The Joys of Rural Life in the City
(2011.06.12)

“My Green Gyeonggi Province” at Mulhyanggi Arboretum until June 17
Rooftop gardens, crops in a box, and botanic displays show the joie de vivre of green living.

-Gyeonggi Province hosted the “My Green Gyeonggi Province” event at the Mulhyanggi Arboretum in Osan from June 10-17 to promote green living among its residents. A father and young son browse around the Tomato Kindergarten during the event. (GNews Plus)

Summer hit the Korean Peninsula earlier than usual in 2011. Citizens formed long queues to visit the Mulhyanggi Arboretum and enjoy the lush green plants. Children holding their parents’ hands, couples in love, and senior citizens out for a walk this day all enjoyed the pleasant early summer weather.

The Mulhyanggi Arboretum hosted an event from June 10-17 titled “My Green Gyeonggi Province.” On the second day of the event, exhibitions and activities were staged in front of the management office.

On the right-hand side of the square visitors can see the DMZ insect exhibition, a rooftop garden, crops in a box, indoor hydroponics, flower beds made of recycled tires, a tunnel-shaped vegetable farm with squashes and cucumbers, green leaf vegetables grown in a box, and other creative ideas on how to grow plants on a balcony or in other confined spaces.

Lee Hye-yeong (42), a teacher at Suyeong Elementary School in Hwaseong City, said, “I came here with my science class pupils to see this exhibition. They were especially excited to learn how to press flowers and arrange seokbujak (putting holes into stones and placing trees or flowers in them).”

Heo Ye-bin (13) is a sixth grade student at Suyeong Elementary School. She said, “I saw pictures of cherry tomatoes and pumpkins growing, but this is the first time I have seen them up close. They look tasty.”

Song Ji-hye (13), also a sixth grader at the same school, said, “The flower bed planted in recycled tires is a great idea. And I’ve never seen so many insects before.

An official who was in charge of an activity booth said, “The purpose of this event was to show residents how to grow their own vegetables right at home. Most the visitors are families, kindergarten students with their teachers, or grade school students.”

– A family learning how to place a plant in a small pot. (GNews Plus)

On the left visitors could try their hand at making small plant pots, ceramic pots, and bonsai. There was also a carpenter’s corner where they could make pressed flowers, harvest poles, and family nameplates.
Participation in the activities costs KRW 1,000 to 5,000 to cover materials, but that did not stop people from applying. The officials gladly assisted the families in their activities and engaged in lively conversations. Many returned home with their new handmade pots in their bags. Some families went home with a trolly full of handmade pots and plants to fill their balconies.

Kim Eun (35, Jeongja-dong, Suwon City), who visited an activity booth with her children, said, “I have always been interested in home gardens and I keep many plants at home. I brought my children here today hoping they would learn a thing or two from this event.”

Kim’s son, Song Yong-hwan (11), a fourth grade student, said, “This is the first time I have ever planted anything. I am going to take it home and take good care of it.”

In the inner corner of the square is a grassy area set aside for rest and relaxation. It is also where the “Tomato Kindergarten” is placed. The area is full of narrow boxes placed in the shape of a maze, with tomato plants growing out of them. Children roamed around the plants, getting a chance to touch and feel the growing tomatoes. Event volunteers gave short introductions on the plants and handed ripe red tomatoes to everyone.

At the general information kiosk at the entrance to the square, a flash event was staged, and red lettuce, chickery, oak, and other seedlings that could be easily cultivated at home were handed out to visitors.

The “My Green Gyeonggi Province” celebration performance was staged in front of the Sanrim Exhibition Hall. Residents who contributed to making Gyeonggi Province a greener place were awarded, following a variety of performances designed to promote a green Gyeonggi Province. Governor Kim Moon-soo, officials from the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research & Extension services and the Gyeonggi Green & Agriculture Foundation, students from the University of Landscape Architecture and Gardening, and residents were among the audience members.

-Governor Kim sharing a laugh with winners of the Gyeonggi Garden Culture Award after planting a flower in a pot on June 11th at the “My Green Gyeonggi Province” celebration event.  (GNews Plus)

Governor Kim stated in is speech that “Gyeonggi Province grows seventy percent of all the potted cactuses in the world. They last longer and are more beautiful than cactuses that grow in the desert. If we further develop Gyeonggi Province’s agricultural technology, it will become one of our leading industries. At the same time, I hope the general public learns the joy of tending gardens of their own.”

The Gyeonggi Garden Culture Awards ceremony was held earlier that day. Hosted by the Gyeonggi Green & Agriculture Foundation to spread a taste for gardening among the area’s residents, the awards are now in their second year. Song Ju-ho’s “Garden View” and Kim Yeon-ok’s “Jukjeon Kunyang Casvill Green Village Flower Garden” each won an award in the private garden category and the community garden category, respectively.

The Sanrim Exhibition Hall’s ground floor lobby and the first floor exhibition hall were adorned with the winning works of the Garden Culture Award, works by Gardening Life contestants, and models of indoor and outdoor gardens made by students at the University of Landscape Architecture and Gardening.

“My Green Gyeonggi Province” aims to get local residents involved in gardening by exhibiting beautiful examples of gardening and giving them a taste of the experience through gardening classes. It is hoped that more people will take an interest in green living.

Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research & Extension services researcher Won Seon-i said, “Many city dwellers reject the idea of having to drive to the suburbs each weekend to tend to a rented garden. We are trying to show our residents that this can be done much closer to home. It is a great source of organic vegetables as well as being educational for children. I hope that more people will find the idea fascinating and take part in the future.”

Later that day the Gyeonggi Broadcastings Co., Ltd. station hosted an open studio, putting on a small concert in the forest and giving lessons on everyday gardening. On the last day, June 12, a photography contest was held in the Mulhyanggi Arboretum. The exhibition will continue until June 17.  

– “My Green Gyeonggi Province” aims to spread knowledge about gardening and green living by encouraging people to grow vegetables and flowers at home. Local residents browsing through the rooftop garden and crops in a box displayed in the exhibition.