Write an article about When it takes a garden to grow a community .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from Members of Garden 8 have grown closer after working together to turn their back alley into a beautiful community garden. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
KUALA LUMPUR: Tucked away in Taman Perwira, Gombak, is a charming community garden known as Garden 8 where a variety of vegetables, flowers, fruits and herbs grow in abundance.
Here, the air is noticeably fresher, the views more soothing and although located in the city of Kuala Lumpur, the garden feels like a tranquil world of its own.
Garden 8 stretches for 200 metres, flanked by 44 homes on both sides, with each household caring for the strip of land adjacent to their residence.
Seeing how beautiful the space is today, it’s hard to believe that it was once a neglected back alley – until Iqmal Fajri Danial and his wife Aida Haniza Adnan saw its untapped potential.
“In the early days of the pandemic in March 2020, my husband and I began gardening in our home,” Aida, 57, told FMT Lifestyle.
“When our compound was full, we expanded to the back alley and planted creeping vegetables like long beans, winged beans and others,” she added.
(R-L) Co-founders of Garden 8: Iqmal Fajri Danial and his wife, Aida Haniza Adnan, with Fatinah Sulaiman, a member of the community. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
The couple later approached their neighbours with the idea of a community garden – and that’s how Garden 8 came to life in October 2021.
They began with just eight houses in the first phase – hence the name Garden 8 – and gradually expanded. Today, the garden is organised into five phases.
While the garden undeniably offers a refreshing visual retreat, it has come to mean much more to the community.
“Before Garden 8 started, we rarely greeted each other. Even when I bumped into Aida, I’d just say ‘hi’ – that was it. Now, we’ll all as close as siblings,” said Fatinah Sulaiman, 68, a member of the Garden 8 community.
Aida echoed a similar sentiment. “We always meet up and help each other. We take care of one another, especially when someone is sick. Now that we know each other better, we’ve become a big family,” Aida said.
Fittingly, Garden 8’s tagline is “Jiran Sepakat, Bawa Berkat”, which conveys the idea that harmony among neighbours brings positive outcomes for the community.
Nothing beats the satisfaction of enjoying the fruits of your labour. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
They have also embraced environmentally-friendly practices, such as composting and harvesting rainwater. Solar energy powers the garden’s lights at night, and they collect recyclables and used cooking oil, which are sold to help fund the garden’s upkeep.
Once a month, they hold a Sunday market to sell some of their produce, with profits going towards maintaining the garden.
The residents have also reaped the health benefits from working on the garden together – both physically and mentally.
Fatinah, who makes it a point to garden every day, shared: “I feel much healthier and at peace. After all, looking at greenery is a form of therapy, isn’t it?”
The garden also has a dedicated area for children, where they can play “teng-teng”, Batu Seremban, congkak and chess – offering a refreshing alternative to screens and gadgets.
The efforts of the Garden 8 team haven’t gone unnoticed, and Aida revealed the garden has won several awards including first place in the “Anugerah Kejiranan Hijau 2022 (Kategori Komuniti Perumahan Bertanah), where they also bagged the “Anugerah Khas KPKT”.
Members of Garden 8 have not only transformed their back alleys but their sense of community. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)
They have also helped other residential communities start their own gardens, and Iqmal shared on how other neighbourhoods can do the same.
“Start on a small-scale first. Talk to your immediate neighbours, and work on a pilot project,” said Iqmal, 57, adding that it’s also important to engage the local authorities and secure funding to sustain the garden.
Garden 8, he shared, is registered as a social enterprise and they ensure financial transparency, with regular meetings held to review finances and discuss other matters.
The community also has social activities to strengthen bonds such as family days and Raya gatherings.
“At Garden 8, we want to bring back the sense of nostalgia we experienced growing up in the ‘kampung’. For example, if you were cooking and ran out of salt, you could just ask your neighbour,” Aida said.
“But that kind of environment no longer exists, especially in urban areas. So, through activities like these, we hope to revive the sense of closeness we had in the old days,” she said.
Garden 8
Jalan Geliga
Taman Perwira
53100 Gombak
Selangor
Follow Garden 8 on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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