Jun 17, 2011

First Trees Enter Conservatory
at Gardens by the Bay

1589 tons of soil, 15 workers, a full-sized truck and careful precision – these are just some of the things required for the first plant life entering the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore's iconic development in the Marina Bay downtown area.

Eight Ceiba chodatii from Argentina, 11 Olive trees from Spain and France, and six large Baobabs from Africa, which were temporarily stored at the nursery area in Marina South and under the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, made their final journey 'home' when they were transferred into the 1.2-hectare Flower Dome, one of the cooled conservatories at Gardens by the Bay.

"By bringing these trees in, Singaporeans will have a chance to appreciate exotic plants that are not easily found here. Above all, we aim to educate and entertain visitors by surprising them with the way we showcase plant life at the Gardens," said Christopher Dalzell, Assistant Director of Gardens by the Bay, who led the milestone planting process.

The trees first arrived in Singapore at the end of 2010. The planting process in the Flower Dome which started today, is expected to take six months, and involves accurate feeding programmes and daily monitoring to ensure the adaptability of the plants.

"Plants from around the world will be added to each of the beds throughout the year to add color, form and texture. A series of thematic displays of flowering plants not commonly seen in this region will also be created to refresh the collections so there will always be something of interest for visitors to the Flower Dome," added Dalzell.

The Flower Dome is one of two cooled conservatories at the iconic Gardens by the Bay. It will be temperature-controlled at 17 to 25 degrees Celsius to replicate the cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean and semi-arid subtropical regions, and will feature an uncommon range of flowers and plants from these climates. 

While the conservatories are iconic architectural structures that will add to the identity of the Gardens and Marina Bay, their main purpose is to bring forth the beauty of plants, and tell the story of plants and their intimate relationships with Man and the ecosystem, creating greater awareness among people on the need to protect and preserve the environment.

The Gardens comprise three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central – featuring two conservatories, themed gardens and a waterfront promenade. It currently has more than 275,000 plants of about 8,000 species and varieties.

Bay South, the first phase of the Gardens is scheduled for completion in November 2011 and will officially open in June 2012.

About National Parks Board
National Parks Board (NParks) is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of the Garden City. Beyond green infrastructure, NParks is committed to enhancing the quality of life through creating memorable recreational experiences and lifestyles.

NParks manages 10% of Singapore's total land area which comprises over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves. Adding to this is the extensive streetscape, or roadside greenery, that forms the backbone of our City in a Garden. An island-wide Park Connector Network is also being developed to link major parks and residential areas.

As Singapore's scientific authority on nature conservation, NParks monitors and coordinates measures to ensure the health of Singapore's biodiversity. This supports the overall thrust of our urban conservation model, which aims to conserve representative eco-systems in land-scarce Singapore for future generations.

NParks is also the lead agency in the efforts to continually upgrade the Landscape Industry in Singapore . It works closely with industry partners to promote good work practices and create a thriving, innovative and professional industry that will support Singapore's aspirations of being a City in the Garden.

For more information, log on to www.nparks.gov.sg

About Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay will occupy 101 hectares of prime land by the water at the heart of Singapore's new downtown at Marina Bay. It will be an integral part of Singapore's City in a Garden vision, and will capture the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical city with an ideal environment in which to live, work and play.