[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – Some 3,000 seed packets including cauliflower, radish and squash will be distributed to avid gardeners, who can start registering their interest in the seeds on Saturday (March 20).
The seeds are part of a new tranche of edible plant seeds for public distribution by the National Parks Board (NParks), to encourage edible gardening among Singaporeans.
This was announced by Ms Indranee Rajah, Second Minister for National Development and Finance, at the Community Garden Grocery Contest awards ceremony in HortPark on Saturday.
Successful seed gardeners will be able to submit their crops for judging at the next Community Garden Edible Contest in October.
Each seed packet contains seeds for one type of fruit or vegetable. Other varieties that will be distributed in this round are winter melon, cherry tomato, lady’s finger, cucumber, pumpkin, sword bean and luffa.
The public can register their interest in seed packages by completing a form on this website. They can also call the visitor service center at HortPark at 6471-5601.
However, unlike last year’s distribution, in which the seed packets were mailed, gardeners will need to collect the seed packets at a physical location after successful registration.
Since NParks launched the Garden with Groceries program last year to complement Singapore’s goal of producing 30 percent of the country’s nutritional needs locally by 2030, the agency has distributed around 460,000 packets of plant seeds. groceries.
NParks also developed free online resources and workshops to impart gardening skills to the public, through video tutorials and master classes.
On Saturday, about 1,000 gardeners attended a master class on root vegetables led by Ang Wee Foong, director of the NParks center’s seed bank and deputy director of nursery management.
Those who missed the masterclass can watch a video on the NParksSG YouTube channel or the agency’s NParksBuzz Facebook and Instagram platforms.
NParks said that he also plans to work with social enterprises in the urban community agriculture sector in the future.
Pungkothai Kay, Director of Community-in-Bloom and Skyrise Greenery at NParks, said the goal is to create more spaces for recreational gardening, engage the community through gardening-related activities, and provide micro-employment and volunteer opportunities to children. residents.
She said the idea is to allow social enterprises to manage community garden spaces in the heart and organize programs for seniors, people with disabilities and the community with special needs.
Ms. Pungkothai said, “We are still studying the market and talking with partners to understand their operations and also come up with programs that will benefit more people.”
The new initiatives are part of NParks’ edible gardening master plan, which was launched in 2017 as part of Singapore’s vision to develop a city in the wild.
Meanwhile, registration opened on Saturday for more than 230 orchard plots comprising a raised planter measuring 2.5 m by 1 m. Gardeners can lease the plots for three years at $ 57 per year.
The scheme was piloted in 2016 with 80 parcels in HortPark. Today, there are more than 1,700 award parcels in 20 parks in Singapore, all fully subscribed.
To foster greater interest in gardening, NParks has also introduced the public to more than 50 new cultivars of edible plants developed in its nursery, such as golden papaya and society garlic.
[ad_2]
