Hidden in plain sight in bustling Chinatown is Little Big Garden, a boutique plant shop specialising in kokedama. What's that, you ask? Originating in Japan, kokedama refers to plants (originally bonsai) grown in moss ('koke') balls ('dama'). Fairly easy to make, kokedama can also be displayed in a variety of ways – free standing on any flat surface you choose or strung up in the garden.
Occupying a cosy, second-floor shophouse space on Sago Street, Little Big Garden greets you with a waft of cool, clean and earthy scent from the living plants that crowd the space. Spot the sign declaring "Plants are for Tinder dates. Plants are for soul mates" and you know you're in a true plant lover's den – if the shelves of potted plants, air plants and aquatic set-ups have yet to clue you in. We spotted feathering asparagus fern, the charming curling leaves of ficus benjamina barok in kokedama, and the deep rusty leaves of fire fern, among many others.
Towards the front of the shophouse is a working space where the magic happens. Little Big Garden runs kokedama workshops ($70/pax) for individuals, groups, and corporates. Swing by and learn how to create your very own 'living pot'. The shop provides the materials – usually soil, coconut fibre, sphagnum moss, and a plant. Within the two hour session, you'll get to make two kokedama, learn all about plant care, and get to bring your creations home.
We all know how bustling Chinatown can get – Little Big Garden is an unexpected green oasis in the heart of it all.
