The Singapore Botanic Garden can rightfully be considered a real wonder of the world. Walking along it, in the midst of its silence you will hear the real sounds of nature and understand all its deep philosophy. After all, everything in Singapore is built in accordance with the requirements of Feng Shui. Not long ago it received UNESCO World Heritage status. The Singapore Botanic Gardens include the Botanical Garden itself and the Orchid Park, which has the National Status.
Exotic plants have been grown in Singapore for almost two centuries. The first such garden appeared on the island in 1822, but it was rather an exotic vegetable garden. It ceased to exist seven years later, the state began to take charge of it, and the botanical garden itself in Singapore, with alleys, paths, benches and even a small zoo, was founded a few years later. And the garden immediately became a very popular and favorite place. It was from this that the modern national botanical garden grew. Singapore botanic gardens has been operating for 150 years, and it is a whole scientific laboratory in which the most unique plants are bred and displayed.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the best place for a family holiday. Here, on 64 hectares of land, there is something for everyone. Many well-maintained bicycle paths, gazebos and benches - everything you need for walking and relaxing.
Visiting the Singapore Botanic Garden is free; more than 2 million people visit it every year. The fee is only for entry to the Singapore Orchid Park - 5 Singapore dollars per person, children under 12 years old are free.
Singapore Orchid Park The National Orchid Garden
You can’t visit Singapore without seeing the uniquely beautiful National Orchid Garden. It was founded back in 1859, and then there were only a few varieties of these flowers.
Now more than 1,000 new varieties and about 2,000 hybrids have been bred in the orchid park in Singapore. Among all the flowers, the varieties that stand out are those bred specifically in honor of prominent and famous people - “Elizabeth”, “Princess Diana”, “Margaret Thatcher”. The Singapore Orchid Park has named more than 100 varieties of these flowers after high-profile celebrities. Thus, each new variety of orchids adds to the VIP Orchid Gardens collection.
Here, orchids are planted according to semantic color zones - blue and light blue correspond to “Winter”, yellow and orange - “Autumn”, red colors - “Summer”, and soft golden ones characterize “Spring”.
It’s simply amazing how different they are - tall, short, of very different colors, dotted and plain. The climate of Singapore allows these exquisite flowers to grow directly in the open ground, and visitors can only admire the exquisite landscape design, all the man-made dams, sculptures, and fountains.
Singapore botanic gardens also have their own “anti-greenhouse” - it is quite cool, and cold-resistant orchids grow there.
The Orchid Park in Singapore produces flowers of any color. There is not and never will be only one, so deeply revered and passionately desired by everyone who breeds orchids - black. Singaporeans consider the main advantage of orchids to be the play of halftones of this flower, and this effect cannot be achieved in black.
Singapore also breeds amazing plants in its orchid garden that bloom and bear fruit only once in a lifetime - the Bromeliad Garden. The most famous plant of this species is the pineapple, but in fact there are more than 300 species.
The Singapore National Orchid Park will sell a cutting, or even a flower in a pot, to anyone who is inspired to grow these flowers.
You can walk around the Singapore Orchid Park all day long, admire the flowers, take photographs and shoot videos. The only thing that is strictly punishable and that is absolutely forbidden to do is pick flowers. An orchid is a symbol of the state; damage to it can cost you dearly.
There are other attractions at the Singapore Botanic Garden.
A tropical forest
Singapore botanic gardens have almost all the natural areas of these latitudes; even a small area of tropical forest, only 6 hectares, has been preserved. This area is older than the rest of the garden, and it is one of two similar areas of untouched nature located within the city.
Swan Lake
It is worth coming to the Botanical Garden in Singapore to admire the lake with swans. Black and white swans, aquatic turtles, and various fish live here in natural conditions. The lake is decorated with a stone sculpture of a swan and a ball-shaped fountain.
Near the lake you can see another amazing bonsai park, with a variety of miniature trees. He is the only one of his kind in Asia and also sells some.
It’s impossible to tell everything about the gardens; you just have to come here and see them for yourself.
- Opening hours: daily 05:00 – 24:00; Orchid National Park from 08:30 – 19:00
- Address: 1 Cluny Road, Singapore
- Nearest metro: Farrer Road
- Entrance fees: for free; Orchid National Park $5.00 adult ticket
When it comes to taking a tour of our city's greenest attraction, what better guide than Singapore Botanic Gardens (sbg) Director Dr Nigel Taylor? In no case.
Dr Nigel Taylor considers gardening to be an extremely serious activity (and quite naturally). Having become director of the Botanical Gardens, he not only achieved their inclusion in the prestigious list of UNESCO Cultural Heritage Monuments, but also led a team of specialists in the cultivation of rare plant seedlings and the conservation of regional flora.
