Seongbuk-gu's "Garden Phase 2": From Creating Gardens to Using and Caring for Them

Garden Family Festival “Gadeuk Garden” at Gaewunsan, October 24-25
A decommissioned wood-chipping facility transformed into a forest library

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Seung-ro), is launching “Garden Phase 2,” expanding its efforts beyond simply creating gardens to include reading, recreation, cultural activities, and resident-led maintenance. The district announced on October 21 that it would share this vision with residents at “Seongbuk Gadeuk Garden,” a garden family festival to be held at Gaewunsan Neighborhood Park on October 24 and 25.

Village gardeners who will lead the second cohort of “Jeongwon” in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, pose for a commemorative photo with district chief Lee Seung-ro (center). Photo provided by Seongbuk-gu.

The focus of “Garden Phase 2” is how gardens are used after they are created. The initiative will go beyond planting flowers and trees to expand its scope to include what residents experience in the gardens and who will care for them over time.

Odong Mulbit Garden and Odong Forest Library in Odong Neighborhood Park are leading examples. Odong Mulbit Garden is a water-friendly garden created using an existing concrete water channel and rocky slope. From January 2023 to May 2025, the district developed a 126-meter-long stream, an ecological pond, a pollinator garden, a moss garden, and a wall waterfall across a site of approximately 2,000 square meters. Odong Forest Library transformed the site of a decommissioned wood-chipping facility into a space for reading and relaxation. The district is also working to build a book lounge at Gaewunsan.

The district is training residents to care for the gardens through its “Village Gardener Training and Activity Support” program. It runs one 10-session course in each half of the year, teaching theory on tree and plant care as well as practical skills in garden design and planting. From the first half of 2025 through the first half of 2026, 39 people completed cohorts 1 through 3, and 20 people are currently taking the fourth cohort’s course in the second half of 2026.

Graduates have been responsible for the planning, planting, and maintenance of Gardens No. 1 and No. 2, the Seongbukcheon Village Gardener gardens, and Garden No. 3 on the cafe terrace at Arirang Cine Center. The first cohort’s group, “Seongmajeong,” is broadening its activities by holding classes on creating gardens with houseplants and reusable cups at community centers and local markets.

The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days and will feature a garden concert, hands-on activities, a garden library, forest recreation, and “Find the Seongbuk Garden Fairy.” At 2 p.m. on October 25, Professor Lee Suyeon of the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Seoul, garden writer Oh Kyung-a, and District Mayor Lee Seung-ro will take part in a talk concert titled “Discovering Urban Gardens on the Ground: Bringing Culture to Gardens.” They will discuss post-construction garden operations and maintenance, as well as ways to involve residents.

“Gardens should be more than places to admire flowers and trees; they should be part of everyday life, where residents can read, relax, and meet their neighbors,” District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said. “Through ‘Garden Phase 2,’ where residents directly cultivate and care for gardens, we will bring cultural and community values to these spaces and make it possible for everyone to enjoy nature close to home.”

Odong Forest Library, which opened in 2023 on the site of a disused wood-chipping yard. Provided by Seongbuk-gu.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.