SINGAPORE - Mr Alex Ng was growing grapes outside his HDB flat when he decided he needed more space to pursue his love for gardening.
"As time passed by, you tend to become greedier. You want to grow more plants. So the only alternative is to look for a piece of land where you can grow more edibles," the 49-year-old freelance pastry chef said.
Since 2017, Mr Ng has been renting a 600sqm plot of land in Sembawang. With more space and better access to sunlight, he grew fascinated with growing edibles from temperate climates, such as figs, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and white roselle. Mr Ng also grows about 10 varieties of pumpkins, including the Dickinson pumpkin used by popular pumpkin pie filling company Libby's.
"When I started growing pumpkins, I didn't know that the variety of pumpkin that I was growing was used by Libby's for their pumpkin pie filling. I grew the Dickinson pumpkin because I liked the look of it. I was excited and happy that I managed to grow them because I have not seen them being grown in Singapore before."
Unlike most pumpkin farmers, Mr Ng grows his pumpkins upwards to save ground space for growing other crops and to limit pest issues.
"As it is wetter and more humid in Singapore, we have more pest issues if we grow the pumpkins on the ground. I have tried growing pumpkins on the ground a few times but they didn't grow as well. After a few tries, I decided not to do that anymore."
When the pumpkins start to develop, Mr Ng has to support them with various household items such as laundry bags and overturned pails to prevent the vines from breaking. In 2019, Mr Ng used a chair to support a 6.2kg Cinderella pumpkin until it was ready to be harvested for a competition.
Mr Ng often receives requests to make pumpkin pies from his customers through his Facebook page, The Grumpy Chef. When there is a harvest, he would use the pumpkins from his garden for his baking.
"I prefer to use my own pumpkins because it is more satisfying. Not many bakers have the opportunity to grow their own crops and use them in their baking. I think that is a very nice feeling to have."
