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SINGAPORE: Every morning, 92-year-old Mrs. Lim Yee Mun sits at the top of a multi-storey car park in the Dover Estate, gently moving her arms and legs through the movements of the Exercise, in the middle of a lush green. A haven of tranquility
Once she's finished, Tai Chi Ah Ma – as she is known to other residents – she gets on her hips and starts her other daily routine: Weeding the roof garden, where innumerable herbs, ornamental plants grow in profusion. "These plants keep the air fresh.The air on the ground floor is not so good," she says, scratching the floor.
Volunteer Lim Kiat Kee has been growing herbs for over seven years. The 75-year-old man also has a nickname: Bus Ah Ma, because he was a former bus driver.
They live in the same block, on different floors – but it was in the garden where their friendship flourished, where many other bonds between neighbors were forged.
A unique panel captures the open mind that flourishes here. "Choose our herbs and spices for free," she invites everyone, even those who have done nothing of gardening.
In community gardens elsewhere, fears of abuse have often led to closed fences and territorial wars. But here at Dover Crescent, there is a special kampung spirit at work
However, it took one inhabitant to transform what was once a simple green bench – so uninspired as Tai Chi Ah Ma had the habit of exercising on the ground floor – something much more.
This man was Mr. Benjamin Ee, and he was guided by a simple philosophy since he became a gardener number one: "You can not call it a community garden if it does not bring people together."
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M. Ee, who recently retired from her job as Project Manager in the construction industry, has always loved gardening. But this personal project in his field is his first stab in a community garden.
And he chose not to be territorial. "Because we grow different types of plants, invariably people would come and ask us," Can I have this? Can I have that? "And I say, let's be generous," said the 60-year-old
"All we can afford to give, give it to them because we want to engage the community." [19659002] That does not bother him not that some people want the product without putting in hard work because it wants to "make this garden a little different."
What tends to be a sore spot among green fingers in Singapore – the damage does "People deliberately broke the branches, stole the whole plant, took the pots or broke them, took slabs and threw them "There are people who smoke and leave cigarette butts here, and beer cans – not here on the paved floor but on the garden floor. "
Such incidents have not detracted from its open garden concept, where students come to study, where foreign workers settle in to take their meals and where other residents have to go to school. other reasons to be attracted.
"We had people coming here in the morning to read their papers and someone who was reading the Bible.One night, a lady came here crying, to be alone, and she mourned. asked for advice, "he recounts.
" I had neighbors from other constituencies, even the neighboring condominium, who came to ask for some of the edible flowers, giving them seeds. I had people in wheelchairs who were looking around me, so I gave them the watering hose to water (the plants).
"We have people this afternoon, who come to discuss serious topics. I saw the seriousness on their faces. "
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In its original state, however, the roof garden consisted of common cow grass, some palm trees, some linden trees, a band of pandan shrubs," and there "[19659019] "Many residents said that they came here, that they looked at it and that they left. There was nothing to interact with, "said Ee, who estimates that there are now more than 80 species of plants, spices and medicinal herbs. [19659002HemayhaveneverbeeninvolvedinthegardenotherwiseforanotherC’wasinDecember2010andhewashavingbreakfastwithhisfamilyatthecafewithapottedplantthatwasinthegardentheyhadboughtontheirtablewhenanelderlyladyspottedit
Seeking people interested in gardening, she decided to ask him if he would be willing to create a garden Suitable for the residents, after thinking it made sense
Their domain was new, the one that had just replaced several blocks of Dover Road that had been chosen for the In-bloc selective redevelopment project [19659019] moved, it would be good to start something to gather them, he reasoned, and the name of their estate could hardly be lost on him.
"When I first came here, I saw the sign.He said that 's called Dover Gardens.But a garden must be something d & # 39; exciting, "he said, adding that" it was time "also to give back to the community.
The next month, he had a seven-person committee, and they held their first meeting in his 40-story apartment with coffee, cookies, and cakes to start planning and budgeting.
