Established on 6th June 2015. We first learnt from Thomson Sin Ming garden and Wo Wu Yuan, then broke ground!

2 weeks later, on 28th June 2015, we held our first garden launch party with our community to build interest & inspire more members.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in just 9 months - and of all our recycled materials and team work to build all the beds, fence and entry trellis!

We’ve been active in contributing to Singapore! We’ve been showcased in NEA’s SG50 KeepSingaporeClean campaign (link here) and have created a planting calendar with AVA.

We’ve also participated in NParks events - such as SG50 show garden where our member even created an art piece! And we’ve had 4 members attend AVA growers courses.

We’ve had 35+ activities in 9 months to engage our community, including harvesting, garden and cooking parties, & teaching how to plant seedlings.

We’ve created activities to create youth interest and educate about plants and the environment, such as the plant signs, Tic-Tac-Toe and our swing. We’re proud of our Kampung Spirit.

We’re had lots of bonding, learning, sharing and enjoyment between new friends - from building the fence, to sharing Kopi and snacks, to building new planter beds!

Our “edible garden” is essentially symmetrical. The focal points are the entry, the items of kampung spirit. We focus on a variety of plants to ensure maximum member interest and learning.

We’ve focused on environmentally-friendly practices (composting, using coffee grounds, marigolds, crop rotation) to improve the soil and promote biodiversity.

Our energy on soil quality and using organic methods such as neem has paid off! Our plants have been very healthy - strong growth, colour and high produce :)

Our members are passionate about recycling and minimising what we need to buy. We’ve recycled trees cut down by NParks, received donations from the community (such as Gazebo and

old floor boards for the fence) and used rocks for plant signs.

Criteria Description Cactus Sunrise Community Farm

1 Number of participants involved The level of interest of the community in gardening 43 members signed up. Active involvement of 32.

2Types of gardening-related activities organised and their frequency

Evidence of gardening/plant-related activities that engage the community throughout the year (e.g. gatherings, garden parties, plant exchanges, visits, etc)

Approx 35 activities over last 9 months. Almost every weekend such as - constructing beds, building fence, harvesting, composting, learning to grow seedlings, planning meetings

3 Ways to sustain the garden

Support in the form of volunteer numbers, funds, sponsorships, donations through local grassroots, commercial and corporate sectors, schools and the general public, which helps sustain the garden

1. Membership fees of $10 per 6 months for each member = approx. $400 from every 6 months.

2. Donations from neighbourhood and friends - e.g. wooden floor boards, pebbles, gazebo

3. grass roots (NC) funding 4. Aiming to get corporates and schools involved in 2nd half of this

year.

4Gardening initiatives conducted for schools and young people

The active involvement of youth helps sustain the garden in the long term. Initiatives such as mentoring, sharing of information and guiding, help raise awareness and develop their interest in plants, gardening and nature appreciation

Activities for youth such as learning: • to grow and plant seedlings • types of plants and harvesting • how to build fences and structures • how and why to compost

5Types of help offered to other gardening groups and the frequency

Collaborations and activities which have resulted in the direct or indirect creation of new community gardening groups

• Having sister gardens - Thomson Sin Ming & Wo Wu Yuan. • Teaching vegetable gardening to wider Cactus Sunrise

Community so they can grow vegetables in their homes

6

Ways that the garden contribute to your community and neighbourhood

As a place for bonding, learning, sharing and enjoyment of beauty

1. Cooking with garden produce & pot luck dinners 2. Sharing cooking recipes 3. Bonding over lots of farming - and construction & hard work!!

7

Types of NParks events your gardening group is participating in and their frequency

Support for NParks activities

1. Gardeners Day Out - 1 2. Workshops - Orchid Gardening 3. SG50 Show Garden - throughout. Created art piece for CDC

garden.

Plus AVA master growers events & NEA Keep Singapore Clean filming

Summary of Our Community Involvement

Summary of Environmental Quality & BiodiversityCriteria Description Cactus Sunrise Community Farm

1 Environmentally-friendly Cultural Practices

Minimises the need to purchase new resources to sustain the garden and waste generated (e.g. use of recycled bottles as planters, discarded slabs for pathways, old timber for edging and plant signage, etc)

• Recycling cut down tree for seats • Recycling old floor boards for gate, fence and

tables • Using old timber for edging • Rocks for plant signage and decorations • Posting in online forums about areas of need so

people can donate unwanted items • Making use of things people in the

neighbourhood donate

2 Environmentally-friendly Practices

The use of natural methods to control pests and diseases in the community garden helps create an ecologically-balanced environment (e.g. use of coffee grounds as fertilisers, composting, using recycled water for watering, etc)

• Anaerobic Composting (underground) • Using coffee grounds as fertiliser • Marigolds and Lemongrass to control mosquitos • Rotation of plants to manage diseases • Use of neem weekly to manage insects

3 Practices Enhancing Biodiversity

The use of different species of plants and garden features to attract fauna such as sunbirds, butterflies, dragonflies, and ladybirds among others, helps create a diverse and healthy ecosystem

• Planting variety of plants - vegetables, fruits, flowering plants (e.g. Marigold)

• Attracting a variety of fauna - ladybirds, dragonflies, butterflies

• Mulching and composting to enable good soil health

Garden QualityCriteria Description Cactus Sunrise

Community Farm

1 Garden Presentation, Forms and Colours

A garden that is well-planned adds value to the community and enhances the character of its surroundings. Good planning is needed to ensure that elements of aesthetic such as forms and colours are presented in a coherent way, complementing the surrounding

Yes

2 Focal Point(s) and BalanceWell-placed focal points exist to draw the viewers’ attention to the garden. The placement should consider the spatial scale of the garden and must be balanced so that the viewers are neither bored nor distracted

Yes

3 Innovative Elements Creative application of new ideas in designs, garden techniques and other innovations tailored to the context of the garden Yes

4 Presence of Essential Garden Items/Amenities

Essential tools/items (e.g. proper edging, a garden shed, pavers) help enhance the garden’s aesthetics and increase the overall level of enjoyment among participants Yes

5 Plant Health Plants should be of a natural healthy colour without obvious signs of pest infestation, diseases and nutrient deficiencies such as yellowing, curling and wilting leaves, stunted and deformed plant growth, etc

Yes

6 Soil Maintenance Ensuring that soil condition is suitably maintained for supporting plants grown in the garden Yes

7 Maintenance of Physical Structures

Physical structures such as paths, sculptures, trellises, etc, have to be well maintained to minimise danger to garden users Yes

8 Hygiene and Cleanliness The garden should be checked regularly to prevent accumulation of stagnant water; dead or diseased plant materials and rubbish; and not be overgrown with weeds Yes

9 SafetyThe garden does not put the health and safety of the surrounding community at risk (e.g. plants on roadside verges are trimmed to prevent obstruction to pedestrians and motorists, unused tools and dangerous chemicals are properly kept)

Yes