400 community gardens taking root

Groups of residents, students and company employees are joining NParks' scheme
Jessica Lim Straits Times 17 Jan 11;

JOIN the garden party.

Residents, students and company employees have been digging in to 'grow' 400 community gardens around the island, up from 100 in 2005 when the Community in Bloom (CIB) programme was launched by the National Parks Board (NParks).

These plots - 25sqm to 1,000sqm each - may look like small patches of shrubbery, but look closer and you may spot fruit trees, chilli padi plants and vegetables.

One such garden made the news last week, when a lorry ploughed into it, uprooting more than 10 trees. The garden, wrapped around a house in Sunset Heights, Clementi, runs beside 21m of pavement.

These gardens can sprout in common spaces in Housing Board estates, plots within a school and areas outside houses and condominiums.

The CIB programme takes root like this: Interested participants form a gardening group and meet NParks officials for gardening tips.

With NParks' help, they decide on what kind of garden they would like, its size and design. It typically takes about three months for a community garden to be launched, from inception to construction. Costs are usually borne by the gardening groups, though some have funding from town councils. The size of such groups varies, from 10 to 70 members.

Fruits and vegetables harvested are usually shared among the members, who may distribute some to those living near the garden. Some groups sell the fruits of their labour at flea markets, with profits channelled back to maintaining the garden.

'The gardens not only enhance Singapore's landscapes, but they also become venues that enhance community interaction, keeping the 'kampung' spirit alive,' said Mr Ng Cheow Kheng, deputy director of horticulture and community gardening at NParks.

'When people come together to grow their favourite flowers, herbs and vegetables, they naturally interact and bond, and community spirit blossoms.'

Mr Ng added that apart from NParks' efforts to promote the programme, its success is also due to participants who help spread the gardening bug.

NParks also organises the Community in Bloom Awards to recognise the best gardens.

Singapore Management University sociologist Chung Wai Keung said the trend is 'a reaction to the over-urbanised living environment in Singapore'. He added that 'planting gives individuals a sense of returning to a simple life', noting that the gardens also recreate a sense of community associated with rural life in the past.

Ms Christina Crane, 39, founder of the food-enthusiast group Locavore Singapore, has another theory to the rise in community gardens: More Singaporeans want to eat local food.

'As a society advances, people become more concerned about where their food comes from. One way to be sure of what you are eating is to grow your food in your own backyard,' she said.

But there have been occasions when the hard work came to nought. Vandals have struck in Pasir Ris, where plots were trampled on and vegetables ripped up. The garden is now fenced up.

Such setbacks have not curbed the sprouting of gardens here. At MacPherson Primary School, pupils and teachers have turned a once-bare patch to a plot growing vegetables and fruits. It is also used as an outdoor classroom with signs illustrating the importance of food sustainability.

Similar gardens have also taken hold in Thomson Garden Estate and at condos like Ivory Heights in Jurong.

At Jurong East Avenue 1, Madam Kamisah Atan, 53, tends a garden she helped to start in 2006. 'I like sunflowers and wanted to grow them but couldn't as there was not enough sunlight in the corridor outside my flat,' said the housewife who formed a gardening group with three neighbours. They approached the town council, which gave them a $3,000 grant. Now, the garden at Block 337, measuring about 7m by 20m, has longan and banana trees, herbs and ornamental blooms.

'It was back-breaking work. Tilling the soil was very hard work but worth it,' she said.

Keen on starting a garden?
Straits Times 17 Jan 11;

HOW to start a Community in Bloom project (steps may differ depending on location):

# Step 1:

Form a gardening group among your neighbours. Get support for the project from the residents' committee, and inform the town council to get the go-ahead.

# Step 2:

Contact the National Parks Board (NParks) to help select a suitable location. Factors to consider include ground conditions and whether the garden will, say, obstruct motorists' views.

# Step 3:

Organise a session where NParks can share tips on good gardening practices, and recruit more participants for the project.

# Step 4:

Plan your garden with NParks' help. Officials can help you select the plants and decide on the size of the plot and the garden's design.

# Step 5:

Get the plan endorsed by the town council. Then prepare the ground yourself or hire a contractor. The group needs to buy the plants, gardening materials and tools. Start gardening immediately to avoid hardening or erosion of soil.

The garden will be left to the group to maintain. But NParks will step in if it deems that the garden has been neglected. It will then work with the group to see how it can help. For more information, go to www.nparks.gov.sg/cib

NParks will be organising Gardeners' Day Out from March 12 to 13 at the HortPark in Alexandra to cater to gardening enthusiasts and those keen on the Community in Bloom project.