Latest news with #TheNursery
Telegraph
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
A chilling novel in which motherhood is as terrifying as murder
Anyone thinking of becoming a mother would be forgiven for steering clear of contemporary fiction. Barely a month seems to pass by now without another horror-style account from female authors of the sleep-incinerated fug of early parenthood: think Claire Kilroy's Soldier Soldier; Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch; Szilvia Molnar's The Nursery. Each blurred the borders between madness and motherhood with immersive lyricism and – admittedly – a painful accuracy, but one which didn't quite compensate for the now familiar confines of their territory. Naomi Booth's third novel, Raw Content, sits intriguingly askew within this genre, drawing on rather different cultural and historical horrors. Grace has recently given birth to Rosa after a casual relationship with Ryan, a musician she met in London, and the pair are gamely making a go of things in Grace's cramped one-bed flat in York. Inevitably, Grace is more claustrophobically consumed by her baby who, as is common to these sorts of novels, is described in a sort of shell-shocked poetry as alien, even aberrant, 'catastrophically small… a dark sea-fish… a cawing pterodactyl of an infant'. Nor can Grace escape the mythic forcefield of her native Yorkshire in which she grew up – a landscape of 'derelict furnace chimneys and sawtooth roofs' where 'children lay buried under gorse and heather in unmarked graves'. The Ian Brady and Myra Hindley murders in the 1960s, which did so much to invoke fear in modern parents, seep with a kind of viral stealth into Grace's emotionally scrambled state, heightening her awareness of her daughter's tender skin. This is a novel that finds an awful beauty in the fragility of the body, and the shocking vulnerability of the child. Perversely, though, the Moors murders are one of the quieter strands wrapping around Grace's brain, thanks to her career as a legal publisher. She has spent years notating, among other crimes, instances of appalling child abuse, the rigour and calm the profession demands at stark dissonance with the job in hand. Then there's her now retired police officer father, who worked to prosecute child abusers before an instance of 'institutional failings' torpedoed his career. And compounding her conviction of childhood as innately defenceless and imperilled is her estranged mother, who abandoned Grace and her sister Isobel – a now untethered, pill-popping adult whose chaotic visits provide welcome relief for the reader – when Grace was nine, for reasons that are never fully explained; perhaps because, you sense, they're inexplicable. David Peace and Gordon Burn have both explored in fiction the legacy of serial murderers on landscape, community and popular culture in Yorkshire and beyond. I'd argue Booth's novel loses something in comparison for being exclusively concentrated on the individual and yet, at the same time, so diffuse in its references to a more generalised history of child abuse. Throughout Raw Content Grace is convinced she will harm her baby, as though her personal and cultural inheritance is destined to play out through her. It's a potent idea, yet it's played out primarily in the abstract; it's also a delusion on a par with the sort of self-sabotaging thoughts experienced by many young mothers and Booth's novel feels boxed-in by framing it as something commonplace and explicable. Booth can write – her prose is often exacting and surprising at the same time – but I wish this novel had built with greater ambition on its initial dark promise.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
10 best plant nurseries in Singapore to nurse your green finger
Singapore has no land to grow crops, but there are plant nurseries in Singapore that grow native plants for purchase. You can choose from a variety of flora and fauna while benefiting from the knowledge of staff who can guide you on the right pruning practices. Here's our list of the 10 best plant nurseries in Singapore from which to get a plant. Edenvale Plants Singapore supplies wick-watering (a type of self-watering that uses capillary action to move water from a body of water to the plant's roots) potted plants. They include the Algaonema Dud Unyamanee (S$18.70) with pinkish-red leaves and the Algaonema Snow White (S$24.30), which has green leaves and white markings. Pick your plant and they will pot it using a suitable medium in a self-watering pot. All their plants are treated for pests and diseases before sale. This plant nursery in Singapore also sells a range of plant accessories, such as pots (S$3.30 for a Classic White Round Pot). These are made of Polypropylene (PP) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). Both materials are strong, durable and odourless. 