Nestled at Level 5 of HQ SCDF is a community garden where 15 SCDF staff come together to grow, harvest, and share their produce. Meet the HQ SCDF Gardening Club!
LTA Chong Fu Jack (left) and LTC Amelia Lim (right) shared the origins of the HQ SCDF community garden and their gardening journey with Rescue995. PHOTO: SCDF
With a budding interest in gardening, LTC Amelia Lim initially experimented with plants on her own. After a few rounds of disappointing yields, she joined online gardening groups to learn more. For LTA Chong Fu Jack, his interest in horticulture and the sustainability movement motivated him to learn more about gardening.
Sharing the vision to build a community space for gardeners, they roped in like-minded colleagues to create a community garden at SCDF. After attending a workshop on the basics of gardening, LTC Amelia and LTA Jack followed up with extensive research and groundwork in their free time.
“From our visits to community rooftop gardens at multi-storey carparks in Jurong West and Woodlands, we saw that Singapore’s climate and abundant sunshine provides an ideal environment to grow a large variety of vegetables,” LTC Amelia recalled.
LTC Amelia and LTA Jack also considered different urban farming options, including hydroponics and aeroponics. While these high-tech systems are space-efficient and innovative, LTA Jack felt they do not offer as many opportunities for social interaction compared to a community garden.
LTA Jack and LTC Amelia tending to the plants at the community garden. PHOTO: SCDF
“We wanted to build a community where we could share gardening skills and knowledge while cultivating the plants together. We chose a planter box over the sophisticated systems, as it allows us to control what we plant and the type of soil we use,” LTA Jack explained.
The basins at the bottom of the planter box drain excess water while keeping the soil moist. PHOTO: SCDF
Participation in the first planter box was encouraging, with about 10 people coming forward to plant vegetables such as chilli, tomatoes, and basil. “National servicemen, senior officers, and even retired officers came to support the project. Some of them were secret avid gardeners who surprised us with their expertise. Through this shared passion for gardening, we made connections with people whom we might otherwise have had few interactions with. It’s truly about building a community where everyone comes together and learns from one another,” LTA Jack recounted.
In their first garden bed, the members planted tomatoes, sweet basil, Thai basil, holy basil, okra, lemon borage, Indian borage, and more. PHOTO: SCDF
Reflecting on their first planter box, LTC Amelia said, “We grew just one tomato, but it was infested with pests. Sadly, we had to remove it to protect the other plants from damage. We also realised that in our eagerness, we had overcrowded the planter box with too many plants!”
For their second attempt, the members spaced the plants further apart into three rows of five. However, the planter box was still overcrowded. “Gardening is a continuous learning process of trial and error,” LTC Amelia noted. “We must keep experimenting, learning, and improving with each attempt.”
Currently, the HQ SCDF Gardening Club’s 15 members manage the garden beds on a weekly rotation. On sunny days with little rainfall, they check the soil’s moisture and water the plants when necessary.
Stick your finger into the soil up to your knuckle. If the soil does not stick to your skin, it is a good time to water the plants. PHOTO: SCDF
The members regularly monitor the plants’ growth and check for pests. “From far, the plant may look healthy, but when you flip the underside of the leaf, the bugs may be hiding there,” said LTC Amelia.
The members use adhesive traps (left) to catch pests which often hide on the underside of leaves (right). PHOTO: SCDF
Once the plants flower, the team carefully prunes them to ensure continued growth. “For plants such as basil, if you want to encourage more leaves to grow, you have to cut the flower buds frequently,” LTC Amelia shared.
“After each round of pruning, we share the cuttings with colleagues who can grow them at home or use them for cooking. That’s the beauty of having a community garden,” she added, with a smile.
SCDF staff took home cuttings of Thai basil flowers to grow, and sweet basil leaves as toppings for homemade pizza. PHOTO: SCDF
Like any other hobby, tending to the plants is therapeutic and helps to refresh your mind. PHOTO: SCDF
For LTC Amelia, caring for plants mirrors the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. “Every plant has its unique conditions to thrive. Just as overwatering and underwatering can harm a plant’s health, relationships can be strained by caring too much for or neglecting someone. It is important to find a balance - knowing when to offer support and when to give the person space to grow independently,” she explained.
Based on his gardening experience, LTA Jack echoed the same sentiment. “Gardening requires a lot of tender loving care,” he said. “Blindly increasing the amount of fertiliser and water will not help the plants to grow any faster. Rather, it takes time to prune and water them, check for pests, position them for the best sunlight, and adjust the soil mix for optimal growth. When the plant finally bears fruit, the sense of satisfaction is truly rewarding.”
Similar to seedlings, people grow with time, patience, and support. PHOTO: SCDF / LTC Amelia Lim
Drawing a parallel between gardening and his career journey, LTA Jack added, “We started with seeds smaller than a five-cent coin. With time and patience, the seeds grew and bore fruits, illustrating how the environment shapes the outcome. Likewise, in our careers, we all start small, but with support from colleagues and supervisors, we learn and grow. It is a long journey but eventually, you will see the fruits of your labour and that feels amazing.”
After weeks of meticulous care, the plants are ready for harvest, yielding a bountiful array of Thai basil, sweet basil, holy basil, okra, Indian borage, lemon borage, chye sim and bok choy.
All smiles as the HQ SCDF Gardening Club members harvested the fresh and crisp vegetables. PHOTO: SCDF
Immense joy and satisfaction as the members shared their harvest with colleagues. PHOTO: SCDF
Although the HQ SCDF Gardening Club is only a few months old, it has quickly become a close-knit group. The members are keen to enhance their horticultural journey with eco-friendly initiatives, such as harvesting rainwater and composting for natural fertilisers. Built on friendship, patience and care, they hope the community garden concept will extend beyond HQ SCDF.
