Childhood
How it began.
My connection with lotus began long before I started growing them. As a boy, I would see lotus at the Buddhist hall. My mother, a Chinese teacher, wrote under the pen name 白荷—White Lotus.
Years later, I brought home my first lotus from a nursery. One pot gradually became many, as I discovered the colours, forms and growing habits of these plants.
Today, my garden in Simpang Bedok holds everything from towering lotus to miniature varieties, alongside a collection of waterlilies. There is always something growing, changing or waiting to bloom.
Retirement
A grower's curiosity.
Retirement gave me more time to pursue this interest. My engineering background shaped the way I approached it: observe carefully, ask questions, try different methods and learn from the results.
I experimented with soil, pot sizes, feeding and plant care, often watching the results over several growth cycles. Some approaches worked; others sent me back to the drawing board.
One lesson became central to my growing practice:
温带荷花跟随季节，热带荷花跟随周期。
In temperate climates, we follow the seasons. In the tropics, we follow the lotus growth cycle.
Understanding that rhythm changed how I grew lotus—and how I helped others grow them.
Sharing
Learning, then sharing.
I began posting photographs on Facebook and Instagram simply to share what was flowering in my garden.
People started asking questions. Why had their lotus stopped flowering? Could a waterlily grow in a pot? What should they do differently?
Those conversations grew into friendships, requests for plants and opportunities to help with ponds. Along the way, friends and followers began calling me Dr Lotus.
In 2024, I brought my practical experience together in two illustrated beginner's guides: Lotus in Bloom and Waterlily in Bloom, followed by Chinese editions.
Today, I continue sharing through books, talks, workshops, pond consultation and personal guidance.
Most mornings
Growing a community.
Some of my most enjoyable mornings are spent tending ponds alongside fellow growers. We plant, repot, exchange observations and learn from one another.
I enjoy helping people understand their plants, whether they are caring for their first pot at home or looking after a larger water garden.
What began as a personal interest has become a small business and a community of friends. The flowers brought us together; the shared experience keeps us growing.
