The green scene in Singapore may have blossomed, but are we taking the right steps to make our gardening efforts sustainable?
As global warming continues to be an oft-debated topic amongst the public, scientists, teenage activists and the adults who get riled up by said teenage activists, the one topic that’s gained traction is that the real solution to climate change is planting more trees.
The Science journal published a study in 2019 that mapped potential tree coverage of 4.4 billion hectares and its ability to absorb the carbon dioxide emissions that are driving global warming. Dr Jane Goodall is one of many environmental influencers leading the reforestation agenda (find out more at 1t.org) and has committed to planting five million trees this year.
In Singapore, where land is scarce, districts are built up, and most residents keep home in high-rise apartments, many have taken to greenifying their homes, offices and even public spaces through the use of plants, urban gardens and rooftop urban farms.
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Plants have become big business for nurseries. In the most recent study conducted by NParks in 2016, the revenue generated from the sales of plants by the nursery industry was estimated at $265 million. This figure includes both commercial and private purchases of ornamental plants, orchids, shrubs, trees and turf.
Plant shop founders and owners, like Alex Low of Potta Plantta and Cheryl Lee of The Botanist and Her Thieves (TBHT), credit this ever-growing love for plants to social media and the online community of “plant parents” (#plantparenthood).