September, 12th, 2019
Investigation:
For parts of Grade 9 and 10, I was with the Urban Gardening service group and I really liked the experience, both because I was interested around the issue of the environment and because I liked the actual gardening part of it (it was a bit meditational). Unfortunately, I do not have the time to do the Urban Gardening service due to having other CAS experiences that cross over the time for that service, so I chose to do the parent service—Urban Gardening Propagation. However, this will be a slightly new service experience yet will still retain some elements of my previous service. I have some skills in gardening so I can develop and use these skills in this service. I hope that through this service, I can make some sort of difference at school in terms of the environment and gardening.
In today’s session, we just did a few Ice breakers to get to know each other as well as exploring the gardens at school. So today, was more about investigating what propagation is and what it involves in this service.
September, 26th, 2019
Preparation + Action:
In this session as well as the last session, is that we’ve been planning to give some seedlings and plants that we’ve grown from cuttings and seeds to some members of our communities that have asked for it and for grade 1 classes (where they will learn to grow their own plant). We’ve transplanted and propagated Thai basil, sweet basil, holy basil, parsley, peppers, and lots more. We’ve decided roles in each of our groups and the benefits of working in a group in gardening are that we get things done a lot faster when we work well. Below is some evidence of what we did in our sessions:
In these images, I have shown me planting and propagating some of these plants which includes the holy basil and sweet basil. I am also preparing the soil (the darker in the foreground has more nutrients and the behind where a member in my group is preparing with peat moss and pearlite which is good for propagating seeds).
#LO5
October 3rd, 2019
In this session, we made a video with Mr Erikson (A Spanish teacher here at school, is the head of the gardening services here and has a degree in horticulture) on the theory of propagation including propagating seeds and propagating cuttings from plants, a well as transplanting when the plants are big enough. As mentioned in a previous reflection, I can use some of my previous skills in gardening including that of transplanting and growing plants to propagating as well as learn new skills and develop those skills from it. In this theory session and in the process of making the video, I learned a lot about propagating plant including where one should take cuttings from so the stem cells will grow into roots and how to plant seeds. Some of this knowledge and skills, I had learnt before but others were unfamiliar and new to me, mainly the theory.
#LO1, #LO2
November 7th, 2019
During the last few session, we have been propagating a few new seeds and cuttings and mainly transplanting plans like chilli, aloe vera, dill, basil and other plants into bigger pots so they grow sturdier and larger.
Action:
November 28th, 2019
In the past few sessions, I have been continuing taking care of plants that we have propagated and in addition to that, I have been in charge along with another member of the service, to track the plants and seeds. Besides, we have made a few of our first deliveries to K1 students who have a unit on growing.
Although in a way, we are making an impact, I felt like by delivering these orders, was really the moment in which I felt that I have made a difference. And another project and client we are going to work with is from my friend’s service for an elderly home and we are planning to design a system in which the elderly can take care of plants which is good for both the planet and their mental health well being, which will be a great opportunity.
January, 23rd, 2020
For the past few weeks, we have been getting orders from various teachers, staff and grades. For instance, this week we have got orders from middle school about a few plants that we have propagated and that will be delivered after Chinese New Year. These plants include coriander, peas and lettuce.
Some plants have been successful such as the peas, watercress, dill and basil. While on the other hand, other plants such as lettuce, watermelon and other plants haven’t’ been as successful or have died. One really needs to get the conditions right and some plant that we have grown are not native to Singapore or the climate, so these plants are even harder to propagate and take care of.
This service has been quite relaxing and I think it may be because of the tranquil and almost zen-like experience of gardening. I feel like these sort of gardening environmental services are not only good for the planet or at least the school community, it helps also a lot with the mind and gives the mind to relax and not worry about any of the stressful environments and thoughts we mostly experience every day.
