Step aside paw-rents, plant babies are the new furkids now.
On top of circuit bakers and dalgona coffee baristas, the pandemic has also birthed a group of urban farmers and gardeners. While the growing of herbs and decorative plants appeared to be a fad in quarantine, the hobby has proven to be timeless and gained a massive following in the last two years.
Earlier this year, it was reported that HDB blocks in Tampines could see community gardens and vertical farms sprout as part of the neighbourhood’s five-year masterplan to be transformed into an eco-town by 2025. Meanwhile, across the island, West Coast Park will also be expecting a community urban farm as part of NParks’ “Gardening with Edibles” mid next year.
While public housing residents with a green thumb can look forward to these developments, folks in condominiums are catching up too. Food resilience is a nationwide mission, and this has seen the creation of facilities that would bring nature into residents’ living spaces beyond the typical landscaping.
Here’re four in upcoming developments:
1. Herb garden at Fyve Derbyshire
Formerly known as Derby Court, Fyve Derbyshire is a freehold development in District 11 with 71 residences surrounded by, you guessed it, greenery. Ranking high on their prepositions is the promise of “a city address, an urban sanctuary”.
The project is designed to be a multi-sensory experience, which explains its scented herb gardens with edibles that can be harvested by residents. Indoors, the material palette of marble and wood mirrors the soothing colours of its vicinity. Apart from being located near green spaces such as Dempsey Hill, MacRitchie Reservoir, and Fort Canning Park, residents at Fyve Derbyshire can also access new park connectors on Sungei Whampoa and Adam Road.
2. Allotment gardens at One Pearl Bank
The Pearl Bank Apartments en-bloc was a high-profile one but its descendant is not too shabby either. One Pearl Bank by Capitaland is a 99-year leasehold project that spans 39 stories and 774 residential units. The building overlooks Pearl’s Hill city park and has a skybridge to boot, complete with terraces for residents to practise yoga or meditation in nature. But its highlight is incontestably the world-first vertical allotment gardens.
On the edge of its two towers, 200 allotment plots are placed every four floors across 18 sky gardens to ensure adequate sunlight. That’s more than enough space for all residents to make growing their own food a new lifestyle, and we aren’t just talking about the token mint or basil leaves. Apart from herbs, residents can also grow fruits and vegetables. The vertical urban farm is also an attempt at reviving the “kampung spirit” in condominiums by giving residents an outlet to interact and share their love for growing.
3. Community Farm at Parc Greenwich
A 99-year old executive condominium by Frasers Property, the family-friendly Parc Greenwich is nestled in a peaceful neighbourhood in the northeast. It has 9 residential towers with 14 storeys each amounting to 496 units altogether, and lives up to its namesake not only because the EC is located near park connectors.
Its expansive evergreen garden comprises a gardening corner, herbs garden, community farm garden, fruit orchard garden, flower garden, and an aromatic garden. Whether you’re a beginner starting with garnishes for your cocktails or a bona fide urban farmer who has long graduated to growing tropical fruits, they are avenues for you to reconnect with nature. Better yet, meet like-minded neighbours at the garden lounge, teatime terrace, or sample your hard work at the farm-to-table BBQ pavilion. Residents without a green thumb can enjoy the tranquillity all the same at the Parkview Deck which overlooks the Seletar Hills estate.
4. Gardening workshops at Watergardens at Canberra
Located along Canberra Drive, The Watergardens at Canberra is a low-rise development designed like a resort. Spanning 448 units across 6 blocks of 5-storey units, it gives Parc Greenwich a run for its money with an even more sprawling array of gardens. There’s a garden where pets can gather, a jogging trail for an evening run without leaving the site, and relaxation spots like hammocks and teepee huts littered throughout.
Most interestingly, The Watergardens at Canberra hosts guided programs on gardening fresh vegetables and herbs within its Savoury Gardens & Harvest Pavilion. Haven’t had much luck with keeping a plant alive? Fret not. Every month, experts will hold monthly workshops on growing fresh, organic produce such as tomato, mint, eggplant, okra, kale, and basil. You’d be able to cultivate your own edible garden in no time.
Green living in Singapore condos
It goes without saying that these facilities, while novel, are great not have but not absolute necessities. If you’re eyeing a condo that will bring you closer to nature but are uncertain if it’s a worthy investment, feel free to reach out to us for a non-obligatory chat.
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