Today we’re headed all the way to Singapore, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, to visit a garden that provides beauty and solace to a community.
We find our gardening hobby very enjoyable, and it helps to reduce our stress while also giving us opportunities to interact with nearby residents to develop close bonding. This brings back the community spirit we were missing.
This year, the garden has also offered us a breath of fresh air during the pandemic. Gardening gives us a way to spend time safely.
This square of land supports over 200 types of organic medicinal herbs, flowers, and fresh herbs for cooking, which all residents have access to. The garden has also obtained one Gold and two Bronze Awards during previous Singapore International Garden Festivals.
Many nearby residents visit the garden daily, including retirees, older residents in wheelchairs, and children with physical disabilities.
The garden is the result of our residents’ efforts for many years.
A wide range of plants can be grown in Singapore’s tropical climate, including one of the most iconic tropical plants, the brilliantly colored Bougainvillaea (Zones 9–11). This variety has soft pink bracts and variegated foliage. The lush diversity of the rest of the garden is visible behind.
And here’s another glowing bougainvillea in the garden. Beyond it you can see other containers filled with plants, and beyond that the tall apartment buildings that surround the garden. How wonderful to have this pocket of green in a dense, urban setting.
These garden beds are filled with a variety of plants used by the local residents.
The bright magenta of this bougainvillea is not from flower petals, but from modified leaves called bracts. The actual flowers are small and white, and are visible here and there on this flower head. The bracts last much longer than petals, ensuring a long-lasting display of beauty.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!
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