Until recently, the term "community gardener" always brought an image to my mind of elderly people tending to small pots and planters of chilli and spinach in a neatly ringfenced space, moving slowly and gingerly in the way that retirement allows and advanced age requires.Then, I met Mr Yeap Keat Tong.When we visited the Bukit Batok community garden known as Cosy Garden on Monday (Jul 20) morning, the 66-year-old retiree strode up to us with all the vigour of a man decades younger, greeting us with a firm handshake before taking us on a tour through what he called his "second home".I had come expecting a modest vegetable patch. Instead, I entered into a 1,858 sq m plot – the rough equivalent of four basketball courts – nestled in a cluster of public flats.
We wandered through an impressive variety of flora and fauna including succulents, orchids, Brazilian spinach, fig and coffee trees. Bright pops of red and orange from flowers and fruits brought the greenery to life.Among the carefully organised clusters of plants were solar panels powering ceiling fans at the guest area, little ponds of koi and turtles, and even metallic sculptures – most, if not all, installed by the community of residents there."You don't have to be good at gardening to contribute to a community garden," he told us. "All you need is the willingness to learn and desire to contribute."
