From The Straits Times    |

Plants are a fresh and popular way to style and brighten up interiors. But savvy homeowners can do far more than pepper their abode with old-school potted plants.

Fresh greenery that reshapes the small Singapore apartment – or even office desk – is now displayed anew in unconventional containers from sleek glass vials to coffee cups to leather planters.

While the principles of decorating often revolve around picking out choice furniture, colour and lighting, the new-look greenery is fast becoming a desirable home accessory. Here’s where to get them.

  1. ANYTHING PLANTER

What: Inspiration for these quirky planters hit urban farmer and organic chef Cynthea Lam as she was walking around Chinatown and saw these nostalgic kopitiam cups. Each cup is a perfectly sized planter to keep on a small desk and is easy to maintain. Ms Lam makes each one with a variety of plants such as fittonias and pileas. There are three different types of Anything Planters to choose from. Under The Wholesome Co label, which she founded, Ms Lam often has workshops on how to start urban farms.

Price: From $18

Where: Anything Planter, go to naiise.com

  1. TERRARIUMS BY GREEN BANANAS

What: Place these classy terrariums on your desk or dining table to glam up your area. Filled with succulents and cacti, these plants sit pretty in jars and glass containers, above a beautiful sand bed. Green Banana also does bespoke terrariums.

Price: Starts at $35

Where: Green Banana, go to www.facebook.com/greenbanana.net. They are also sold at Tyrwhitt General Company, 150A Tyrwhitt Road, Level 2; Strictly Pastry, 267 Joo Chiat Road; By The Branch, 33 Erskine Road; National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05; and Mondays Off, 76 Haji Lane.

  1. CORSICA FLOWER BRIDGE TABLE

What: Noah Garden Centre is a newly launched online retail store, which has gardening products for urbanites. Take their Corsica Flower Bridge Table, which doubles up as a balcony planter and a table, where you can place your drinks or books as you lounge in your balcony.

Other interesting products include the Vertical Garden, where space-starved homeowners can save on floor space, and still have more than one plant, by “stacking” the pots.

Price: $35.90 for the Flower Bridge Table and $14.90 for the Corsica Vertical Garden

Where: Noah Garden Centre, go to www.noahgardencentre.com.sg

  1. BOTANICAIRE AIR DETOXIFIER

What: Botanicaire is an air purifier which can remove dust and odours using a special bacteria known as the Nuvoc Technology, as well as toxic gases which are released from cosmetics, aerosol sprays or paint. Designed in layers, the top part of the detoxifier is a removable cartridge, which can be replaced. The base of the detoxifier can be filled with water and fishes put in to create a small tank.

If you are looking to spruce up your home with something more colourful, check out their Plant-in-a-Bottle series, where plants are grown in colourful, nutrient-rich gel – instead of soil – and placed in bottles and wine glasses.

Price: $198 for Botanicaire and from $15 for the Plant-in-a-Bottle series

Where: In Vitro, go to store.invitro.sg, tel: 6896-6758

  1. LEATHER HANGING PLANTERS

What: Go bold with your choice of pots. Instead of traditional ceramic or plastic options, check out these chic leather planters which can be hung from a hook on the wall. Bloesem, a lifestyle store, also has three other styles of planters, including the macrame planter where pots are tied with pretty rope.

Price: $49 for the leather hanging planters and $59 for the small macrame planter and $89 for the large one

Where: Bloesem, 59 Eng Hoon Street, 01-79, tel: 6689-0146

 5. URBAN FARM SUPPLY BY THE PLANT STORY

What: Urban Farm Supply is a series of eco- friendly guided DIY kits to encourage urbanites to grow their edible garden from seeds. A Seed Sachet comes with instructions on fold-out panels on how to grow green beauties such as sunflowers and tomatoes. The Biodegradable Seed Pot can be planted directly in the ground or into a larger pot when seeds become seedlings, while the Germination Kits are meant to help newbies grow their own edibles such as broccoli, wheatgrass and alfalfa with ease.

Price: $5 for a Seed Sachet or a Biodegradable Seed Pot and $15 for a Germination Kit

Where: The Plant Story Galleria, 33 Hyderabad Road, 01-01, tel: 9722-0438

 6. LIVING WALL PLANTERS

What: If you are not quite sure about a full-scale vertical garden, why not try out these simple planters? You can choose between a hard container or fabric planter. Both are easily installed. The system comes with a special potting mix, created by Mr Hedrick Kwan, principal horticulturist and partner at Plant Visionz which brought in the system.

Price: $150

Where: Plant Visionz, go to www.facebook.com/plantvisionz or call 9625-3146

This article was first run in The Straits Times newspaper on October 19, 2014. For similar stories, go to sph.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore. You will not be able to access the Premium section of The Straits Times website unless you are already a subscriber.

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