In the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Mr Ganesh Kumar planted a pink hibiscus plant to help him overcome the grief of losing his mother.
What began as a small gesture of healing later transformed into a thriving garden in Woodlands that is now one of the largest community gardens here.
Located on the northern slope of Woodlands Town Park East, Woodlands Botanical Garden used to be a barren nine-storey-high hill covered with grass and lalang, with few signs of fauna.
It was initially just a 50 sq m garden managed by Mr Ganesh, his father and his helper at the time.
Today, with the help of some volunteers, the garden spans 4,000 sq m and is home to over 350 plant species and 300 animal species, including multiple vulnerable species in Singapore.
Mr Ganesh, who was suffering from depression, hopes that others can also find solace and joy in the garden he so painstakingly built.
“Being in their shoes, I understand just how difficult it is, and I thought, why not create a space like a sanctuary for everyone,” he said.
The 41-year-old is also one of nine finalists for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award, which is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society.
This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.
Now in its 11th year, the award is organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore.
Public voting begins on Jan 19 and will close on Jan 31 at 7pm. Votes can be cast at: str.sg/soty2025vote
The winner will be announced at a ceremony in March.
Woodlands Botanical Garden is one of the largest community gardens under the National Parks Board’s gardening programme, Community In Bloom.
Beyond just a garden, the area has also transformed into a community space that hosts some 20 major events yearly, such as cultural concerts, biodiversity talks and pet walks.
Besides using the space for volunteers to give biodiversity talks at the garden alongside experts in the field, Mr Ganesh, a former music teacher, also offers it to budding artists to host events.
Woodlands Botanical Garden has also teamed up with Human-Animal Bond In Ministry (HIM) – a social enterprise that uses animal-assisted intervention to help prisoners and former offenders, among others – to provide former offenders with a small allowance for working in the garden under an activity on the Desistor Network, a Singapore Prison Service initiative.
Building the garden is not without challenges. To focus on Woodlands Botanical Garden, Mr Ganesh, who is single, quit as a graduate research officer and took a pay cut to teach chemistry at a tuition centre.
Besides giving up his PhD candidacy in material science engineering at Nanyang Technological University to focus on building the garden, he also sold his dream car, a Jaguar XJ, to fund the installation of a pond at the garden.
Another challenge he faces is the seeds and flowers from the garden being stolen, and some plants and trellises being destroyed. Even so, he has no intention to fence up the garden as this would defeat the purpose of it bringing joy to people.
“I have made many sacrifices, but I have no regrets. I will do them all over again if I have a second chance,” Mr Ganesh said.
“My hope for Woodlands Botanical Garden is for it to be just an example for other parks… I just wanted to set up a space as an example for other spaces as well.”
The Straits Times
