Gardens by the Bay Blossoms

June 28, 2012 Blog no comments

Gardens by the Bay Launch

A pristinely curated garden sprawled over 101 hectares in area, Gardens by the Bay is 36% larger than the Singapore Botanic Gardens and populated by more than 750,000 plants in total. Opened last night by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the project costed more than $1 billion and boasts of 7 key attractions including the Dragonfly and Kingfisher Lakes, World of Plants, Heritage Gardens and the Bay East Garden.

Gardens by the Bay Launch
Costing more than $1 billion to build, our newest and largest attraction at Marina Bay boasts of 18 Supertrees towering 25 to 50 m in height. These are linked by the 128 m long OCBC Skyway offering a view of more than 162,900 plants including bromeliads, orchids, ferns and tropical climbers.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

The Bay South Garden features plants which are not commonly seen in this part of the world (unlike the older Botanic Gardens). Helmed by a hardworking team of 100 full-time staff aided by 800 contractors, the park is operated by the Gardens by the Bay company, a subsidiary of the National Parks Board.

The Garden’s two crown jewels must be their climate controlled conservatory complexes featuring approximate 226,000 plants from every continent (except Antarctica) – the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Replicating the cool-moist air-conditioned climate of the Tropical Montane region (between 1,000 to 3,500 m above sea level), the Cloud Forest magically transports one to regions such as Mount Kinabalu, with a 35 m Cloud Mountain adorned by an awe-inspiring waterfall. Even PM Lee said “Wow!” when he first encountered this man-made wonder.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Gardens by the Bay Launch

I loved walking through the walkways and encountering pockets of insectivorous pitcher plants, bromeliads scaling its surfaces and resplendent orchids. With the scenic view of Marina Bay in the background, there are lots of photo opportunities everywhere.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Gardens by the Bay Launch

With temperatures of 23 to 25 degrees C, the Flower Dome mimics the cool-dry climes of the Mediterranean and semi-arid subtropical regions, featuring unique plant specimens such as Baobabs and 1,000 year old Olive trees that have never been seen in this part of the world.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Baobabs? @ Flower Dome of Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Its highlight must be the flower garden in the middle of the conservatory which will feature changing floral displays to draw repeat visitors. Decked with splendid hues and tints of red, yellow, pink, blue, and green, the displays are a photographer’s dream.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Gardens by the Bay Launch

Gardens by the Bay Launch

To celebrate its opening, a whole host of events will be organised from now until 8 July. They include concerts by artistes like Jason Mraz and Corinne May, theatre performances, a light and sound show amidst the Supertrees, and more. Go and visit this link for details.

Gardens by the Bay Launch

For more information on Gardens by the Bay including admission charges to the various attractions, opening hours and address, check out this link here. Before you do, let me whet your “green” appetite further with more floral eye-candy here:

By Walter
Founder of Cooler Insights, I am a geek marketer with almost 24 years of senior management experience in marketing, public relations and strategic planning. Since becoming an entrepreneur 5 years ago, my team and I have helped 58 companies and over 2,200 trainees in digital marketing, focusing on content, social media and brand storytelling.

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