Nov 12, 2011

Gardens by the Bay showcases Flower Dome and Heritage Gardens at sneak preview

Members of the public will have the opportunity to preview some of the key features of the Bay South Garden at Gardens by the Bay this coming week, ahead of its official opening in June 2012.

The week-long sneak preview, which runs from 14 to 20 November, is held in conjunction with the 20th World Orchid Conference (20WOC) in Singapore this year. While entry into the Flower Dome will be limited to ticket holders of the 20WOC World Orchid Show, members of the public will be able to preview some of the other features in Bay South Garden without a ticket. These include the Heritage Gardens, Dragonfly Lake, and the Supertrees in the Golden Garden and Silver Garden.

"Gardens by the Bay is a garden for all Singaporeans, and will provide a quality garden environment for everyone to enjoy with their families, friends and communities," said Dr. Kiat W. Tan, CEO, Gardens by the Bay. "We are pleased to be able to showcase some of the most unique parts of the Gardens at this sneak preview held in conjunction with the 20^th World Orchid Conference."

Flower Dome
At 1.2 hectares, the Flower Dome is the larger of the two cooled conservatories in Bay South Garden. It replicates the cool-dry, springtime climate of the Mediterranean-type and semi-arid regions, enabling the display of habitats and plants from regions in South America, the United States, South Africa and Madagascar, Western Australia and the Mediterranean Basin. Designed with the environment in mind, it also incorporates cutting-edge technologies that provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling.

The plant displays will not only bring forth the beauty of plants, but also enable the story of plants and their intimate relationships with Man and the ecosystem to be told. Emphasis will be placed on highlighting the colours from flowers as well as the interesting forms and adaptations of plants to cool and dry environments. The displays will also bring to life plants that provide food to Man.

During the preview period, visitors will also see a spectacular display of orchids planted in the Flower Field inside the Flower Dome, to mark the occasion of the 20WOC. This colourful display will feature some 14,000 orchid plants consisting of about 150 hybrids and 30 species from around the world including Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and South America.

Heritage Gardens
The Heritage Gardens features a collection of four gardens – Indian Garden, Chinese Garden, Malay Garden and Colonial Garden – which bring to life Singapore's cultural diversity and colonial history, through plants.

Featuring trees, shrubs and herbs associated with the various cultural groups, they interpret the diversity that underpins the socio-economic growth of Singapore.

Supertrees & Dragonfly Lake
Also open for public preview during this period are the Golden and Silver Gardens, as well as the Dragonfly Lake.

The Golden and Silver Gardens feature six of the 18 Supertrees in Bay South Garden and showcase a variety of epiphytes, ferns and tropical flowering climbers with gold and silver hues.

The Dragonfly Lake is part of the Gardens lake system, which serves as a natural filter of water. It provides not only naturally treated water for irrigation in the Gardens, but also an aquatic habitat for biodiversity.

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. Gardens by the Bay will be an integral part of Singapore's City in a Garden vision, a whole country geared to nurture flora and greenery. It will capture the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical city with a quality environment to live, work and play.