16 projects get NParks certification for landscaping efforts to green Singapore

SINGAPORE – A nursery is where young plants are grown before they are sold or transported elsewhere, and one nursery in Singapore is among 16 projects recognised by the National Parks Board (NParks) for their landscaping efforts.

Instead of just rows of saplings in pots, Tropical Environment’s 1.85ha nursery at 60 Jalan Lekar in Sungei Tengah is laid out like a garden, with a cottage that has a wine cellar and where private events can be held. The cottage is partially cooled with rainwater channelled around and under the building. 

Research and development are carried out on the site to study how plants grow in certain positions in built environments.

Members of the public can also learn about horticulture and nursery technologies in workshops.

The nursery lost about two-thirds of its area under a government land reallocation exercise in 2019, forcing Tropical Environment to maximise the reduced space, said Mr Soh Liang Ying, deputy director of Tropic Group, which owns the 20-year-old nursery.

The group also has companies involved in areas such as landscaping, horticulture and event management.

With the nursery’s area much reduced, several features – such as the drainage and irrigation network, plant holding bays and rainwater catchment areas – were reconfigured and moved during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Said Mr Soh: “We hope to continue using more innovative ways to hold our plants and products, displaying them in ways that are both aesthetically interesting and functional.”

For Tropical Environment’s efforts, its nursery has received certification under NParks’ Landscape Excellence Assessment Framework (Leaf).

Leaf was launched in 2013 to recognise projects that restore nature in Singapore’s urban landscape and is part of the Republic’s City in Nature vision – a key pillar of

Singapore Green Plan 2030,

a national movement for sustainable development.

This biennial Leaf certification is divided into two categories – parks and building developments.

Tropical Environment’s nursery was assessed under the building category.

In the final round of certification, points are awarded based on the amount of greenery added and the management of landscape by a 10-member panel comprising industry professionals from the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects, the Landscape Industry Association of Singapore, and academics and educators from Singapore’s institutes of higher learning.

Mr Lim Teck Lee, NParks’ group director of industry and Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology who is also one of the assessors in the first of two rounds of assessment and evaluation, said: “We look at the choice and location of plants – whether they thrive better in shaded or sunny positions or dry conditions – so that they don’t die off after a certain number of weeks or months.” 

Besides the nursery, the media on Jan 30 was taken on a tour of three other projects certified under Leaf – Rifle Range Nature Park, Mandai Wildlife West and Bird Paradise, and One Shenton.

At One Shenton, which was given the gold certification, three-leafed wild vines and cat claw ivy, plants that thrive under strong light, cover its facade. In all, the condominium project has about 40 plant species, including trees, palms and shrubs. 

Shops at the ground level have seen business improve since 29 vertical greenery columns were added, said Mr Alexandre Collin, chairman of One Shenton’s management council. He added that the greenery project began in 2019 and was completed in 2023, and during the improvement works, the building’s management gradually increased rents by 50 per cent.

“And we haven’t seen one single tenant leave since then. Whereas, in the past, there was a lot of turnover,” he said.

Mandai Wildlife West and Bird Paradise, and Rifle Range Nature Park were given the top certification of platinum under the parks category. Mr Lim said conservation of biodiversity during the parks’ development was a key factor during the judging process. 

During the construction of Bird Paradise and Mandai Wildlife West – a public space that serves as the gateway to the bird park and the upcoming Rainforest Wild – about 40 per cent of existing trees were conserved in the 23ha plot that used to be occupied by a kampung.

Five native trees were planted for every tree felled to make way for the wildlife park project.

Rifle Range Nature Park was recognised for efforts that include supporting the rich biodiversity in the former Sin Seng Quarry.

The other 12 projects that received the Leaf certification in the latest exercise are Changi Airport Connector, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, NUS Ventus, Clementi NorthArc, Fourth Avenue Residences, Haus On Handy, Juniper Hill, NUS Com 3, NUS E7, Parc Botannia, Piermont Grand and Whistler Grand.