There's a green revolution taking hold in Hong Kong households, and it has nothing to do with energy saving or recycling. Where once a neglected dracaena or the yellowing saw-toothed leaves of a sword fern might have sat forgotten in the corner of a balcony, you're now more likely to find the plump purple fruit of an aubergine, or the crisp fresh aroma of a small mint bush.
If you think vegetable and herb gardening is the privilege of those blessed with a garden, think again. There is a small but growing band of gardeners for whom the concrete urban environment we live in presents an interesting challenge, yet one that is easy to overcome.
Many urban gardeners have found that turning over their plant pots to greens affords a level of satisfaction difficult to obtain from the tending of a flowering shrub.
Having spent many years studying and working in Britain, Michael Soong had seen first hand how growing one's own food was second nature in some households. Last year, when he took up his position as food and beverage manager at the Ladies' Recreation Club on Old Peak Road, he was surprised to find that, although it had a team of gardeners for its extensive collection of flowers and ferns, in 125 years the club had not grown herbs or vegetables.
With a bit of coaxing, a packet of seeds and a couple of near disasters during the typhoon season the head gardener now manages a small and sustainable supply of fresh basil, rosemary and oregano.
'It's not so much about saving money,' says Soong as he breathes in the sweet smell from a handful of leaves he's just plucked. 'It's just nice to be able to pick our own herbs and serve them to our members.'