[Updated] Singapore Garden Festival 2022 Is Back

Hi Huneybees,

After a four-year hiatus, the Singapore Garden Festival is back for its eighth edition. This year, it's brought right into the heart of Singapore with floral competitions and displays happening at Singapore Botanic Gardens (30 Jul - 9 Aug) and Orchard Road - ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City (30 Jul - 7 Aug).

So strap on your track shoes, go for a walk, enjoy the fresh air and embark on your journey of floral discovery. Here are some of the key highlights of the event...

 

Singapore Botanic Gardens

• Heritage Orchids of Singapore Arriving at the National Orchid Garden, you will find the clock tower decorated with orchids. Here you will find the plentiful species of orchid hybrids that play a big role in Singapore's floral heritage.

• The Orchid Competition, co-organized with the Orchid Society of South East Asia (OSSEA), will feature more than 400 rare and exquisite orchids at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, with the various species found in different regions of the world and submitted by professional growers and hobbyists.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Spanning across Burkhill House, Tan Hoon Siang Mist House and The Sembcorp Cool House, there are the 'Best of Show' plants and warm growing competition orchids as well as cool growing competition orchids all in full bloom, awaiting for their close up shots.
  

• Landscape Design Challenge at Eco-Garden showcases floral displays created by 10 teams of budding landscape designers from local higher education institutions. Themed "Botanical Fantasy" the students think beyond the realms of reality and transforms a 9 sq metre plot into an outdoor landscape display in just 4 hours! 

• Singapore Gardeners’ Cup (Eco-Garden) celebrates the community gardening spirit and the gardening culture across Singapore with a collaborative and friendly competition for local community gardeners. With five beautiful garden displays under a “Gardeners’ Fantasia” theme, created by 200 Community in Bloom (CIB) gardeners, you can immerse in the enchanting and whimsical world of nature that they have created. You can also take the opportunity to meet the friendly gardeners and pick up tips on how you can grow your own garden as well as sustainable gardening practices.

• Before heading off, check out The MarketPlace at Tyersall Coach Park, where you can shop and discover a wide variety of  plants, lifestyle products with a gardening theme and food to bring home. You can also shop virtually on Shopee (https://shopee.sg/m/sgf2022) and get the items delivered to your doorstep.

• The Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Festival will also be held in conjunction with SGF and will bring visitors on a heritage journey with fun-filled activities like guided tours, concerts, virtual activities, and DIY trails.
  
  
  
  
  Here's a map of the hot spots in Singapore Botanical Gardens, there will also be shuttle buses to bring you to each location, so you can take a break from walking and enjoy some cool air.

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ION Orchard

• Community Garden Edibles Competition Right at the entrance of the mall, you can find The Cavern of Edibles. Join the Oriental Pied Hornbill as it stumbles upon the mysterious cave of uncommon and unique edible plants, fruits and vegetables. Here you can find the winning entries of gardeners who grow their own edible plants as a hobby, you can never guess what can be grown right in our own homes!

• Floral Installations by local award-winning floral masters Harijanto Setiawan (The Echoes of Almeda) and John Lim (Vessel Garden) are also displayed their flowery works of art at the entrance ION Orchard.
  
  
  
  
  The Vessel Garden was concepted as an archaeological find with vessels seen as artifacts of our anthropological and cultural heritage with forms that are particular to Southeast Asia. The botanical selection ranges from aquatic plants to subsistence plants, inspired by the kampong spirit which, at its heart, respects nature and its bounty.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Echoes of Almeda combines architecture with nature, featuring exotic tropical plants. One can find dreamlike serenity as you walk into this bamboo weaved pathway that cuts through the "Tropical Stone".

• Floral Designers Society Singapore’s FDSS Cup will return for its 12^th edition from 30 July to 2 August with unique, visually compelling competition pieces on display, and two participant categories - Professional and Amateur, each with different themes and designs to compete in.

• Floral Fiesta: A Floral Creation Challenge from 3 to 7 August, is a new event in the form of a “live” challenge that will involve budding florists, hobbyists, or even professional designers convening to create floral pieces in line with given themes.
  
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Civic Plaza, Ngee Ann City

• Show Garden Competition is a returning favourite that features a total of 6 Show Garden plots located at Civic Plaza, Ngee Ann City by renowned local designers and three award-winning international designers from the UK, France, and Australia. These professional landscape designers have gone head-to-head to create stunning show gardens.
  
  The first display you will see is "A Botanical Fantasy" by National Parks Board. This is a 360° display that takes you through 4 contrasting yet cohesive landscapes - Sandy Beach, Bog Garden, Tropical Lowland Rainforest, and High-Elevation Forest,  showcasing an amazing diversity of plants.
  