620 Ang Mo Kio Ave 9, Blk 620, Singapore 560620 +65 9382 2936 Always Open Online, Call for Appointment Facebook | Instagram | Website The Nursery Singapore is the leading plant nursery in Singapore. Spearheaded by 2 brothers, the joint venture stems from their love for gardening. Leveraging their family's background in horticulture, they choose only the finest indoor and outdoor plants for you. If you are looking for an easy-to-grow plant, your best bet is a baby sago palm in ENKEL Trapezium Terrazzo Pot (S$62), a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage. The Nursery provides plant spray, food, and soil to meet your gardening needs. If your houseplant is growing slowly but you are unsure of how much fertiliser to give it, go with The Nursery Plant Food (S$20). It contains slow-release fertiliser for a steady and consistent release of nutrients, reducing the risk of over-fertilisation and nutrient leaching. 326 King George's Ave, King George Building, Singapore 208567 +65 9278 0728 Mon to Fri: 2pm – 10pm Sat & Sun: 12pm – 8pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Wee Lee Nursery & Florist began as a humble family-owned business in 1982. Across a span of 43 years, they have been exploring a growing diversity of orchids while exporting various plants to hotels, local wholesalers, overseas customers, and more. What makes this plant nursery in Singapore stand out from the pack is that it does not charge an admission fee. Passersby are free to visit and admire the flora and fauna there. The plant nursery in Singapore also offers other floral-related services, which include floral arrangements (e.g. gift hampers/flower stands). It also sells gardening items such as pots. 1 Seletar West Farmway 9, Singapore 797977 +65 9835 2169 Mon to Sat: 9.30am – 7pm Sun: 10am – 5pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Soilboy is a local online store delivering indoor plants, houseplants, ceramic planters and planting essentials. The plants that they stock are mostly exotic species imported from abroad. These include the Variegated (S$458), which features prominent, butterfly-shaped leaves in purple tones with white variegation (differently coloured zones) and the Variegated (Vortex) (S$399), a caudiciform that has round leaves with cream variegation. The latter has a swollen stem to store water and nutrients. They also hold various plant design workshops at their physical retail outlet in New Bahru. These include the Variegated Juniper Bonsai Wiring Workshop (S$299). Here, learn how to shape, wire, repot and transform a rustic tree into a bonsai centrepiece. They sell plant-related lifestyle accessories too. These include the Hinoki Candle | Wild Grove & Cypress (S$128), made with 100 percent natural soy wax, oil blends and eco cotton wicks, and the Table Plant Platform (S$69), made using Walnut Birch Plywood. 46 Kim Yam Rd, New Bahru, #02-07/08, Singapore 239351 Daily: 11am – 8pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Rayne or Shine specialises in supplying cacti and succulents, plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, or engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. If you are looking for a plant that requires careful maintenance, you can't miss their Ficus Elastica, Rubber Fig (S$86), which requires pruning for it to develop a strong structure. Alternatively, go with their Ficus Lyrata, Fiddle-leaf Fig (1.5m) (S$171). To stimulate branching, prune its growing tip or 'top' the plant by cutting off its newest node to split it. This plant nursery in Singapore also sells floral arrangements that come in different shapes and sizes to liven up your space. These can also double as a gift for special occasions. If you like cherry blossoms, get their Blossom Horizon (S$108), inspired by the flowers. 