community in bloom
TRANSCRIPT
Community In Bloom
Community In BloomSingapore’s
National Gardening Movement
Community In Bloom (CIB)is a program, launched in 2005,that aims to foster a gardening culture among the people in Singapore.
CIB facilitates and guides residents, students and workers in Singapore to set up and sustain their community gardening projects where they can gather to plant and care for their own favourite plants including flowers, herbs, spices, vegetables and fruit trees.
CIB program is a collaboration with partners including Town Councils, Housing Development Board, People’s Association, National Library Board, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the private sector who provide a range of support such as – land use, garden set-up, grassroots liaison, gardening talks and other initiatives.
CIB aspires to link-up all gardeners and community gardening groups islandwide into a self-sustaining National Gardening Movement.
Plans & Strategies…
The Community In Bloom logo
The logo symbolizes Singapore’s multi-ethnic communities coming together to cultivate gardens, sharing tips and ideas and helping one another enjoy gardening.
Plans & Strategies…
What is Community Gardening
Community gardening is a collective effort by the people to cultivate plants and gardens on common green areas for all to enjoy. These gardens usually consist of flowers, herbs, spices, vegetables and fruit trees.
Individuals in the community to take up the initiative and responsibility for organizing, planting and maintaining the gardens. An essential aspect is that the garden be a focal point for people to come together to enjoy this activity as a group.
Apart from tending to their plants, these plant lovers meet regularly to share gardening tips and plant specimens. They organise visits to other gardens to meet like-minded people and to exchange innovative gardening ideas. They even reach out to other communities to help with the setting up of new gardens.
The Community Gardening Movement
The history of community gardening goes back to 1649, when a group of English peasants gathered in the town of Surrey, to cultivate the common land that belonged to the King.
Three hundred years later, the roots of modern community gardening movement were formed in the Second World War. They were started as ‘Victory Gardens’as part of a rallying cry to support the war effort. Then, urban dwellers of countries involved in the war kept their troops supplied with vegetables and fruits grown from these ‘Victory Gardens’.
Community gardening now flourishes in many countries across the globe where thousands of gardening groups bloomed in towns and cities.
In Singapore, the community gardening movement comprises of over 400 gardening groups based in residential estates, schools and organizations.
www.nparks.gov.sg/cib_gardens
Plans & Strategies…
How are Community Gardening projects organised
Community gardening projects are initiated and managed by community groups in the following categories:
Public Housing Estates – Gardens can be cultivated together by residents on common green spaces around residential blocks. The project is managed by the Residents’ Committee.
Private Housing Estates –Gardens can be cultivated together by residents on roadside green verges in front of landed properties or on common green spaces around condominiums. The project is managed by the Neighbourhood Committee or Residents’ Association.
Educational Institutions – Gardens can be cultivated together by students or parent volunteers on green spaces within the school compound or on common green spaces outside the school compound. The project can be managed by the Green/Environmental club of the school.
Organisations – Gardens can be cultivated together by workers or volunteers on green spaces within the organisation’s premises, or on common green spaces outside of the organisation’s premises. The project can be managed by the Green Club or Environmental Club of the organisation.
Plans & Strategies…
What are the Benefits of Gardening
The benefits of gardening are plenty. Lifting the shovel to dig and using the garden fork to loosen the garden bed helps to improve blood circulation. It provides the strength training to improve muscular control and maintain bone density.
Studies have revealed that just looking at the garden has healthy psychological benefits. The colours and scent of flowers in a garden stimulate the senses and soothes the mind.
Gardening together, as a community, with neighbours and friends brings even more benefits. It brings people together in a friendly environment where they can grow their favourite plants together and at the same time, cultivate their friendship. Sowing seeds, nurturing them into maturity and sharing the harvest together bring plenty of joy.
Benefits of Community Gardening•Promotes a healthy lifestyle through active recreation
•Increases a sense of belonging and community ownership
•Builds community leaders
•Fosters social interaction & bonding among people in the community
•Empowers the community to beautify their own environment
•Builds self-reliance
•Promotes greater understanding towards greenery
•Turns vacant common spaces into focal points for the community
Plans & Strategies…
Community Gardeners’ Favorites
Tampines Starlight RC community garden, Tampines Street 72
This community garden started with humble beginnings in 2006. It has since been transformed through the hard work of more than 20 active gardeners who cultivate vegetables and flowers daily. Visitors to this lovely garden will enjoy the myriad of colourful plants and edibles as they explore the garden.
