'It's very heartwarming': Terrascapes' owners touched by public generosity after fire destroys part of plant nursery

SINGAPORE — A fire that razed part of a popular plant nursery in Chua Chu Kang this week has prompted an outpouring of donations and support for the owners of Terrascapes, who said on Friday (July 22) that they were touched by the generosity.

The two owners had not asked for any financial help and were shocked when customers, friends and even Instagram followers from overseas began offering assistance, with some even transferring money directly into their bank account.

Co-owner Bridgette Yeoh, 43, told TODAY: "It's scary that so many people remembered us, even some who have never been to our shop before. It's really, really very touching and heartwarming." 

Though grateful for the contributions, co-owner Sandy Soh, 47, said that he had transferred some of the money back to donors. 

“We’re not out for money, but it seems like people want us to be able to rebuild and come back,” he said, adding that he has not had the time to calculate how much they have received in donations.

Terrascapes was started in 2008 at a small plot of land on Heng Soon Farm. Over the years, it grew and the nursery later moved to a larger plot on the same farm, located at the end of a small stretch of road alongside other plots taken up by hobbyist gardeners or small businesses.

The fire on Wednesday shocked the plant-loving community here, many of whom would travel to Terrascapes to peruse and buy rare plants. Children would also visit the nursery to meet the pets that the owners kept there.

Several plant distributors and nurseries expressed their support on social media, with one plant distributor — The Rewilding Company — announcing that all proceeds from its sales of potting soil will go to Terrascapes.

The owner of The Rewilding Company, a business associate and close friend of the Terrascapes owners, had started the fundraiser without informing them, Ms Yeoh said. 

She added that she has rejected several friends who offered to start fundraisers for Terrascapes or to help them sell their products.

OWNERS SUSPECT ELECTRICAL FIRE

The fire started not long after Mr Soh had packed up for the day at the exotic plant nursery, located on Choa Chu Kang Track 14.

After leaving for home at about 7pm, he got a call half an hour later from a neighbour informing him of the fire. 

The blaze was so huge that motorists on the main road nearby were slowing down or even stopping to stare, Ms Yeoh said.

By the time she and Mr Soh arrived, firefighters had cordoned off the area. They were allowed to approach the nursery at 11pm to see what had happened and could assess the damage only the next morning.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that the fire was confined to an area of about 20m by 20m near the front gate, which makes up about a quarter of the nursery.

More than 20 small birds — budgies, lovebirds, conures and chickens — died in the fire. 

Ms Yeoh said: “I don’t want kids to cry over this. I want word to get out that all (five) cats are okay, the funny parrot is still dancing, the big birds at the back are all okay.” 

Three other plots adjacent to Terrascapes were also destroyed by the blaze, though workers there on Friday declined comment.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation and the nursery owners suspect that it was an electrical fire.

The flames at Terrascapes were contained within the front area, which housed mainly the retail part of the nursery. Timber structures and plastic sheets were burnt to a crisp, with metal poles, wire meshes and shattered pots strewn on the ground. 

‘CAN’T SIT AROUND AND MOPE’

The owners estimated that the damage may be worth about S$20,000. They expect the clean-up and rebuilding to cost another S$50,000 more.

The back of the nursery, which housed roughly a few hundred thousand dollars worth of plants, was practically unscathed, they added.

That was where they kept most of their expensive rare plants, which can at times be valued at a sum of up to five digits, as well as their “mother plants” that they can use to propagate more plants. It was also where their cats and larger birds were when the fire started.

Initially, the owners decided that they had just enough in their bank account to cover their losses and repair the damage.

With donations coming in now, they are hoping to rebuild the nursery better than it used to be so that customers can continue to enjoy their time there.

“(The fire) has become like a push factor,” Mr Soh said. “Since we have to rebuild, we will do it better because a lot of things have been kind of cobbled together over time. Maybe we can do up a proper space where people can visit.” 

Now, their immediate task is to get water and electricity running before getting contractors to clean up the space and rebuild.

Terrascapes will be closed until further notice and the owners expect to reopen in the next six to eight weeks.

“It’s very painful emotionally, but we can’t sit around and mope,” Ms Yeoh said. “We have to get things done.”