“It makes me so happy and I think it doesn’t matter the bad day that you have had once you can come home to that quiet space…it super changes your mood to happiness and peacefulness…” – Trisha William-Singh

The Unlikely Gardener has had the privilege of knowing the effervescent Trisha William-Singh for several years. Her bubbliness rivals only that of a freshly uncorked bottle of Dom Perignon. Day or night, William-Singh brings the positive vibe and so it is in her garden. William-Singh’s home is lined and heavily populated with an array of plants with orchids and roses taking centre stage. It’s just fabulous!

Dirt in the DNA

William-Singh’s love for the bare earth is simply genetic. Her mother was a farmer. “Dirt is a part of my DNA… going into the garden is in my DNA,” she says. Her daughter of the soil garden genetics kicked into high gear upon purchasing her first home seven years ago with her husband Nari.

Orchids: A Love Story

Trisha William-Singh fell in love with orchids upon visiting her in-laws’ home 18 years ago and attributes the beauty of her garden to them both as she confides that her garden inspiration emanated from her husband’s family home which she has emulated in her landscaping. Her father-in-law, Ken William-Singh, was kind enough to get his hands dirty to make some of the garden magic happen with Trisha as his protégé. William-Singh, in acknowledging her father-in-law’s plant passion and contribution to her garden, informs that he not only taught her about orchid care but also that he is responsible for planting beautiful roses in a very special bed.

Walking us along a trip down memory lane, William-Singh reveals that on a visit to Holland and another to Canada she fell in love with tulips and the soon-to-be bride immediately wished for a tulip wedding day bouquet. However, as fate and fairy tales would have it, there were not enough tulips on The Rock for the big day bunch but to her surprise, her wedding planner presented her with a bouquet of beautiful white phalaenopsises and dendrobiums to symbolise her union and the most beautiful chapter of her life. This, of course, sealed her love for orchids with a kiss. To William-Singh’s delight, tulips were featured atop her wedding cake.

Join us next week for Part 2