90 Jln Lekar, Singapore 698952 +65 8030 6565 Facebook | Instagram | Website 5 restaurants with plant-based dishes that'll tempt you to try a flexitarian diet Chin Ling Nursery prides itself on being the one-stop shop to help you build your garden. From seeds to gardening supplies, outdoor furniture and even garden art, they have it all. If you are looking for plants to adorn your premises for the festive season, you're in luck as they have a Celosia Pheonix Tail (S$28.80) on sale. It has colourful blooms symbolising harmony and prosperity. Alternatively, go with the Cockscomb Potted Plant (S$33.90), which is named after the rooster's crown because its red blossoms share the same colour. If you are looking for a landscaper to design your garden, the nursery in Singapore can produce stunning design packages using 3-dimensional computer modelling. It enables clients to take a virtual walk through their garden, from brainstorming to the final design. 10 Bedok South Rd, Singapore 469274 +65 6448 8602 Mon & Tue: 8am – 10pm Wed & Thu: 8am – 10.30pm Fri to Sun: 8am – 11.30pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Park Range Nursery is a wholesale plant nursery in Singapore with over 3 decades of experience in the horticulture industry. It delivers and curates a range of potted plants for retail and personal landscaping needs. Its plants are mostly sourced from other countries. These include the Goeppertia makoyana, whose striking foliage has earned it the name Peacock Plant. The species, indigenous to Brazil, has also been nicknamed the 'cathedral windows' due to the contrasting stripes of its leaves. Another variety is the Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana), a purple-flowered plant also native to the South American country. 290 Neo Tiew Cres, Singapore 718902 +65 6386 2282 Daily: 9am to 6pm | | Thong Hup Gardens started as a humble turf supplier in the 1980s. Over the years, they have opened turf-owning nurseries both in Singapore and Malaysia. Their turf includes cow grass, carpet grass and pearl grass. The nursery also provides advisory services about turf use. Their online store sells plants, soil, fertilisers, pots and gardening tools. If you are looking to grow herbs for cooking, you can either get their Thulasi Green (S$8), a green-leafed herb with a clove-like aroma, or their Sweet Basil (S$8), a tender plant used in cuisines. This plant nursery in Singapore also specialises in landscape projects for condominiums, shopping malls, schools and public housing. They have also achieved an L5 Landscaping certification, which is awarded by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore. 21 Bath Rd, Singapore 779914 +65 6454 5055 Daily: 8.30am – 5.30pm Facebook | Website Plants and Friends is a plant nursery situated in the North of Singapore. It stocks self-watering pots, potted plants, garden supplies and accessories, grow lights and air plants. If you find changing plant soil a hassle, do yourself a favour by getting the Hanging Air Plant (S$80), which does not require soil to grow and attaches itself to other plants or objects. As an alternative, go with the on Marble Stone (S$13) as a gift. The pairing of the air plant and marble adds a touch of natural beauty to any space. If your indoor plant is not getting enough sunlight, buy a grow light (4 Tubes Bundle Kit for S$205), an artificial light that helps plants grow by providing a light spectrum similar to the sun. Alternatively, buy the Grow Light Tray Set (Extendable Height) for S$120. 11 Woodlands Cl, #09-12, Singapore 737853 +65 8031 0912 (WhatsApp) Mon to Fri: 12pm – 6pm Sat: 11am – 4pm Closed on Sun Facebook | Instagram | Website As one of the largest bonsai gardens in Singapore, Nursery provides a one-stop shopping facility for all your gardening needs. This plant nursery in Singapore was founded by Mr Tan and his wife who turned their hobby of growing bonsais into a gardening empire. If your house is filled with dust and you are looking for an air-purifying plant, go with their Aglaonema Beauty (S$10.50), which removes toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene from indoor environments, making it great for improving indoor air quality. Besides selling plants, the nursery in Singapore also offers customers customised koi pond construction services to increase the beauty and appeal of your garden. If you find it troublesome to maintain the beauty of your landscape, Chengtai Nursery also counts garden and pond maintenance services as one of their key areas of expertise. 51 Sungei Tengah Rd, Singapore 698997 Mon to Sat: 8.30pm – 6.30pm Sun & Public Holidays: 8.30am – 5.30pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Go Green SG returns for second run with public hygiene focus The post 10 best plant nurseries in Singapore to nurse your green finger appeared first on