Sembawang RC Zone E community garden, Woodlands Drive 6
This community garden is innovative in lay out, open, and integrated with other residential amenities. It is gardened by over 40 residents. Sections of the garden are allocated for food plants (vegetables, herbs, and spices) as well as flowering and ornamental plants.
Plans & Strategies…
Pasir Ris RC Zone 5, Pasir Ris Street 51One of the biggest community gardens in Singapore, this beautiful garden achieved the Platinum Award and won the Best Community Garden. Over 70 residents are actively gardening here with a wide variety of edible plants, succulent plants, and ornamental plants. Students from nearby schools visit this garden regularly to learn about plants and the environment from the gardeners.
Plans & Strategies…
Ivory Heights Condominium community garden, Jurong EastThis lovely garden achieved the Platinum Award and won the Best New Garden (Private Estate) in CIB Awards 2008. It started in 2007 as a little gardening patch and has grown many folds to incorporate sculptures and resting corners where residents can gather and unwind.
Building A Vibrant & Sustainable Gardening Network
Springleaf Estate NC community garden, Thong Soon Neighbourhood Park
A relatively new gardening group, this community garden is home to a variety of flowering and ornamental plants of different heights, colours and texture, which are cultivated alongside herbal and medicinal plants.
Building A Vibrant & Sustainable Gardening Network
Mayfair Park Estate community gardens The Mayfair Park Estate Neighbourhood Committee community gardening project involves over half of the 150 households in the estate. The project was successful due to effort put in by NC volunteers to encourage & sustain neighbours interest in beautifying their roadside verges in the estate.
Macpherson Primary School community garden This innovative school garden combines National Education with gardening, illustrating the importance of food sustainability and self-sufficiency. In this garden students take turns to sustain the plants and use this garden as an outdoor classroom.
Assumption English School community garden In this inspirational school gardens, teachers and students work hand in hand with parent volunteers to organisetheir garden-related activities. Together, they achieved numerous awards at the Singapore Garden Festival, Sentosa Flower Show and other gardening competitions organised by various organisations.
U Live – Eco Club community garden, Downtown East Volunteers from U Live – Eco Club got together to plan and plant this ‘Spa’ garden. In addition to maintaining this garden regularly, volunteers organise activities such as gatherings and visits to plant nurseries, roadshows and garden display at the Singapore Garden Festival.
Yokogawa Engineering Asia Pte Ltd community garden, Bedok South Blooming flowers and manicured gardens welcome workers and visitors to the factory premises of this MNC. Inside, a group of workers plant and cultivate their own herbs, spices and fruit trees. A garden at the rooftop is adorned with blooming flowers, where workers and visitors unwind.
Plans & Strategies…
How to Start a Community Gardening project
Starting a community gardening project is now easier under the CIB program, with help from NParks and supporting partners.
First, gather like-minded participants in your neighbourhood, school or organisation. Then, approach your Residents/ Neighbourhood Committee or the heads of your school/ organisation to obtain approval and support for the community gardening project.
Next, contact NParks to help you determine a good gardening site, plan out the garden layout, get tips on gardening, and link up with other gardening groups.
A successful community garden needs long term commitment to sustain the garden. Proper planning, including raising funds, organising activities to sustain interest and practising good gardening etiquettes are essential for the long term sustainability of the project.
The guidance given by NParks to start-up groups are customisedaccording to their needs- from recruitment of participants to post-setting-up consultations.