  The Inner Growth Garden and The Orchard Bridge both won Gold in the competition. Inner Growth Garden by Christian Jenkins (Australia) allows one to escape into their own sanctuary in this eye-catching garden. The use of large leafy plants, tall trees, and low low planting levels, gives off a sense of shelter and safety, allowing one to get lost in the plant world.
  
  The Orchard Bridge also won the Best of Show and Best Construction awards. Created by Eliam Eng and Andy Ng (Singapore), the display draws inspiration from when Orchard Road was still an area filled with pepper farms, fruit orchards, and nutmeg plantations. The fluidity of Mother Nature forms the shapes that take place where man and nature co-exist, on can walk along the bridge and listen to the magic of nature in this display.
  
  The Time Garden and The Time: In the far, far away future also drew a lot of attention with its insta-worthy display. Head on over to Ngee Ann City to experience it all.
  
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Phew, aren't those flowers gorgeous? I've learned a little more about gardening during this event and I can't wait to see how my garden will look in the months to come. So, for more updates, head on over to https://sgf.nparks.gov.sg and facebook.com/SGGardenFest. 

There are also prizes up for grabs.

• People's Choice Award
  Scan the QR code at your favorite display and stand to win $300 shopping vouchers.
  Voting Period: Sat 30 Jul @1000h to Thu 4 Aug @ 2359h.
  
  
• Community's Choice Award
  Scan the QR code at your favorite display and stand to win a Hydroponic Home System worth $400.
  Voting Period: Sat 30 Jul @830h to Thu 4 Aug @2359h

Do follow me on my social media for more daily updates...
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8 Things I Love About Hotel Jen Tanglin

Hi Huneybees,

Staycation is the new 'IT' thing to do over weekends and it's always an amazing thing to do with hubby, so that we can spend some quality couples' time together. Febraury is exceptionally a special period for us, as that's the month we got met and got married.

That's why the staycation we had at Hotel Jen Tanglin was such a memorable one and this new and big hotel really got us pampered so good, that I have to recommend to you too!

1) Close Proximity to FUN!

Nestled within the quieter end of Orchard Road, along Cuscaden Road, not only it's along the stretch of Singapore's shopping district, it's also a stone's throw away from the Singapore Botanical Gardens, Singapore's very first newly added UNESCO site.

At the hotel entrance, you can see these eclectic, vintage bicycles which you can borrow for free and take a tour around the park or check out the area nearby. There's even GoPro to rent for free, so you can document your whole fun stay with the hotel.

2) Insta-Worthy Spots

Stepping into the lobby, you will definitely notice these vintage luggage counter and shiny background at the concierge. There's even swings, plush seats and comfy arm chairs for your comfy lounging around.

It seems to tell the story of their travelling customers and it felt as though you are stepping into their journals. This space makes for a great place to share stories with fellow travellers and perhaps learn a few special tips from each other.

3) Great Hospitality

The lobby is not only for their hotel stayers but also open to public, with Wi-Fi free to log on, anyone can pop in for a break from their shopping along Orchard Road, to hide from the warm weather and enjoy some juice quencher. 

The lobby also houses Jen’s Kitchen On-The-Go. This cafe and snack bar offers a selection of artisan products including locally roasted coffee from Nomad the Gallant – a specialist in aromatic coffee blends.

To get about Singapore, Hotel Jen also offers shuttle service around Orchard Road and in your rooms, you can even find navigation lanyards and neighbourhood guides, just in case you get lost whilst roaming around.

4) Environmental Friendly

Going paperless, you not only help save the Earth, but also go hassle free with your check-in details via Wacom. All you will get in the end is simply your room card and joined together with the free Wi-Fi, you can log onto the hotel's app, to get free reads of magazines and newspaper too!

5) Club Lounge

For those who stay on the 17th and 18th floors, you are on the Club Rooms level. Club Rooms at Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore are Deluxe Rooms plus Club Lounge benefits. The spacious and seldom crowded lounge is the perfect quiet spot to have a drink or enjoy a meal by yourself. 

The lounge is open and manned by staff from 6am until 10pm. Thereafter, it is accessible on a 24-hour basis with the room key. For those midnight snackers, you can skip the room service and pop into the lounge for some instant noodles, buns and biscuits.

On weekdays, breakfast is served from 6.30am until 11am. On weekends, brunch is a little more “Jenerous” and is served till noon. Adding to the range of nifty benefits, the Club Lounge features a cocktail hour from 5pm until 7.30pm. During this time, the staff bring out the drinks, ready for you to mix and enjoy. Mid-afternoon culinary treats are also available then and the menu rotates daily.