Today, Dr. Taylor will take us through the most remarkable corners of the 156-year-old park, and share the interesting stories associated with it.
- Start your walk with a visit to the History MuseumBotanical gardens (SBG Heritage Museum)
The two-storey museum is located in Holttum Hall, just steps from the magnificent Tanglin Gate, next to the Botany Centre. Built in 1922, it served as an office and laboratory for the directorate of the Botanical Garden. At that time (from 1925 to 1949), the park was headed by Professor Eric Holttum, a developer of innovative methods of orchid breeding.
- Meet the famous "money tree"
After immersing yourself in the park's rich history, take a stroll to Lawn E, home to the old Tembusu tree, also known as the fragrant fragrea tree, which you may recognize from the S$5 note. Scientists believe that the tree is more than 150 years old. Its lower branch is supported by a specially designed system of supports that prevent it from breaking without interfering with its growth. In addition to this legendary plant, there are 46 tembusu in the park (some of them reach 30 meters in height!).
- Walk the Prisoner of War Staircase
During the Japanese occupation, Australian prisoners of war marked bricks they made in Changi factories with arrows. These bricks were later used to build a flight of stairs along Lower Ring Road. At that time, the arrows, visible on the steps to this day, symbolized contempt for the enemy.
- Share the stage with an invisible orchestra
At the top of the hill you can see the old octagonal gazebo, the appearance of which has remained unchanged since 1930. In its heyday, this handsome structure served as a stage for the regimental band, which played its marches against a backdrop of flower beds and spreading palm trees. The music is no longer played here, but the place is still a very popular venue, especially for wedding photo shoots!
- Wander through the tropical bush
Directly opposite the gazebo, a tropical forest with an area of 6 hectares begins. It stretches along Maranta Avenue and has 314 plant species. The height of some trees has exceeded 50 meters, and in age they are much older than modern Singapore.
- Dophotoin the Orchid Garden
Take Maranta Avenue towards Lower Palm Valley Road and you will come to the entrance to the National Orchid Garden. The park, established by Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 1995, has more than 2,000 varieties of hybrid orchids, not to mention 1,000 basic species of the plant.
In 1956, a custom cultivar naming program was established and the first flower was named after Lady Anne Black, wife of the British Viceroy. Since then, personalized orchids have immortalized over 200 select people from over 90 countries.
- Feel like a wealthy landowner by visiting Burkill Hall
Don't leave the Orchid Garden without visiting Burkill Hall. The building was built during the colonial era, between 1867 and 1868, and has been restored today. What makes it special is that it is believed to be the only example of an Anglo-Malay farmhouse in the region. Moreover, this is the oldest building on the territory of the gardens, and now it houses a VIP pavilion where orchid exhibitions are held.
Singapore Botanic Gardens: www. sbg. org. sg
The park is open to the public from 05:00 to midnight
Material provided: www.thehoneycombers.com
The diversity of Singapore's flora is like a kaleidoscope, which contains all the richness and luxury of the island's flora.
The garden is located near the city on a large area of 52 hectares. Beauty lovers have at their disposal hundreds of remote paths among real tropical forests and well-groomed alleys leading from pond to pond, unique “open-air exhibitions” - the Ginger Garden and Palm Valley, Swan Lake with its graceful inhabitants. All plants are illuminated and provided with nameplates.
The first Botanical Garden appeared in Singapore in 1822. The founder of the state and a great amateur naturalist, Sir Stamford Raffles, created it mainly in order to introduce economically profitable grain crops such as nutmeg, cloves and cocoa into cultivation. However, working in this mode, the garden quite quickly - after seven years, ceased to exist and passed into state ownership. Subsequently, the Gardening Society of Singapore founded another park - no longer agricultural, but decorative - with paths, terraces, a stage and even a small zoo. It gradually developed into a leading equatorial botanical garden. Today it is already 148 years old and constantly attracts tourists from all over the world.
Garden Pavilion Bandstand
Bromeliad Garden- more than 300 species and 500 hybrid forms from Central and South America. Bromeliads include plants such as: pineapple, tillandsia, echmea, cryptanthus, guzmania, etc.
Ginger Garden. About 250 species of this oriental plant grow in the garden.
Palm Valley. The valley's lawns are a popular spot for picnics and outdoor concerts.
Cactus garden in the Sunny Garden
A tropical forest, which is part of the island's jungle.
Garden of Evolution with the rarest plants in amazing design.
Eco-Lake
Swan Lake
Symphony Lake
Inside the botanical garden is its main pride, a place where more than one and a half million travelers visit each year - the Orchid National Park. It opened on October 20, 1995 at the initiative of Deputy Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew.
