A chance meeting with a group of community gardeners changed the life of a young boy, turning him from a self-confessed computer game-addict to an avid gardener. As testimony to his conversion, 13-year-old Ng Jia Wei became the youngest recipient of the CIB (Community in Bloom) Ambassador Award, given out last October at the launch of Clean and Green Singapore 2012.

Jia Wei with fellow gardeners tending to their plots in the Woodgrove Zone 2 RC community garden.

It all started with a chat

Jia Wei had long been interested in plants and nature.

His parents recalled how when he was younger, he would ask them for the names of plants he saw. But his interest in community gardening came about when he was walking his younger sister to school one day in 2010. He came across a group of women tending to the Woodgrove Zone 2 RC community garden and stopped to chat with them. Mr Kelvin Khoo, the gardening leader, found out about his interest and invited Jia Wei to join them. But it wasn't easy at first for the Jia Wei to convince the older gardeners of his sincerity. "They thought I was there just for the fun of it," recalled Jia Wei.

To show he was serious, Jia Wei and his family set about improving the garden. They contributed cabinets and helped index the plots, which belong to different gardeners, to make the garden more organised. His family now helps out regularly at the garden. His father, a police officer, assists other members to build their plots using eco-friendly materials. His mother, an administrative sales manager whom he describes as a perfectionist, tidies up the garden and maintains the administrative records. His little sister, who is seven, helps water the plants and cultivate new ones.

Jia Wei (in orange) with his family at their plot.

His parents and sister also help out regularly at the garden, but he has yet to convince his younger brother to join the group. Jia Wei, who enjoys nature photography, regularly posts pictures of the garden on the Woodgrove Community Garden Facebook page and website. Sometimes he also posts pictures or share links from the NParks Facebook page.

He also started a computer club, which created a buzz of excitement among the gardening members. The butterfly lover – his favourite is the orange Plain Tiger – has also started breeding butterflies and caterpillars. He sells the caterpillars he rears, and the proceeds have helped WCG purchase more compost.

Making new friends and gaining new converts

In addition to making new friends online, Jia Wei actively champions the gardening community at Hua Yi Secondary School where he is currently studying. Last year, he started a garden in class by bringing in plants from the community garden. He and his classmates took turns to tend to the plants. His classmates became so enthusiastic that they even asked their form teacher to buy more plants for the class garden!

 
Jia Wei (4th from left) with his family and fellow Woodgrove community gardeners at HortPark’s Gardener’s Day Out Gardening Bazaar last September. They were selling the plants they had grown in the garden. Fresh from receiving his CIB award, Jia Wei now hopes to get more residents in Woodlands involved in the community garden and bond over the joys of gardening.

By Azza Dina

If you are interested in learning more about plants, you can check out our Flora and Fauna website. Or, if you prefer, learn how to breed butterflies for your own garden.