9th edition of the Singapore Garden Festival to return to Suntec Singapore in August

Hi Huneybees,

The Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) returns this August at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, organized by the National Parks Board (NParks). The ninth edition of this premier international garden and flower show will bring back familiar favourites such as the Best of Show Designer Gardens competition and a refreshed Floral Windows to the World Championship, which both feature award-winning designers from all around the world. 

The Balcony Gardens competition and Floral Table-Top competition, with local designers, will also be making a comeback, alongside the Singapore Gardeners’ Cup celebrating community gardeners islandwide. 

SGF Prelude (14-17 March 2024) at Takashimaya Square

The SGF Prelude event, running from 14 to 17 March 2024 at Takashimaya Square B2, offered a free sneak peek into the festival. Visitors could enjoy 24 Ikebana floral displays (that incorporates edibles - from fresh vegetables such as cauliflower, chilli, green pepper, and long beans, to pandan and dried edibles like corn and lemon), celebrity and heritage orchids, MarketPlace booths, free floral workshops, and the exciting “live” Floral Fiesta competition. Discounted tickets for the main festival in August will be available for purchase during this event.

SGF Prelude Event - Orchid displays

An orchid display featuring various celebrity and heritage orchids were also on showcase, including Dendrobium hybrids named after Bae Yong Jun, Serena Williams, and Stephanie Sun, as well as Aranda Noorah Alsagoff, one of the most well-known blue arandas, and Aranda Grandeur which has impressive large blooms with pink colour shading.

A highlight of the Prelude wss the “live” Floral Fiesta competition on 15 March 2024. The competition featured two rounds of exciting live action during which participants picked from an assortment of flowers to create their floral masterpieces. The top five finalists were announced and will  move on to compete in the Floral Table-Top competition as part of the main show in August.

SGF Prelude Event - Floral Fiesta Competition flower bar that serves also as a photo booth for visitors

SGF (3-11 August 2024) at Suntec Singapore: A horticultural and floral treat by international and local designers

The main event of SGF will be held from 3 to 11 August 2024 at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Levels 4 and 6. It will feature the Best of Show Designer Gardens competition with 12 Landscape and Fantasy Gardens, the Floral Windows to the World Championship with 18 international designers, the Floral Table-Top competition, the Balcony Gardens competition, and the Singapore Gardeners’ Cup. Special guests include award-winning designers from Singapore, Japan, South Africa, the USA, South Korea, and Thailand.

Returning to defend their 2022 Gold Award, “Best of Show” and “Best Construction” titles, uncle and nephew designer duo from Singapore, Eliam Eng and Andy Eng, will be participating in the Landscape Garden category.

SGF Prelude Event - Ikebana displays

Other returning past SGF Gold medalists include Kazuyuki Ishihara (Japan; Gold and Best of Show at SGF 2008), Leon Kluge (South Africa; Gold and Best of Show at SGF 2018), and Mark Cook and Emily Cook (United States of America; Gold at SGF 2018). The Republic of Korea (ROK) and Thailand will be represented in this competition for the first time, with designers Hwang Ji-Hae from ROK and Sanitas Pradittasnee from Thailand.

The Floral Windows to the World Championship will feature a new competition format for the first time in SGF’s history, when 18 international floral designers representing 18 respective countries will be vying for the title of Grand Champion through executing six challenging tasks over three days. These tasks will be carried out in front of live audiences throughout the Festival, culminating in a final show-down with five finalists.

In addition to the Floral Table-Top competition that will feature finalists from the Floral Fiesta competition, our homegrown talents will have their chance to shine in the Balcony Gardens competition. The competition, which is making a return after the last edition in 2021, will offer inspiration for apartment dwellers on incorporating greenery into their homes and transforming their balconies into soothing retreats for the senses.

The Singapore Gardeners’ Cup, a friendly challenge for local community gardening groups to co-create thematic garden displays and now into its seventh edition, will also be back at the Festival. Gardening groups from the five districts in Singapore will partner staff from NParks, landscape architects, and implementing partners to develop one show garden for each district. This year’s theme is ‘Botanical Fun’ and will feature a variety of tropical plants with an emphasis on sustainability. 

SGF Prelude Event - Floral demonstration by Mark Pampling

SGF 2024 to coincide with prestigious Global Botanic Gardens Congress

This year’s festival will coincide with the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress from 6 to 9 August 2024 at Suntec Singapore. This will be the first time the Congress is held in Southeast Asia and it is jointly organised by the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Botanic Gardens Conservation International.