The Orchid Park is located on one of the hills of the Botanical Garden and covers an area of 3 hectares. Today it is the world's largest collection of living orchids and an exemplary center for their hybridization and conservation. The park contains 60,000 species, including 400 varieties and more than 2,000 hybrids.
The richness and diversity of the collection is the result of careful selection and exchange programs with other botanical institutions. The Garden’s staff regularly travels around the country, collecting fresh flowers to replenish the collection and herbarium.
Initially, the collection of orchids was created as part of the Botanical Garden’s program to study the country’s flora. But as soon as new, more interesting types of orchids were obtained, they were presented at the exhibition and gained great popularity as garden flowers. After the start of the orchid breeding program in the late 1920s, flower varieties began to be collected as material for research.
Singapore's orchids are the most extensive and colorful collection. Here you can see the most beloved and revered orchid - "Vanda Miss Joaquim". In 1893, scientist Agnes Joaquin first grew, actually discovered and invented, the Singapore orchid, which in 1981 became the official symbol of Singapore. Subsequently, naming new types of flowers after famous people became traditional, for example, in the park you can find the orchid of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth, Nelson Mandale or President Suharto.
"Vanda Miss Joaquim"
The distinctive feature of the National Orchid Park is the display of these amazing flowers. Within each thematic part, four separate color zones have been created: the “spring” zone is dominated by flowers of bright, golden, yellow and creamy shades, the “summer” zone mainly contains red orchids, the “autumn” zone has flowers of mature, rich shades of predominantly orange, and in the "winter" room white and light blue orchids are planted. Only one color for an orchid is not recognized in Singapore - black, although it is quite possible to breed it. It is believed that, despite the sophistication of its forms, the black orchid loses its tenderness and ceases to be real, because the true beauty of its color lies in the play of halftones.
In order to achieve such color zoning, Park staff spent a long time and carefully selecting flowers and developing new hybrids of a wider range of colors. In addition, orchids are also grouped by type: epiphytes (orchids growing on other plants that support their life), terrestrial plants (what we are usually used to seeing) and climbing flowers. To be fair, it is worth noting that Orchid Park is a feast not only for the eyes, but also for the nose. Just imagine what a magical, viciously sweet aroma hovers over a vast territory planted with the most exquisite flowers in the world.
Orchids in The National Orchid Garden grow in the wild, without special devices, moisture, and, most surprisingly, without fences. Singaporeans take pride in the fact that all the work involved in caring for orchids is done by hand. Anyone can come up, touch, smell and take a photo with the specimen they like. But God forbid that something should be torn off, cut off or broken! In Singapore, the orchid is a symbol of the state, and it is protected by law carefully and jealously.
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Cool House- a glass pavilion where “cold” species are kept. Over the past thirty years, the park has created conditions for growing orchids brought from countries with temperate climates. The temperature and light level in the pavilion are adjusted to the natural growing conditions of flowers. Each year this innovation will only expand the range of orchid varieties that can be displayed in the National Park.
The city and country of Singapore surprises with its exoticism, an unusual combination of modern architecture and corners with preserved pristine nature. The stunning flora and fauna of the region is presented in zoological and botanical gardens. Huge, well-kept parks in the heart of shopping districts impress travelers from all over the world. And the Singapore Botanical Garden is one of the best, included in the UNESCO list. This is one of the main attractions of the country.
Story
The garden was established in the 20s of the 19th century. The main purpose of its creation was the cultivation of cocoa beans, spices and some other crops. Then, within a few decades, the need for plant cultivation disappeared and the area was not used. Serious work on creating the park began in 1859. Gradually the flora became enriched, and seedlings began to be brought from other regions.
In the 20th century, many new species of tropical plants appeared at the Singapore Botanic Garden. Soil research was also carried out here and new varieties were bred. During this period, the first orchid hybrids began to take root. Subsequently, the garden withstood the period of occupation and was not plundered. The history of the Singapore Botanic Garden does not end here: now it trains biologists, continues to improve the territory and develop new varieties. This park is visited annually by a huge number of people: not only tourists, but also local residents who come here to rest, relax or exercise in the fresh air.
Attractions
Walking through the Singapore Botanic Gardens in Singapore, you can see beautiful alleys, ponds and fountains. The names of the plants you like can be read from special signs installed nearby. It is located somewhat separately. There is an entrance fee, but it is worth a visit: picturesque places can be found here. Tourists will be impressed by the variety of blooming orchids.
There are waterfalls and small sculptural compositions that fit perfectly into the setting of the area. The moss-covered sculptures give visitors the feeling that they are in a fairyland. In some pavilions, the air temperature is specially lowered to make the plants feel comfortable.
