Some say that gardening is a hobby best suited to those living in landed houses, equipped with plots of land for their own yards or gardens. At Blk 666 Jalan Damai, a group of dedicated community gardeners begs to differ.

The garden at Jalan Damai has come a long way since its origins of weedy patches amid muddy stepping stones. The weeds have given way to a colourful collection of ornamentals, flourishing in plots bounded neatly by earth bricks. The garden is now adorned with orchids, ornamental bananas, a variety of Coleus species, and a myriad of other botanical eye-candy. These are grown alongside herbs and other edibles such as ‘Ulam Raja’ (wild Cosmos), chives and tapioca.

Led by Ms Maggie Sim and Ms Jennifer Goh, the garden now sees about 30 community gardeners actively taking part in its growth and upkeep, and its membership is set to grow even bigger. Its revamp, say residents, was the result of careful planning and ‘gotong royong’ – Malay for ‘community self-help’. This group of neighbours has been toiling together for weeks, driven by sheer hard work and community spirit to bring the garden to its present state of vibrancy and new life.

In this garden, necessity is indeed the mother of invention. The community gardeners were clearly inspired by recycled materials when redecorating and reviving the garden. The garden features paths made out of discarded drain covers and an entrance archway crafted from abandoned crates. Incredibly enough, the gardeners even constructed wooden doors from a discarded baby-cot.

The efforts of the Jalan Damai gardeners, along with some 320 other community gardening groups throughout Singapore, have brought many benefits. "This used to be an empty piece of land, but now, with everyone's effort, we have made it into a beautiful garden. I'm happy that the residents were able to work together to make our neighbourhood a greener and better place," said Ms Maggie Sim, the community garden's leader. Indeed, these gardens are living proof that the kampong spirit of yesteryear is being kept alive and well.

Community gardening is hardly a new concept. The first reported instance took place in 1649, when a group of peasants from the English town of Surrey gathered to grow flowers and edible plants on common land that belonged to the King.

In modern times, the community gardening movement developed to support the war effort during World Wars I & II: urban dwellers in Britain and the United States planted ‘Victory Gardens’, to keep their frontline troops supplied with vegetables and fruits.

By Mohamad Azmi

The Jln Damai community garden in full bloom, well cared-for by residents living in the nearby HDB blocks.

The community garden before its transformation at the hands of the capable community gardeners

A few of the members of the community gardening effort, posing amid the fruits of their labour.