The Tampines Changkat butterfly garden

(Source: The Sunday Times, March 18, 2012)

The Tampines Changkat butterfly garden is an example how both gardening enthusiasts and butterfly lovers can come together to maintain a community garden. As mentioned in the article, Victor tends to forget about his worries about his last stage prostate cancer, and recent divorce whenever he steps into the garden. This shows how gardens may enhance one’s emotion well-being. Research has also revealed that gardens may also aid in recovery of patients (Wong, 2001). Such garden also offers visitors some intangible pleasure like a sense of tranquillity, inner peace and a respite from the hustle and bustle of people’s hectic life.

The butterflies at Tampines Changkat butterfly garden serves three functions. One – They beautifies the garden. Two – Being an important prey for birds, they help maintain the ecosystem of the garden. Being pollinators like the bees, they also contribute to the diversity of the ecosystem (Smith, 2010). Three – Butterflies are an accurate (and free) indicator of the health of the garden’s ecosystem.