The Kampong began not as a botanical garden, but as a personal collection motivated by Dr. David Fairchild’s love for, and scientific interest in, ornamental, edible, and ethnobotanic plants. Dr. Catherine Sweeney continued to develop the collection in that spirit. It contains a diverse array of plants from the tropics and warm subtropics, including tropical fruits, palms, flowering trees, flowering shrubs, and vines.

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EALOC has a community initiative whereby volunteers assist the Kampong by mounting and maintaining the garden's orchid collection.  There are two crews consisting of three individuals each.  The crews alternate scheduled times.