Going the extra mile to keep Gardens by the Bay neat and tidy during the circuit breaker

SINGAPORE: Gardens by the Bay horticulturist Irene Chong, 32, crouched as she snipped off stalk after stalk of cat's whiskers plant. Then she stood to throw the stalks into a big white bag beside. Then she crouched again.

Earlier this month, CNA got the opportunity to work alongside staff who maintain Gardens by the Bay to see what goes into keeping such popular attractions in prime condition despite the drop in visitor numbers during the"circuit breaker".This involved clearing fallen leaves, shearing overgrown shrubs and pruning plants.

Gardens operations senior director Andy Kwek said this means his 39-strong team, half made up of foreign workers, has been reduced to about 11 people. "I think we enjoy it," she said, when I asked about the additional work."We work as a team, you see. We also learn to know each other better. The thing is, the blower ejects a faint gust even while idle, so you could inadvertently blow leaves away while walking, making things messier. The correct method is to walk with the nozzle pointed upwards. Therein lies the difficulty.

I made a U-turn to try his strategy and got better results, but the cart still didn't pick everything up. The suction just didn't seem strong enough. Andy said workers usually use a rake to sweep up what's left. It's faster that way.Regardless of speed, plant pruning and leaf clearing are daily tasks. Some spots see more shedding, and thus require clearing twice a day. With plants growing at different rates in different nooks of the 0.54-sq km park, there is no fixed timetable.

Both Irene and Grace have diplomas in horticulture. They studied plant structures, how plants grow and even their scientific names. For Irene, the hobby runs deeper.

Does GardensbytheBay need volunteers?

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