Breakfast at the club lounge is best enjoyed by those who seek a little privacy in the early mornings. Best for me, who isn't makeup ready, I can hide at the corner and enjoy my breakfast. Of course, for those who prefer a little more "wake-up-call", the regular hotel breakfast buffet is still available. 

But being a level above, not only do you get a view with your breakfast, the menu is also slightly different, where you can find eggs benedict, muesli and yogurt or soaked oats in milk too!

Brown bags and paper cups are left in the lounge for guests and if you like the food so much, you can even bring them out with you while you tour around Singapore with the "tapao" concept that is unique to Hotel Jen.

Found a little staircase that links level 17 and 18.

6) All-in-One Hotel Room

Well, to enjoy to the fullest, I definitely got to have the Club Room. Exiting the lift, I'm greeted by a graphically designed lobby with neutral tones and orange accents, even the scribbling font on the door numbers make such a welcoming scene to what surprises hold within the room.

Entering the room, we were greeted by a warm "HELLO" at the coat hanger area with a full size mirror for us to double check our looks before heading out.

And another surprising welcome is the mini fridge. Other than chilled water, there's even fresh cut fruits to welcome you! And what you see might be the lack of expensive mini bar drinks, well, who needs them now that there's a vending machine downstairs and a Club Lounge next door?

In the wardrobe, there is the usual safe at eye level, but what's special is the laundry service! Instead of charging by per item, here at Hotel Jen, you are charged by the bag, it can be just a few shirts or a bag full of the entire family's laundry, you will still be charged by the same price!

And hidden beneath the couch in the hotel room lies an ironing set ready for the business traveller who needs to quickly press a shirt for that next appointment. But what I enjoyed most is the cozy poolside view enjoyed as one relaxes on the couch, admiring the day or night view. A perfect spot to engage in a little reading, or to unwind with a little meal.

The toilet might be too small to fit a bath-tub, but despite its size, you get every needs satisfied. A rain shower to wash those tired body from touring Singapore and look at the amenities corner, even a hairband for those who don't want to get their hair wet! So thoughtful eh?

And talking about space saving and thoughtfulness, you get USB charging ports throughout the room to charge up your gadgets, while you enjoy a good night's rest, or work at the desk. 

Lastly, the bed! The king-sized bed was spacious, firm and cooling to share with my hubby; and when it's time for bed, the lights go off and the “take-off” lighting under the bed turns on to send you into dreamland on a floating "cloud". Who needs night light anymore?

7) Facilities For All

Well, with such an amazing hotel stay, you will want to share with your friends and families eh? There's a couple of computers to use at the Club Lounge for you to do that and don't get me started on the pool!

In our warm Singapore weather, the pool is definitely the most welcoming sight, (or maybe it's the lifeguard? LOL!). Along the poolside, there's also the vending machine for you to get soft drinks or snacks at night and a little something else, if you look closer.

And if you've been enjoying too much of the Singaporean delicacies, be sure to pop on by the fully eqipped gym to lose those pounds. There's even a charging dock locker for your mobile phones while you exercise!

8) Food Galore

Need coffee? Get it from the 24/7 Jen’s Kitchen-on-the-go at the lobby to satisfy your caffeine fix, but what's making me fall in love is their J65 restaurant at the lobby.

You get a mix of local cuisines, together with western, raw delicacies, indian fare as well as vegetarian choices. There's a corner where you can try 6 different kinds of laksa from Asia and with so much to offer, you can skip Lau Pa Sat already!

So, it was the Lunar New Year period during our stay, there was even a Lo Hei bar where we get to DIY our own version. Lo Hei is considered a symbol of abundance, prosperity and vigor and is a must-dish during Lunar New Year. For more explanation, click here.

And before you go off, don't forget to try out their sweets buffet of cakes and DIY ice cream scoops! =)

 

Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore has truly impressed me with their comfortable plush in more ways than I thought possible. With fun in mind, Jen's little touches and clever designs made my weekend stay so enjoyable. I bet all those who stays with Hotel Jen will agree with me. #ThatJenFeeling

Thank you Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore for the lovely stay.

Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore
1A Cuscaden Road Singapore 249176
www.hoteljen.com/tanglin 

Prices: Standard rooms from $220++ per night; Executive suites from $350++ per night; Special party staycation package is $700 and available here.

Main Line: (65) 6738 2222 

Reservations: (65) 6831 422

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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