#LO4
February, 27th, 2020
We have got recruits and surprisingly my brother joined and it was actually a complete surprise but I guess we have common interests. Anyways, as a team-building exercise with the new Grade 9s and one FIB (Grade 10) last week, we grew together as a team and getting to know us better. The benefits of a fresh team are usually that they will work harder and listen more, however as time progresses, that productivity will get lower. However, I have a goal, along with the grade 11s to work harder and increase our collective productivity. Today we also had a little intro session into propagating, transplanting, planting and mixing soil for the new students. It was quite satisfying to teach and to realise we actually know a lot about horticulture and gardening.
With this new journey with the Jazz Band, which has rehearsals on Thursday after school at the same time as the service, there will be a clash. However, talking with both the supervisors and jazz conductor, we have come to an agreement that I will go to Jazz band every second week and perhaps a little less often if needed and during my frees and free time, I will plan the session and record any updates. I have free on Thursday morning so it will be perfect for that. Urban Gardening, as a reflection mid-way about, has been very meditational, fulfilling, relaxing and enjoyable. Of course, the environment is important to me and is a significant issue I think needs addressing, however, gardening is also quite relaxing after school and is quite meditational and relaxing. I am even having a lot of fun with the other students in the service so it really is an enjoyable time and something I look forward a lot. So with that good news, I will try to work harder to make more out of this amazing time I have with this service by building relationships with others and improving the sustainability at our school which makes me feel more valuable (and more valuable to life that I am doing something productive and helping others/nature even if it is quite small) I guess.
#LO4, #LO5
April 29th, 2020
SERVICE IN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER
During COVID-19, we are not able to reach our garden on the 6th floor, yet we are all trying to continue our learning progress at home. In the boarding house, the boarders in our group have collectively started a watering programme for all the green spaces at school to keep them healthy and alive during the circuit breaker. There is even a herb garden where a couple of times a week, it is watered and weeds are removed. This is one way of continuing our learning and an act to keep our school and community green. Others from our service, including myself, are also working from their own gardens nursing the plants and experimenting with new species.
Examples of some of our gardens at home and the boarding house:
Mine:
We are all trying our best, and we encourage everyone else to do the same. Our service would under normal circumstances provide young plants but we also promote the benefits of being outside with nature which we should appreciate, especially in these times. A small pot in a sunny window is a starting point – use some seeds from the fruits and vegetables you have and try it out! We are all looking forward to returning to the garden and helping people again, but we are all trying to get the best out of the situation, and we would encourage everyone else to do so as well.
#LO3, #LO4
Update on the garden:
I have learned a lot through gardening at home. For instance, the challenges of protecting seedlings from lots of water/rain, sunlight and other factors since they are so vulnerable. I think one has to take care of seedlings every day because one day they just might die and could have been prevented if one monitored them every day. In this environment, anything can happen but you get an amazing feeling when things grow really well. For instance, this week has been a rainy week and the mint looks amazing. So what I have learned is that mint and other herbs need a lot of water which I will make sure to do. But because of the rain, the snails arrive to munch on many of the herbs, especially the basil, which has been a bit of a problem. Also, by putting the papaya and banana into bigger pots, they are now growing extremely well and hopefully, we can get some fruits soon. There was one moment where the lemon tree produced more than 50 flowers but only two survived. Thankfully just today, I saw new flowers sprouting so perhaps more lemons will grow!
Beans grow really quickly and since they are sort of a vine plant, I have put a small bamboo stick so it can wrap itself around. Most of the other plants are still just small seedlings and it may take weeks until they will grow to a substantial size, making gardening also a patience exercise. I have noticed that plants do seem to grow a lot slower here than at school but that might be because the soil, pots and the irrigation system (I don’t have one at home) are of better quality and allow the plants to grow better and more quickly, despite myself having better access to the plants every day. So good tools are also important in gardening.