In 2007, the first kindergarten for children in Asian countries was opened under the name of D. Ballas. You can get there from a separate entrance, but this is also the territory of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Little visitors can not only look at the plants, but also learn more about their cultivation and benefits for humans. There is also a games area and a separate cafe.
Animal world
On the territory of the Singapore Botanic Gardens you can find various animals. One of the three is inhabited by swans. The reservoir is named after them. Among the birds you can also find ducks and Aplonis starlings.
And turtles live in the ponds.
You can take great photos at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in any weather. For example, photograph a pond with water lilies or barely blooming flowers. There are wild birds living among the trees, and it will be lucky to take a photo of one of them.
What else to see?
You should definitely see such unique plant varieties as dendrobiums, saraka, wax palms and some species of the Ginger family. People also come to the garden to listen to music. Orchestra concerts are periodically held at special venues. In 2008, a monument to F. Chopin was even erected here. There are also other beautiful sculptures. For example, a composition depicting swans in Swan Lake.
Travelers from other countries should visit the Garden of Evolution, which occupies an area of 1.5 hectares. Walking along the path, you can observe how plant species changed during different periods of the planet’s history. Coniferous trees and ferns grow along the road, and huge stones and boulders complete the setting.
Another amazing object is the Green Pavilion - a house whose roof is completely covered with plants. It looks unusual, and inside there are seating areas for guests. For those interested in botany, there is a horticultural library and educational centers.
Flowering plants create an extraordinary atmosphere and emit pleasant aromas. But there is a separate area where spices are grown. The smells that reign there will be remembered by guests for a long time. Another area of the garden is dedicated to marsh vegetation.
Water lilies float in a small pond, and water-loving trees and herbs stretch out of the water around.
How to get to Singapore Botanic Gardens?
Getting to the park while on the island is not difficult. The easiest way to do this is by metro. Get off at Botanic Gardens station. From there, signs and the entrance to the garden will be immediately visible.
Another way to get to the attraction is by taxi. But for this, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the approximate prices in advance (they use Singapore dollars here) and think about the return route. In good weather you can walk, especially if the hotel or guest house is nearby. There are hotels located very close to the park.
Note to visitors who wish to travel by public transport: there are several entrances to the garden. There are several buses along the route.
Information for visitors
You don't need to buy tickets to the park: admission is free for everyone. The operating hours are the same for any time of year. Every morning, the Singapore Botanic Garden opens its doors at 5 o'clock and closes at midnight. The park is open seven days a week and in any weather. Separate pavilions house cafeterias and recreation areas. There is also a garden history museum on site, where you can learn about the founders and famous biologists.
In rainy weather, you should take an umbrella, but there are places in the park where you can hide from the rain. These are gazebos with benches, souvenir shops, food courts, and special pavilions.
Before visiting, be sure to familiarize yourself with the garden plan located at the entrance, as well as the rules of stay. Their main point is not to harm the plants. All the main attractions, indoor areas and branches of the Center are marked there. You can view the plan right from home by going to the official website of the park.
The Singapore Botanical Garden is one of the main attractions of the republic of the same name, located in Southeast Asia. Its founding father was Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who, ironically, was also the founder of all of Singapore.
In private life, Sir Raffles was interested in wildlife at an amateur level, which prompted him in 1822 to create a special place for the cultivation of such useful crops as nutmeg, cocoa and cloves. Over time, he got tired of doing this and the already cultivated places came under the management of the state, which in 1959 turned them into a decorative recreation park with winding paths and comfortable terraces, a local stage and a small zoo.
Today, the Singapore Botanic Garden is a unique complex of equatorial vegetation occupying 52 hectares, consisting of a number of thematic corners. The central place in it is occupied by the Mandai Orchid Park, where you can admire more than 400 varieties of these beautiful flowers, with a total number of about 60 thousand. The Orchid Park consists of four parts.
The first presents Orchids, among which you can find the Singapore orchid, bred in 1981, which later became the official symbol of the state. In the second - elite orchids brought from other countries, mainly Southeast Asia. In the third - orchids from countries with cool climates, kept in a special glass pavilion with the temperature and illumination to which these types of flowers are accustomed. In the fourth - Bromeliad Garden with plants such as pineapples, guzmania, etc. A variety of souvenirs are sold on the territory of the Orchid Park, among which the most original are an orchid in gold and cones with sprouts of fresh flowers.
Singapore Botanic Gardens - VIDEO
In addition to Mandai, the Singapore Botanic Gardens has many other beautiful places to visit - Palm Valley, Fern Conservatory, Ginger Garden, Swan Lake. The names speak for themselves, but especially for tourists, each plant in the botanical garden is equipped with an illuminated sign with its name.
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Singapore Botanic Garden - PHOTO
