Naval Base Primary School

Naval Base Primary School’s edible garden, aptly named Garden of Hope, is an inspiring and inviting space that not only supports the school’s nature education, but is also where food is grown for the underprivileged in the community.

To create an outdoor classroom that is also a bountiful farm, our designers thoughtfully integrated different types of planters, to create a garden that is both productive and interactive, beautiful and welcoming. The garden boasts more than 30 varieties of plants, including leafy greens, edible flowers and fruiting plants.

In order to grow as much for the community as possible, Vegepods were used. Combined with dedicated maintenance from students, the set up will shorten growing cycles and maximise harvests.

Varieties like bak choy and kang kong were chosen for their familiarity within the community, as well as their manageable growing requirements. Meanwhile, the in-ground beds were employed to grow fruiting and flowering varieties. This added colour and texture to the garden, and created more elements for students and staff to interact with.

In order to create a space that would be conducive for students to huddle during programmes, the beds were laid out in a double-U shape, allowing students to gather around while still being immersed in the natural environment. To encourage incidental visitors to the garden, a foodscaped pathway was also created connecting the classrooms to the back gate, letting everyone enjoy the garden, even on their busiest of days.

It is important to the school that their students and staff are actively involved in the garden. Hence, we conducted a Garden Maintenance workshop for staff, including the principal. We will also be running a programme for the students to teach them how to care for and enjoy the garden.

This build and programme for Naval Base Primary School is supported by Lam Soon Singapore.