Going Green: How to incorporate plants into your home decor

FOR AS LONG as he can remember, Jonathan Choe has always loved plants. He jokes that his mother got him interested because she made him take care of her plants that would otherwise die in her hands. "I've kept plants since I was 12," says Mr Choe, now 30, an architectural designer with architecture firm, Woha.

His latest work project is Design Orchard, a new shopping spot which houses local brands. Design Orchard is eye-catching not only because of its off-form concrete structural walls, with circular openings to let in light, ventilation and views of shop fronts, but also for the lush greenery on the public rooftop amphitheatre. When the trees are mature, they will provide shade and shelter from the sun, making the amphitheatre a comfortable place to sit. "The planting is a mix of local species and low-maintenance species that will grow into a lush and wild tropical hilltop park," says Mr Choe.

At the firm, Mr Choe is part of a team that manages a rooftop vegetable farm at their office building. He confesses that his work table is also overrun with plants. So it comes as no surprise that his apartment in Geylang is also filled with greenery. In fact, his home is possibly the greenest apartment in the entire development.