Having approached the town council by the Residents Committee of Dover Crescent, he was given the go-ahead. in April 2011. They started a month later on the new garden: three plots totaling more than 200 square meters
"For me, it was like," Wow. C is more than what I can expect. "
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While the garden may have come a long way since, the trip has had its share of ups and downs, some unexpected. in the beginning, for example, Mr. Ee's team had to run the garden without funds being given to him.
So he had to stock up on recyclable or recyclable materials, such as pavers, which he secured. of his contacts in the construction industry.
These were surplus stones that the contractors would have had to pay to dispose of, so that he was paying their workers instead of bringing them to the garden, where his team was laying each slab. Even the bench I'm sitting on is recycled by taking a number of broken benches and assembling them, and you get one that's still usable, "he told CNA Insider.
pooling team $ 700. "As the garden grew, other neighbors heard about it and began to put money in," he said. "When we were growing vegetables, they would come and take their vegetables and say," Okay, I would like to give you a contribution of 100 Singapore dollars. I would say that S $ 2 is good enough, but they would give S $ 100 or S $ 10. "
There were also those who gave in kind, including plants, seeds and fertilizers. for example, gave him Indian lemon seeds to plant.
"She said that she had been trying for more than a year but that she could not grow it." I took the seeds and cultivated them.She said, "Woah, you are blessed, your hands are blessed." I was like "No, that's the nature," recounts- he
He estimates his own contribution over the years at $ 1,000 at the most .. 19659002] XXX
The money, in the end, was not the biggest challenge. was, including the management of the small team that he had.
When Mr. Ee was focusing on the development of a flower garden on one of the three plots, problems arose among the members of the committee to whom he had put the vegetable garden. "There were relational tensions that caused major challenges, which affected the garden, and I was often called to be the intermediary, which was not what I wanted to do. "
The once prosperous vegetable garden, which produced nearly 175 kilograms of harvest per month, fell into disrepair. Thus, in 2013, he turned it into a flower garden for flowers, which means less maintenance.
Despite these struggles, the rooftop garden received an Environment and Biodiversity Award from the National Parks Board the following year. $ 1,000. It was then that Mr. Ee suffered one of the biggest blows.
To use money, his committee had to join CR Dover Crescent. But the other members opposed it because the RC had not given them financial support in the first place.
They resigned, letting him join the CR alone in the hope of being able to hire more residents.
discouraging sometimes. There were times when I thought, "Yeah, maybe I should give up," admitted Mr. Ee, who was still working full time then.
"I was starting to put in more and more time, and my wife say," Hey, what's going on? "You do not have the hand-in-hand. and you take so much time out of the family. "
But the plants were not healthy, and some residents even sent him a text message asking what was going on with the garden. "I said to myself," Well, it's heavy on my shoulder, "he recalls.
For a time, he was watering the garden at 6:30 am because of the shortage of labor and another day. Yet he did not blame people for not volunteering.
"Most Singaporeans generally find it difficult to work under the sun. And then, sometimes, insects buzz. It can be very uncomfortable, "he said.
"I think that's why they are not so fond of gardening. But they usually love the garden. "
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Mr. Ee still had people who were encouraging him – people like Chi Ah Ma and Bus Ah Ma, who was one of his first volunteers and who was preparing herbs as of
And others joined to take over, such as Mr. Rahman Latiff, who loved the garden and volunteered to water and clean it while learning Chinese herbs and planting, pushing 80, he is in the garden at least four times a week
The turning point came last year when Mr. Ee's wife, seeing the challenges to which he faced, suggested he open half of the garden for that is grown, and also suggested some of the plants that he could have.
They have not looked back since then A sign stands proudly in the garden, saying, "Choose our herbs and spices for free. But take only what you need. "
And the residents have." There is Siti, the housekeeper who comes three times a week for pandan leaves, to make a glass of barley for the family of her employer. [19659002Amy56discoveredthatthegardenwasagreatplacetopracticeIcanalsotakeoneortwolimeleaves
And there are many more, if necessary: Sweet potato leaves, lemongrass, combava, brinjal, ladies fingers, chilli, thai basil, garlic, ginger and so on.
"The garden is a matter of relationships. It's not just about plants "
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