Ornamental plants growing alongside food plants at Ivory Heights
Successful community gardening projects are cultivated on:
Proper Planning & Support• organise & inspire your community towards the project• appoint a leader to encourage & motivate participants• spend some time to plan the garden details• raise funds to set up and sustain the garden
Active participation• allow creativity to plant• have a common understanding of roles and do’s & don’ts• create room for expansion• organise activities to engage nearby communities to get involved
Good Gardening practices & aesthetics• maintain good garden housekeeping• practice good gardening habits• plant flowers and colourful plants to decorate the garden• allocate proper storage areas for tools & materials
Tips for Success
Making it fun & easy for participants to enjoy their gardening activities will help keep interest alive & ensure long term viability of a community gardening project.- Mohd Azmi, Head (CIB), NParks
We organise our own competitions for our gardeners to spur them & reward their good efforts.- Philip Nah, Woodlands Zone 2 RC
We organise garden open days and share plants from our garden with neighbours - Gina Ong, Marine Crescent Ville RC
Our staff is given time to do gardening as in many ways, it helps improve productivity. - Albert Quek, Yokogawa Engr Asia
Our students express their creativity in planting their own school garden and use their garden for fun outdoor learning. - Normala Alias, Kranji Sec School
Plans & Strategies…
How you can Sustain a Community Gardening project
Sustaining a community gardening project in the long term requires commitment by everyone involved. Project leaders play an important role by:
• Creating an environment that supports the growth and continuity of the project.
• Adopting an inclusive approach that engages other members of the community around the garden and providing opportunities for them to get involved will help prevent or ameliorate problems such as vandalism and pilferage.
• Ensuring adequate material support and organising activities at the grassroots / organisational level to encourage and recognise contributions are just some ways in which they can create a conducive environment for participants.
Be A Community In Bloom Friend!
Love gardening and want to help others enjoy gardening too?
Sign up as a CIB Friend and look out for opportunities to help out in the following areas:
• Promote the benefits of gardening during exhibitions and community events
• Share skills with start-up community gardening groups to guide them in their project
• Conduct gardening talks
• Take part in planting and maintenance activities
Plans & Strategies…
How does NParks help sustain Community Gardening projectsApart from guiding start-up community gardening groups to plan their garden, NParks also organises activities at the national level:
Community In Bloom Awards• Biennial gardening competition for community gardening groups to celebrate their gardening efforts and achievements
Community In Bloom Friends scheme• A volunteer scheme that creates opportunities for individuals to help promote the gardening bug and help others embark on gardening
Community In Bloom Ambassadors Award• An award given to volunteers and activists who have gone the extra mile to promote and help others enjoy gardening
Singapore Garden Festival• A premier international garden festival that features a gathering of community gardening groups, for them to showcase their efforts to visitors
Gardening Talks• Regular gardening talks of varying and interesting topics organisedregional libraries, HortPark and Community Clubs
Gatherings & Networking sessions• Casual get-together sessions at HortPark where gardening groups can exchange ideas and plants
How can Schools sustain their gardening activities
Community In Bloom Schools resources help teachers and students turn school gardens into outdoor classroom for fun and interactive learning. It helps children get to know better about the wonders of plants and our environment.
The school garden is a great place to learn and practice science and mathematic skills, photographic skills, team building skills, etc. Available in both Primary and Secondary levels, the CIB Schools resources include activity sheets and lesson plans for teachers to facilitate self-directed learning among students. Visit the following website to browse or obtain a copy:
www.nparks.gov.sg/cib_schools
Plans & Strategies…
How You can help as volunteers
CIB Friends and Ambassadors play an important role in building the gardening network by helping to promote and let others experience the joy of gardening.
They take part in gardening booths during community events to interact with visitors and exchange gardening tips, they guide others to set up community gardening projects, they conduct gardening talks, they open up their own community gardens to teach start up groups and they help organise gardening-related activities. These are just some of the ways in which ‘CIB Friends’ volunteers are contributing their time and effort towards promoting the love for gardening.
To get to know your friendly Community In Bloom Ambassadors or to sign up as CIB Friends, visit:
www.nparks.gov.sg/cib_ambassadors
National Gardening Movement
Singapore’s gardening network comprises of hundreds of community gardening groups spread out islandwide. They are based in:• public and private housing estates – highrise and landed housing estates, • educational institutions – from pre-school to tertiary institutions• organisations - charities, places of worship, community clubs, corporations, hotels, etc
These community gardening groups regularly interact with one another through garden visits, exchange of plants and gardening tips, and collaborate in events such as the Singapore Garden Festival. Through these initiatives, they help foster a sustainable national gardening movement.
To find out your nearest community garden, or to include your community garden in the network, visit:
www.nparks.gov.sg/cib_gardens
Happy Gardening!
Contact us for more info:
Tel: 64717808Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nparks.gov.sg/cib