The aroma of spices wafts from the school garden

On the other side, there is a stretch of lemongrass forest. Lemongrass dominates almost half of the estimated 3,000 square meter garden. Each clump has dozens of stems that rub against each other when strong winds blow. The friction occasionally produces a scent.

In the midst of the lemongrass fields, there are also more than 70 types of fruit-bearing plants. Among them are longan, breadfruit, oranges, and mangoes. Each plant is estimated to begin yielding fruits no later than four years from now.

Around the garden stand dozens of sandalwood trees, the iconic NTT plant. In a matter of ten years, sandalwood will emit its fragrance. Sandalwood is a typical NTT plant that was traded at the global level long before the arrival of the colonial era starting in the 16th century.

The green kitchen becomes a kind of challenge before the scout members get a pin indicating they have special skills.

The collection of plants in the spice garden reached hundreds of species, dominated by local NTT plants. The school named the spice garden because all plants produce aroma. "We feel like we are in a garden. We know almost all the plants here. We love it," said Astin.

Also read: Restoring the glory of the Spice Route

Schools provide space for students to learn in the garden. They are taught to plant and harvest crops. The learning is organized under the subject of handicrafts. In one week, the school allocates 3 hours or approximately 135 minutes of normal calculation for the subject.

Coral expanse

Don Bosko W Tani, supervisor of the Scout Front Group SMAN 6 Kupang City, said that the spice garden was started by scouts at the school through green kitchen activities. Scout members are asked to prepare kitchen ingredients that are processed from the natural surroundings.

The green kitchen has become a kind of challenge before scout members receive a pin indicating their special skills. The Scout movement began cultivating the garden in 2020.

Students crossing the spice garden at SMAN 6 Kota Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday (16/4/2024). The garden covers an area of approximately 3,000 square meters.

"Over time, the school began to be interested in cultivating vacant land into gardens. This was further strengthened by the support of the national Spice Route team, who had briefly visited our school. When they came, we had already started this initiative," said Don.

According to Don, students and teachers at the school are very proactive in maintaining the sustainability of the spice garden. Every dead plant is replaced with a new one. Routinely, they clean it within a certain period of time. There is a spirit of preserving the garden's continuity to keep it maintained.

In the past, even wild grass was reluctant to grow here.

Spirit and consistency have made SMAN 6 Kota Kupang the only high school in East Nusa Tenggara that has a spice garden with a collection of hundreds of plant species. Viktor Laiskodat, the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (2018-2023), praised the existence of the spice garden when he visited there in 2021. Viktor even asked other schools in East Nusa Tenggara to follow suit, but until now none have started.

Principal of SMAN 6 Kota Kupang, Hendrikus Hati, said that the fertile garden was transformed from a stretch of coral. "Previously, even wild grass was reluctant to grow here. It was all coral, so we brought in excavators to open up the land," said Hendrikus.

According to him, the presence of a spice garden has the intention of introducing students to the richness of NTT through various spices. He acknowledged that many students were unfamiliar with some of the plant varieties there. "Have they ever smelled the fragrance of sandalwood? Have they ever seen sandalwood? Many do not know," he said.

Not stopping at the garden. Plants such as lemongrass are now processed into lemongrass oil, soap, and floor cleaning liquids. The processing is intended to teach students how to use the results of the garden. Beyond that, the school aims to instill an entrepreneurial spirit within the students.

Also read: Archipelago Spice Route

As a leader at this institution, Hendrikus is committed to continuing to maintain the sustainability of the spice garden. Maintaining the smell of spices always provides freshness in the school which stands on a stretch of coral rock.