Edibles gardening takes root in Singapore

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SINGAPORE - The eight-week circuit breaker last year spurred many people on a search for hobbies.

Among them was Ms Shirley Jin, 54, who was looking for something more to do besides playing Nintendo Switch and exploring home cooking.

The sourcing manager was added to a WeChat gardening group and was drawn to the display of passion among members growing their own fruits and vegetables.

It was serendipitous that at around the same time, the National Parks Board had started distributing free seed packets under its Gardening with Edibles programme, which aims to encourage the public to grow edibles at home.

Launched in June 2020, the initiative brings nature into homes and is part of Singapore's vision of Growing our City in Nature.

Close to half a million seed packets have been distributed since the start of the programme, and Ms Jin and other participants are discovering the joys of gardening, including its role in helping to foster a stronger community spirit.

Using seeds given by NParks, Ms Jin has planted kang kong, cucumber, bok choy and ladies' fingers. The produce have made their way into the meals she prepares, including pickled cucumbers. She also uses some of the leafy greens as garnishing.

She said: "Being able to watch the seeds turn into vegetables, and then dishes on my dining table gave me a wonderful sense of achievement."

More people took up gardening of edibles last year amid the pandemic.

Ms Valerie Ting, 36, said that she has grown spinach and kailan using the Gardening with Edibles seeds, and is grateful that the initiative coincided with the circuit breaker period from last April to June.

The freelance art teacher had given birth in February last year, and was suffering from postpartum depression even as she worried about the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I needed something to distract myself," she said. "Then I started gardening. It gave me hope, and taught me to have a better mindset towards life. To have responsibility over something, and to see it successfully grow and change, makes one more positive and optimistic."

The rising interest in gardening saw Facebook group Urban Farmers (Singapore) increase its membership from 34,617 to 45,208 last year. Created in 2012, it is one of the biggest online platforms for local gardening enthusiasts.

Climbing instructor Jack Yam, 49, who runs the group, said: "Covid-19 has given people more time to try their hand at gardening. I noticed many more people coming online to ask questions about edibles gardening for beginners."

He has been encouraging his neighbours to take it up as well.

"The neighbour above me initially grew only basil. I taught her to grow microgreens and pea sprouts, and after that she started growing more: kailan, tomato, kale. Another neighbour of mine also began to grow kailan and kale."

Gardening helped to create bonds among the neighbours, said Ms Pang Wei Wei, who was introduced to the hobby by Mr Yam.

She said: "The households which did gardening shared knowledge with one another. We knew each other's families quite well. When I went out to the common corridor and watered my plants, neighbours would come along and have a chat."

She misses those days. "I recently moved, and at my new place, everyone tends to keep their doors closed."

NParks said its Gardening with Edibles initiative also contributes to food resilience, complementing the Singapore Food Agency's "30 by 30" goal of having 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs produced locally by the year 2030.

Mr Vincent Wei, 38, co-founder of agricultural technology start-up Archisen, said: "A lot of support is provided to local farmers, but Singaporeans need to want to eat it in the first place. Growing your own food will increase your appreciation and awareness of the importance of fresh local produce."

Dr Wilson Wong, a deputy director with NParks, said: "A robust gardening culture is important to Singapore. Taking it up as a pastime brings people from all walks of life together, as they learn from one another, unwind, and recharge."

 

5 tips for beginners

Those who are new to gardening can follow these tips by Dr Wilson Wong, a horticulturist and deputy director with the National Parks Board.

 

1. Choose the right plants

Plants suited for the warm and humid weather here include sweet potato, ladies' finger, long bean and cekur manis, also known as sweet leaf.

 

2. Overcoming space limits

Try making a vertical edible garden. Hang pots off the wall to grow leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and Chinese cabbage, or train vining crops onto a vertical mesh or trellis.

 

3. Easy-to-grow edibles

Some edibles like cekur manis and Brazilian spinach are easy to grow from stem cuttings. Cut healthy vegetative shoots of a mother plant and root them in a pot.

 

4. Good soil and drainage

Plant them in moist, well-drained soil. Combine good-quality compost and coarse grit, like expanded clay pellets, pumice or coarse sand, into a soil-based growing mix.

 

5. Location and lighting

Edible plants need about four to six hours of direct sunlight. Consider using artificial grow lights if needed.

 

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

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