PERMACULTURE COMMUNITY GARDEN
At The Hollandse Club, our permaculture garden is a living example of circular sustainability where organic waste becomes compost, compost feeds the soil, and the soil grows edible plants for our community.
Everything planted in the garden is chosen with purpose: to support biodiversity, improve soil health, and produce food and herbs that can be used and enjoyed.
Edible Garden and Herbs
A key focus of the garden is growing edible and useful plants, many of which are regularly used by the kitchen especially herbs.
Common herbs and edible plants grown include:
● Brazilian spinach
● Mint
● Garlic chives
● Basil and Thai basil
● Watercress
● Rosemary and thyme
We also grow a mix of vegetables and seasonal crops, such as:
● Eggplant (including its edible flowers)
● Corn
● Okra
● Sweet potato
● Cassava (typically grown over about one month)
● Peanuts (grown previously)
Natural Planting for Comfort
The garden’s gathering area is planted with lemongrass, helping to naturally repel mosquitos and it’s also a useful kitchen ingredient, for dishes such as beef rendang.
Food Forest and Fruit Trees
We are developing a “food forest”, a diverse mix of longer-term fruit trees and plants. Food forests take time to establish, but they become more resilient and productive as they mature.
Fruit trees and longer-term crops include:
● Dragon fruit
● Passionfruit
● Banana
● Lemon tree
● Kalamansi
● Mulberry
● Guava
● Apple
● Moringa
● Sugar cane
● Pineapple (typically takes 2–3 years)
● Turmeric
● Tamarind fruit tree
● Curry leaf
● Snake fruit
At The Hollandse Club, composting plays a key role in reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our permaculture community garden.
Organic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill is carefully collected, turned into compost, and used to enrich the soil closing the loop from waste to growth.
Composting
How Compost Is Collected
Organic materials are collected daily from four key areas of the Club:
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● Kitchen: fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed eggshells
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● Bar: coffee grounds, tea bags
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● Cleaning teams: used paper towels
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● Gardeners: dry leaves
These materials are balanced between wet and dry matter, allowing them to naturally break down into nutrient-rich compost.
Why Composting Matters
This compost improves soil fertility and helps our garden thrive, supporting responsible food production and biodiversity on Club grounds.
Staff work closely together to collect and manage these materials, and clear signage across the Club helps ensure waste is separated correctly.
By diverting organic waste from landfill and returning it to the soil, our composting system turns everyday actions into long-term environmental impact. As the garden grows, we aim to expand volunteer involvement and further strengthen this cycle of sustainability — transforming waste into a resource that benefits the whole community.
How Members Can Help
Members can actively contribute by:
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● Volunteering in the garden
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● Disposing waste correctly, for example placing tissue or paper towels in the designated bathroom bins to keep compost clean and effective
Small daily actions make a big difference and together they help the garden (and our sustainability impact) grow.
New Beginnings: Permaculture Community Garden
From Concrete to Community: The Hollandse Club Garden is Growing
On 1 April 2025, a group of dedicated volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got to work on something new for the Club: the Hollandse Club Community Garden. With gloves, shovels, and plenty of determination, they removed every last concrete tile by hand to make way for what will become a thriving food forest— right here on Club grounds.
Breaking Ground
After clearing a path to the electric box, the team - led by our resident gardening expert, Thomas - delivered a 12-foot truckload of compost, plants, and wood. With the demolition complete, the transformation could begin.
Laying the Foundation
The first step was levelling the ground and shaping the layout of the garden. Our composting area was built using the “lasagne method”—a layering technique using kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, and dry leaves to create rich, fertile soil.
Planting the Future
The garden is now home to a growing variety of edible and medicinal plants: cassava, snake fruit, mulberry, moringa, turmeric, taro, mung bean, and nitrogen-fixing peanuts, to name a few. Lemongrass has been planted to help deter mosquitoes, and an eco-pond—complete with fish—adds a natural layer of mosquito control.
And There’s More to Come
We’ve also planted dragon fruit, sugarcane, and pineapple along the sunny garden wall, and the passionfruit vine has taken up residence on the chicken coop for a little extra charm.
The past few months may be coming to a close, but our garden journey is just beginning. With every compost pile turned and every seed planted, we’re building a greener, tastier, and more connected community—one leaf at a time.
Come take a stroll and see what’s sprouting next!