NParks celebrates 20th anniversary of Community in Bloom programme with week-long lineup of horticultural displays and activities at HortFest

Singapore, 23 August 2025 – The National Parks Board (NParks) celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the Community in Bloom (CIB) programme with the opening of the Horticulture Festival (HortFest) today, rounding up year-round celebrations for this milestone.  

From 23 to 31 August 2025, the public can enjoy an exciting slate of programmes and activities at HortFest, which celebrates horticultural excellence and the local gardening community. Festivalgoers can also explore three new themed gardens at HortPark that are now open – the Beginner-Friendly Garden, Horticulture Introduction Garden and Scented Garden. These gardens support the growing community interest in gardening and expand the variety of nature-based experiences for visitors to HortPark. 

In conjunction with the 20^th anniversary of the CIB programme, NParks launched a “Grow and Share” initiative earlier in March 2025 to encourage community gardeners to share the joy of gardening with the wider community. To date, close to 20,000 members of the public have joined in the celebrations by participating in “Grow and Share” activities island-wide.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong joined the celebrations at HortFest earlier today, together with Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah, CIB Ambassadors and volunteers, as well as various community and programme partners. 

In appreciation of the community’s contributions towards the CIB programme, DPM Gan also launched “Community in Bloom – Stories from Our Community Gardens”, a book that commemorates the 20th anniversary of the CIB programme through 20 inspiring stories that exemplify the positive impact of community gardening. In addition, DPM Gan presented awards to the top winners of this year’s Horticultural Competition and Community Garden Edibles Competition. 

From having fewer than 200 community gardening groups in its first year, the CIB programme has bloomed. As of August 2025, there are over 2,000 CIB groups comprising more than 48,000 gardening enthusiasts all over the island. The programme also has more than 100 CIB Ambassadors, who are passionate volunteers with excellent horticulture and gardening skills that actively share their knowledge with the community, and go above and beyond to engage others through gardening-based initiatives.

The seeds of the CIB programme were planted two decades ago, when it was launched in 2005 to promote a gardening culture among Singaporeans by encouraging and facilitating community gardening efforts, while fostering a greater sense of ownership for our green spaces. 

As part of the “Grow and Share” initiative, more than 130 CIB groups have organised a wide variety of gardening-related activities for the community to date, including harvest sharing, therapeutic horticulture workshops and botanical art sessions. Since March 2025, close to 20,000 members of the public have taken part in more than 170 such activities island-wide.

Through the initiative, CIB groups are encouraged to organise outreach activities and share their gardening knowledge and passion with the wider community. These ground-up activities are held within community gardens or at suitable community spaces, and provide opportunities for the public to connect with nature and develop a stronger appreciation for local green initiatives.

The “Grow and Share” initiative will continue to run till 15 November 2025. Interested members of public can look out for upcoming “Grow and Share” activities at https://go.gov.sg/cibgrowandshare.

The Horticultural Competition, which started in 2019, showcases the horticultural mastery of gardening enthusiasts across four competition categories – Air Plants, Aroids, Begonias and Succulents. 

The Community Garden Edibles Competition, which was launched in 2015, recognises the abilities of local gardeners to grow quality harvests such as fruits and vegetables. It features 10 categories, including two new edible categories this year – Herb and Leafy Vegetable.

The top winners for both competitions were announced at HortFest on 23 August 2025, and the winning submissions will be on display throughout HortFest. 

Visitors to HortFest, which is held at HortPark, can look forward to spectacular competition displays and horticultural showcases, as well as an exciting lineup of programmes and activities, including guided garden tours, gardening workshops and demonstrations, and a marketplace. 

To bring the festivities closer to the community, satellite HortFest events will also be held at Singapore Botanic Gardens, Jurong Lake Gardens, Fort Canning Park, West Coast Park, Choa Chu Kang Park and Punggol Waterway Park. The public can learn more about HortFest at https://go.gov.sg/hortfest2025. HortFest is also part of the Celebrations in our Parks and Gardens organised by NParks for SG60.

In addition to festival activities, visitors can also enjoy three newly opened themed gardens at HortPark – Beginner-Friendly Garden, Horticulture Introduction Garden and Scented Garden. 

The Beginner-Friendly Garden features a curated selection of low-maintenance, resilient starter plants to inspire visitors to try their hand at gardening, while the Horticulture Introduction Garden is home to emerging and uncommon plant cultivars that are rarely seen in local greenery. Those seeking a more tranquil experience can explore the Scented Garden, where winding paths are lined with an array of fragrant flowers and plants exuding delightful scents.

All three gardens are specially designed to engage budding gardeners and gardening enthusiasts alike, and encourage visitors to embrace gardening in their homes and lifestyles.

“Community in Bloom – Stories from Our Community Gardens” is a commemorative book that chronicles 20 years of the CIB programme by highlighting the stories of 20 community gardens across Singapore, as told through the experiences and memories of the community gardeners behind them, who are transforming their communities and contributing to Singapore becoming a City in Nature. The book was presented to DPM Gan by six pioneer CIB Ambassadors at the opening of HortFest today.

“Community in Bloom – Stories from Our Community Gardens” is available for download on the GardeningSG portal: https://go.gov.sg/cib20.