Amateur gardeners are invited to enrol in a gardening course in Kwun Tong District under the Community Garden Programme. Learn how to grow plants, fruits and vegetables under experts' guidance - then take the harvest home.

Amateur gardeners are invited to enrol in a gardening course in Kwun Tong District under the Community Garden Programme. Learn how to grow plants, fruits and vegetables under experts' guidance - then take the harvest home.

The new course will start on November 12 in the Kowloon Bay Sports Centre's backyard, at 15 Kai Lok Street, Kowloon Bay. Applications are open from Monday, October 3, through Thursday, October 6.

The gardening course, with a maximum of 50 participants, will be conducted in Cantonese. Each successful applicant will be allocated a plot of 2.25 square metres on which to practise gardening.

The fee for the four-month course is $400. Successful applicants can bring along four friends or relatives, who do not have to pay.

Participants may choose to take care of their plants from 8am to 6pm daily, or restrict their activities to holidays and weekends, leaving the garden keepers to water their plants.

Application forms are available at the Kwun Tong District Leisure Services Office, Units 13-18, M1, Tsui Cheung House, Tsui Ping North Estate, Kowloon. They are also available at Kowloon Bay Sports Centre, 15 Kai Lok Street, Kowloon Bay. Completed forms can be submitted from October 3 to 6. If the number of applicants exceeds the course's quota, places will be allocated by ballot.

Questions? Call 2343 6123.

11 gardens established since early 2004

Organised by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, the Community Garden Programme encourages people to participate in greening activities at the community level through which they can increase their awareness of greening and environmental protection.

Eleven community gardens have been established since February last year. They are located at:

* the Lion Rock Park in Wong Tai Sin;

* Tung Chung Tree Bank on Lantau Island;

* Wai Tsui Cresent Tree Bank in North Point;

* Fa Hui Park in Sham Shui Po;

* North District Park in Sheung Shui;

* Kwai Fuk Road near Kwai Shing Swimming Pool in Kwai Tsing;

* Tung Tze Nursery in Tai Po;

*  Ocean Park Road in Southern District;

* Area 107 of Tin Shui Wai in Yuen Long;

*  Tsuen Wan Park in Tsuen Wan; and

* Che Kung Miu Road Playground in Sha Tin.