in warm Singapore, as they are mostly on cool hillsides. However, to our surprise we found a vine growing on a neighbour's balcony.

Our UK wine education expert told her that to get the best vine produced fruit, you prune a vine like a rose bush.

I queried this. I have seen rampant vines growing bunches of fruit over back walls of a house in back gardens.

The wine expert replied:
The grapevine plant puts its effort into woody branches and quantity rather than quality.

AVOCADO AND FRUIT
You can also grow:
Avocado plants from avocado stones. No need to fiddle around with the stone balanced on top of a bottle between two horizontal toothpicks over water, waiting for the roots to appear, like my mother in law recommended for growing a plant from a stone on a windowsill in the UK. Just stick the stone in water in a potting trough, water it once and wait for the regular rains to water it and it will grow.

Rosemary, which is rampant in London, England, also grows well on balconies in Singapore.

Papaya plants.
Mangoes.

MIDNIGHT PERFUME IN YOUR ROOM
Midnight flower
They open at midnight with a lovely aroma which lasts about two hours.

FREE DELIVERY OF POTTING COMPOST
Top Tip
No need to go to the garden centre and pay large sums for a small pack of compost. Order by phone, two packs of organic compost, and get the heavyweight sacks of potting compost delivered to your door for free. No need to feel guilty about making them take a special trip. They have vans circling the area.
regularly especially to a large condo.

Useful Websites
Before ordering compare prices.
www.Ogreenliving.com
https://www.qoo10.sg/shop/greenspade

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.