More than a green space: How a Bukit Batok garden is bringing neighbours together

Singapore

At a 300 sq m community garden in Bukit Batok Central, residents are learning about plants, picking up gardening skills and forging friendships.

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13 Nov 2026 04:42PM

SINGAPORE: For 50-year-old Jon Tay, the people who gather at a community garden in Bukit Batok matter just as much as the plants they grow.

Mr Tay is the lead gardener at Bukit Batok Central Educational Garden, a 300 sq m green space between Blocks 621 and 622 Bukit Batok Central.

Once an empty grass patch with three trees, the site is now tended by up to 20 regular volunteers, mostly residents of the area.

Mr Tay, an aromatherapist who is also trained in psychology, helped start the ground-up initiative with a small group of residents.

The garden was submitted to the National Parks Board’s Community in Bloom programme in 2022, with planting beginning in 2023. The initiative supports community gardening across Singapore.

A Bukit Batok resident himself, Mr Tay wanted to turn the space into somewhere his neighbours could enjoy greenery, learn about plants and connect with one another.

PLANTS THAT BRING BACK MEMORIES

The garden cultivates a variety of herbs and fruit trees, including spearmint, Thai basil, jambu and chiku.

"We do not want just to be a garden that plants vegetables and then harvests and gives away. Of course, we still do that. We want to also showcase all different varieties," Mr Tay told CNA.

Mr Tay said seniors often tell him they rarely see jambu and chiku trees these days, although these were once familiar sights in kampungs.

"And for the kids, most importantly, at least they will be able to see the fruits (on trees) instead of seeing the fruits from the supermarket," he said.

The garden also provides fresh produce for the community.

In its early days, volunteers harvested vegetables about once every two months, distributing them to needy residents in Bukit Batok.

Mr Tay said they now rotate crops, growing herbs and spring onions after each batch of vegetables to help replenish nutrients in the soil.

Plants such as pandan, oyster plant and spring onions are harvested periodically and left at a nearby residents' centre for collection.

FINDING COMMON GROUND

Getting the garden off the ground involved more than designing the plot, obtaining approvals and choosing what to grow.

Mr Tay also had to encourage residents to see it as a place where they could unwind and connect with others.

Other ongoing challenges include unpredictable weather and coordinating volunteers' schedules.

Among the plants he takes pride in is an Arabica coffee plant that he has nurtured from a small seedling bought at a local nursery in late 2023.

“Many gardeners didn't think that it will grow in a climate like this,” he said.

Arabica coffee plants typically prefer cooler, higher-altitude conditions. To help it grow in Singapore's tropical climate, Mr Tay and the other gardeners placed it in partial shade.

They also use organic fertilisers and compost to keep the plant healthy.

For Mr Tay, there are parallels between understanding how plants adapt to different growing conditions and how people learn to work together.

"We can grow a lot of different kinds of varieties as long as we adjust accordingly to the climate. It's just like humans … adjusting ourselves," he said. 

Working with volunteers and workshop participants has also shown him that people have different ways of learning and doing things.

"So, when we come together, adjust to each other, I think this is really possible – having the idea of community," he added. 

GROWING FRIENDSHIPS

Beyond maintaining the garden, Mr Tay organises regular workshops to encourage residents to try gardening for themselves.

Held every month or two, the workshops typically attract 10 to 12 participants, most of them Bukit Batok residents. The workshops are free or charge a small fee to cover supplies.

Topics range from basic gardening and herb propagation to making natural mosquito sprays from lemongrass.

Drawing on his background in psychology and wellness education, Mr Tay said he takes participants' different learning needs into account to make gardening less intimidating for beginners.

His workshops include hands-on activities such as working with soil and smelling fresh herbs.

Many participants have little experience, but he believes anyone can learn with the right guidance and support.

"You don't need to (have) green fingers to be able to plant really well. Anyone can, as long as you’ve got the right knowledge, people willing to share with you," he said.

The workshops also attract residents who enjoy the company of fellow gardening enthusiasts.

"It's like kampung spirit. When I was young, I grew up in a kampung. So I love interacting with all these people, especially those who like gardening,” said one participant, who declined to be named.

She said regular visitors to the garden have become friends over time, with some now meeting for meals and other activities.

Mr Tay believes that while green spaces are important, it is the people who use them that give these places meaning.

"We can build many gardens, but at the end of the day, it will be a cold one if people don't come together like we have been doing," he said.

Source: CNA/mp(sn)