COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM

NParks' gardening programme marks its 20th anniversary

- Venessa Lee

As the Community in Bloom (CIB) gardening programme by the National Parks Board (NParks) marks its 20th anniversary in 2025, plans for training and expansion are under way.

Mr Thomas Lee, NParks' director for Community Partnerships (Engagement), says: "It's time for us to provide structured training for our CIB ambassadors to extend outreach and engagement to the community and to fellow gardeners."

The Master Community Gardener training series was launched recently. Conducted by NParks horticulture experts, topics include soil management, plant nutrition and pest and disease control. Electives on using social media for engagement as well as therapeutic horticulture are being planned, says Mr Lee.

The pilot batch of four sessions was held in July for 20 CIB ambassadors. More than 100 CIB ambassadors have been appointed by NParks so far. These are volunteers with excellent horticulture skills who engage others through gardeningbased activities and sharing their knowledge.

From fewer than 200 community gardening groups in its first year in 2005, there are now over 2,000 CIB groups in Singapore, comprising more than 48,000 gardening enthusiasts.

NParks marked the milestone with the opening of the Horticulture Festival at HortPark on Aug 23. It runs till Aug 31.

CIB ambassador Lee May La, 69, who attended the training in July, has been a volunteer leader at three gardens under the Bukit Batok Zone 2 Residents' Network since 2011.

These comprise Cosy Garden, which has a vast array of plants; Lush Garden, which features sculptures made by CIB ambassador and retired office manager Richard Ashworth, 71, and others; and Therapeutic Garden, which provides a sensory experience through scent and touch. Altogether, these make up nearly 20,000 sq ft in space near Block 106 Bukit Batok Central.