More ground-up green activities island-wide for public to sign up for, as Community in Bloom programme celebrates 20th anniversary

More ground-up green activities island-wide for public to sign up for, as Community in Bloom programme celebrates 20th anniversary

- Public can enjoy a range of free gardening-related activities organised by community gardeners, as part of new “Grow and Share” initiative

- Registration for Horticultural Competition and Community Garden Edibles Competition opens today

Singapore, 13 March 2025 – The public can now sign up for a slew of green activities organised by community gardening groups island-wide, with the launch of a new “Grow and Share” initiative by the National Parks Board (NParks). Kicking off the year-round celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the Community in Bloom (CIB) programme, the “Grow and Share” initiative encourages community gardeners to share the joy of gardening with the wider community through a range of activities such as garden tours, gardening workshops, healthy cooking demonstrations and harvest sharing. 

The 20th anniversary celebrations will culminate in Horticulture Festival (HortFest), which will be held at HortPark in August 2025. Besides celebrating our local gardening community, HortFest will showcase our local horticultural excellence through various displays and programmes.  The top entries from the popular Horticultural Competition and Community Garden Edibles Competition will be among the displays that public can look forward to at HortFest. Registration for both competitions, which provide a platform for budding and experienced gardeners alike to showcase their horticultural skills, opens today. 

Launched in 2005, the CIB programme has fostered a gardening culture among Singaporeans by encouraging and facilitating gardening efforts by the community. Through community gardening, residents can develop greater a sense of ownership of our green spaces. 

The CIB programme has bloomed over the years, from fewer than 200 community gardening groups in the first year to a thriving community with over 2,000 such groups involving more than 48,000 gardening enthusiasts in community gardening across the island. There are also currently over 100 CIB Ambassadors, who are passionate volunteers that actively share their knowledge with the community and lead gardening projects to improve green spaces. 

For more information on the CIB programme, visit https://go.gov.sg/cib20.

In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the CIB programme, NParks has launched a new “Grow and Share” initiative that encourages community gardening groups to initiate activities to share their gardening knowledge and passion with the wider community. These activities can take place within community gardens or at other suitable community spaces and will provide opportunities for the public to connect with nature and develop a stronger appreciation for local green initiatives. 

The activities will be updated as more community gardening groups come onboard the “Grow and Share” initiative in the coming months. Interested members of public can look out for these upcoming activities on GardeningSG (https://go.gov.sg/gardeningsg). 

For more information on the “Grow and Share” initiative, visit https://go.gov.sg/cibgrowandshare.

From today, local gardeners can sign up for the popular Horticultural Competition and Community Garden Edibles Competition, which make their return this year. 

The Horticultural Competition, which started in 2019, showcases the horticultural mastery of gardening enthusiasts across four competition categories – air plants, aroids, begonias and succulents. Pre-registration for Horticultural Competition ends on 14 August 2025. Walk-in submission can be done on 21 August 2025 from 9 am to 5 pm at HortPark.

The Community Garden Edibles Competition, which was launched in 2015, recognises the abilities of local gardeners to grow quality harvests. It features 10 categories, including two new edible categories this year – Herbs and Leafy Vegetables. Pre-registration for the Community Garden Edibles Competition ends on 14 April 2025. Walk-in submission of harvests can be done on 19 August 2025 from 9 am to 7 pm at HortPark.

The top entries from both competitions will be displayed at HortFest in August 2025, where the winners will also be announced. 

In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the CIB programme, and to celebrate horticultural excellence, NParks will be holding the first HortFest at HortPark from 23 to 31 August 2025. HortFest will feature impressive competition displays and horticultural showcases, as well as a week-long lineup of guided garden tours, gardening workshops and demonstrations, and a marketplace. More details will be available on https://go.gov.sg/hortfest2025 when ready. 

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