With sustainability being on everyone’s mind recently, the gardeners at Herbs and Spices Garden, too, have embraced the concept with sustainable gardening practices. Herbs and Spices Garden is at Blk 633 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6. 

Mr Lim Hai Hoy, 68, Chairman of Yio Chu Kang Zone 8 Residents’ Committee (RC) and a gardener there, said: “One of our practices is that when we prune the leaves of plants, we will place them in a pail to ferment for two to three weeks. We will then use the fermented waste as fertiliser.”

Established in 2005, the garden is home to more than 50 herbs and spices. Some herbs grown there include clinacanthus nutans, which treats rashes and insect bites; mugwort, which addresses anxiety and digestive problems; and Herba Polygonum Chinense, for dysentery, enteritis and sore throat.

Mr Lim said: “We chose a theme of herbs and spices for the garden to promote wellness, as most residents in the area are seniors.”

Mr Lim and the other seven community gardeners there also buy soil compost and mix it with old soil that has been loosened and dried under the sun. “This method will boost the growth of the herbs, make them taste better and boost their medicinal properties,” said Mr Lim.

Sustainable gardening methods are also used in the community garden at Blk 624 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4 to help plants grow without harming the environment. “We use coffee residue and saw dust as our soil compost. We ferment the mix for about two months before using it,” shared community gardener Mr Ong Huat Seng, 64.

“Using sawdust and coffee residue will help to enrich the soil, which will make the colours of the herbs more vibrant. This type of soil compost will also enhance the nutritional properties of the herbs,” he added.

Currently, more than 100 types of herbs are grown in the garden. These include aloe vera, which soothes burns; cat’s whiskers, which treats inflammation; and strobilanthes crispus, or hei mian jiang jun (黑面将军) in Chinese. It supports the immune system.    

Mr Ong and his fellow gardeners also breed earthworms in the garden and use the earthworm waste as fertiliser. Betel leaves and other medicinal herbs are used to carpet the garden grounds to prevent weeds from growing. “Using these herbs also helps to prevent soil erosion during heavy rain as our community garden is built on a small slope,” Mr Ong explained.

Home gardening tips

With the recent rising interest in home gardening, Mr Lim and Mr Ong offer some tips to budding gardeners.

1 Choose a spot with sufficient sunlight and air circulation. Fresh air and sunlight will help plants grow well.

2 Do not overwater plants. Some plants require daily watering, while others don't. It's best to sprinkle water lightly on the plants while watering them.

3 Take discarded fruit peels and vegetables and ferment them. Use the liquid from the fermentation (called the eco-enzyme) to fertilise plants and repel insects. Dilute one bottle of the enzyme with three bottles of water before using, and use it only once a week.

4 It’s best to use filtered water to water plants. If you have to use tap water, let it rest for one or two days to allow chemicals such as chlorine to dissipate.

5 To speed up the growth of your plants, use coconut peat and mix it with old soil. 

[Chinese]

社区园丁积极采纳可持续的园艺管理，让蔬果和香草健康生长。例如，使用修剪下来的枝叶、咖啡渣、木屑和蚯蚓粪等自制有机肥料，以及把荖叶和其他药草铺在园地，防止杂草生长。

[Malay]

Kebun masyarakat kita telah mendakap amalan-amalan berkebun yang mampan. Sebagai contoh, mencantas dan memeram dedaun dan menggunakan hasil peraman sebagai baja; membiak cacing tanah dan menggunakan sisa buangan cacing sebagai baja; mengguna hampas kopi dan habuk kayu sebagai kompos tanah; mengguna daun sirih dan herba perubatan lain untuk menutupi permukaan kebun bagi mencegah penumbuhan rumpai.

[Tamil]

நமது சமூகத் தோட்டங்களில் நீடித்த நிலைத்தன்மைக்கு உகந்த தோட்டக்கலை நடைமுறைகள் வழக்கத்தில் உள்ளன. எடுத்துக்காட்டாக, இலைகளை அளவாக வெட்டி, மக்க வைத்து உரமாகப் பயன்படுத்துதல்; மண்புழுக்களை வளர்த்து, அவற்றின் கழிவை உரமாகப் பயன்படுத்துதல்; காப்பி வண்டலையும் மரத்தூளையும் மண் கலப்பு உரமாகப் பயன்படுத்துதல்; தோட்டத்தில் களைகள் வளராமல் தடுப்பதற்காக வெற்றிலைகளையும் மற்ற மூலிகைகளையும் பயன்படுத்துதல்.

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