14th June 2020
In terms of the update of the garden, I’ve more lemons growing on the lemon tree and two are almost ripe so that’s great. The banana is growing as well as always. We got papaya but they died out really quickly and I think it was because there weren’t actually pollinated. All of the herbs are growing well including the mint, parsley and basil. I have eaten some of the lettuce and spinach that I am growing. They are difficult to grow as they have originated from Egypt and Persia modern-day Iran, so it is a different climate than here in Singapore. Anyways, I have got help from my Uncle who is an expert on plants on how to take care of tomatoes, and they are growing fantastically well. the beans, unfortunately, died out. My uncle said that the chilis need their soil to dry out but once in a while to be drenched in water. So I have done so with the chilis as they seemed to wither and they are still growing strong today. (add photographs later). What I will try to do is to grow more plants that are native to this region, not only to help the local ecosystem but these plants will most likely grow better than the plants suited for a European or western Asian climate that I am trying to grow.
In terms of the urban gardening propagation service, I am really disappointed that we couldn’t do much. As soon as the circuit breaker period began, almost nothing has happened in the service and a lot more could happen. I love urban gardening because of mainly two reasons. The first reasons are obvious, and that is that gardening is a really meditational and enjoyable way to in some ways albeit small to help the environment around me be growing own food instead of buying in stores where the air or freight miles have some carbon impact. Providing a small little ecosystem, if it is big enough, for a variety of species and provided it is big enough, may cool a building or the surroundings a bit. Also, it takes in carbon dioxide and gives fresh oxygen and cleans some the of pollutants in the air.
The second reason that I have noticed is that it has been really fun to work with others, especially when I find that I have common interests in gardening and other interests not even related to gardening or sustainability. I have made new friends and built existing relationships from being in Urban Gardening and working in groups hasn’t hindered much progress but rather made gardening more productive by bringing in different skills and help each other out. It has also made it very enjoyable. The benefits of collaboration have really helped me out in friendships and making gardening a lot more fun.
That’s why I was disappointed with the progress we have made. I missed the experience so much and not only did I think it was a great way to continue the service, which we were also asked to do by the service executive team but to connect with some of the people that I have found really fun to talk and work with. So within two weeks of the circuit breaker, I made a hangouts group with all of our members discussing what we could do such as weekly or occasionally google meets, growing our own garden and lots more. The response was great, as a few of us were interested and things seemed to go underway. Then it seemed as if nothing happened for a while but our adult supervisors than contacted us and for a while, we had weekly goals to complete like growing something new, eat something from the garden, take a picture of something interesting in the garden, share ideas or videos that could help with gardening and so on. I thought this was great, and it was for just a few weeks as we commented on each of our discoveries and updates and things seemed to be going great. However, not everyone contributed and after a short while, it died off. Of course, I can’t just bombard them with lots of activities and challenges to do or to get angry that there hasn’t been much progress. They might be busy with other things and don’t have the time to work on service. But, next year, I might in some ways be able to continue the friendships I have built-in urban gardening. Now urban gardening has just plummeted and that really fun experience is now gone. I won’t be able to join the service next year I think so it has been very disappointing. I have liked my environmental services in the past, but urban gardening was the service I was always keen to partake in every Thursday afternoon. It was an amazing experience. However, we did do at least something productive, where we did attend a session on the service expo next year. Of course, not everything has been the most productive, but there have been elements of service despite covid.
Despite this, I have made progress in my garden but I have been worried about the minimal impact I am having on the environment. Of course, as I mentioned, there are many ways that gardening can help, but I feel like, at the small scale that I am doing, it doesn’t provide much help in the local or even global environmental issues and ecosystems. If a garden is big enough then yes it can contribute or if many around the community have their own small garden, that can also help. I am making some impact, for instance, I seem many grasshoppers (although I try to move them away from the lemons as they love them), dragonflies, bees, ants, snails, squirrels, bats and lots more that perhaps wouldn’t bee there without the plants and garden. But the impact I am having is very minimal. But ethically, it better to do something than nothing and the experience we have had in urban gardening has inspired many of us to focus on our own gardens that together have a much larger impact.
Urban gardening has been great, and I hope that the friendships, and learning that I have developed in this experience, can to be further developed outside the service and I will always remember the great times we had.
#LO4, #LO5, #LO6, #LO7