The English have a famous saying for topiaries - which are shrubs or trees trimmed into ornamental shapes.
"Good structure is to the autumn garden what good bones are to the ageing face."
This was in direct reference to the soggy, muddy messiness of autumn when the English rainy season and the onset of winter would render most gardens unattractive to the eye.
Topiaries such as the yew topiary defy the caprice of the seasons, maintaining good structure and form throughout the year.
Visitors to Gardens by the Bay's final display in the Pocket Gardens Surprise series, which is on till Nov 22, will get to see how the English cajole and tease their gardens into shape. Since July, there have been 10 pocket gardens in the series.
Gardening enthusiasts will get to see different styles from the highly manicured 17th-century formal garden to the more relaxed and naturalistic 18th-century English landscape garden. There will also be yew topiaries, box hedges and an array of flowering shrubs such as lilium, impatiens, begonia and cyclamen that feature in classic English landscaping.
Info: For tickets, go to Gardens by the Bay's website. Safety measures are in place, such as wearing masks during photo-taking, not gathering in groups of more than five people and observing a safe distance of 1m from other visitors.
New online store launches range of Korean ceramic dining ware
Korean dining ware brand The Moon Jar launches its artisanal series of Korean ceramics this week, which pays homage to Joseon Korea's earliest known earthenware, the Moon Jar.
The online store was founded in August by Korean-German couple Hwon Kang and Philipp Schulze.
Ms Hwon, 27, says: "We have positioned The Moon Jar as an online store for now and we are also looking at increasing our inventory with more handcrafted ceramics from other parts of Asia."
At the heart of the present collection are handmade works by Korean master ceramicists from the Icheon Ceramics Village, such as Kim Seok Binn, whose Blueline Collection fuses contemporary curves with hand-painted cobalt lines framing white porcelain.
Another artist, Yang Hye Rin, focuses on nature-inspired chef-quality pieces that have resulted from collaborations with New York Madison Avenue's O:N Restaurant and Michelin-starred Jeju Noodle Bar.
Info: For the full collection and more information, go to The Moon Jar's website
Dyson's savings and giveaways season
With Singles Day on Nov 11, Black Friday (Nov 27) and Cyber Monday (Nov 30) coming up, British consumer electronics company Dyson is offering a range of gifts and promotions from now till Nov 30.
It is giving a $400 discount for a bundle purchase of its Pure Cool Cryptomic air purifier tower fan and Dyson Pure Cool Me personal air purifier fan at its promotional price of $1,098.
There are also savings and giveaways worth up to $120 for purchases of selected cordless vacuum cleaners, air purifier fans, haircare machines and lighting at its physical stores at Capitol Singapore, Westgate shopping mall, Beauty Lab at Funan mall as well as on its online store.
Info: Go to Dyson's website