The Global Botanic Garden Congress is the only global congress dedicated to botanic gardens. It is a key event and opportunity for the botanic garden community to come together and share information and experiences. Held every three or four years, the Congress includes internationally renowned plenary speakers and sessions covering topics on key activities of botanic gardens in species conservation, research, education and outreach, conservation horticulture, plant collections curation, and many more.

Under the theme “Botanic Gardens: People and Plants for a Sustainable Future,” the Congress will feature presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and technical tours on conservation and sustainability. For more information and to register for the Congress, visit 8gbgc.sbg.org.sg.

SGF Prelude Event - MarketPlace

So make a date and spend some time, enjoy some botanical beauty and join in at SGF 2024 for a vibrant blend of nature, art, and community spirit.

For more information, please visit https://sgf.nparks.gov.sg/ or Facebook page www.facebook.com/SGGardenFest or Instagram www.instagram.com/sggardenfest/.

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[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

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So Many Instagram Worthy Spots At This Year's Singapore Garden Festival 2018

Hi Huneybees,

Over the weekend, we were at Gardens by the Bay for the 7th edition of Singapore Garden Festival 2018. Being Asia’s premier tropical garden and flower show, there were more than 70 garden and floral displays at The Meadow, Flower Dome and the Supertree Grove, displaying a fiesta of creations from the world's top award-winning garden and floral designers. 

There were many different spots this year that covers most part of the garden and this year, they even had buggy rides together with drinks and food stalls scattered along the grounds. It is a very nice touch of addition to the weather was a killer this year. It seems to be so much warmer than previous years and even though I was dressed as cooling as possible, I was still melting and perspiring uncontrollably.

Stepping into the SGF grounds, we were welcomed at a beautiful tent area that houses the 13 Floral Windows to the World where colourful and vibrant cut-flower displays and floral masterpieces with stunning set design and lighting by notable floral designers from around the world are displayed. 

There's also the new non-competitive Floral Windows to the World Installation featuring a kaleidoscopic display of blooms created by Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz, Best of Show (Floral Windows to the World) designers for SGF 2016. It gives so many ideas to how we can introduce greenery into our living space and how much floral can brighten and be manipulated.

We spent the most time at the 13 Fantasy and Landscape Show Gardens for the top award-winning 80 sqm creations gardening luminaries from around the world (Australia, France, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America) got us snapping photos away. 

Every creation is a gorgeous Instagram worthy photo and the one we loved the most is the Precious Land by Tom Massey (UK) where the landscape turns from day till night with a glowing sun and dark waters to represent Singapore's vulnerability towards warmer climate change and the threat of rising sea water levels.

The main event has got to be the Orchid Extravaganza in the Flower Dome. Not only do you get to hide from the sweltering heat, you can also get to check out the world's largest family of flowering plants, Singapore's heritage - Orchids in full bloom.

 

There are countless species of orchids gathered here and every corner in this dome, makes a great backdrop (*except for the busy crowds) for your selfies, especially when this year’s orchid display is creatively conceived by award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Royston Tan.

Huge beaded Nyonya beaded shoes accompanied the orchids with Singapore's signature Peranakan shophouses in the back, welcomes the tourists to our strong Asian heritage and culture. It's as though Emerald Hill was shifted right into the dome...

Of course there are other places to explore too, like the 8 Balcony Gardens that features colourful and inspirational displays for home and apartment owners. Visitors can see how these designers transform 3m by 3m spaces into a soothing retreat. 

The new ASEAN Garden - a special feature to mark Singapore’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2018, showcasing a myriad of colourful blossoms symbolic of Southeast Asian nations, including lotuses, hibiscuses and orchids, just to name a few. NParks also displayed a series of gardens with different themes featuring plants such as fragrant flowering edibles and plants with visually cool colours and pleasant scents.

If you are keen in learning more about gardening or learn some greenry tips, there is also the Learning Garden, displays by the Floral Designers Society (Singapore), Singapore Penjing & Stone Appreciation Society and Singapore Gardening Society, as well as various educational talks.

So, come on down to the Gardens by the Bay before it ends. Not only does it make a good spot for photography, you can also soak up the sun and breathe in some fresh air. It's nice to take a stroll amongst the greenery, admired the beautiful and colourful flowers, spot some pretty dragonflies & butterflies, whilst picking up some tips on how we can introduce green ecosystem into our homes...

The Singapore Garden Festival 2018 is till 3 August and tickets can be purchased from the Gardens by the Bay Ticketing Hub as well as from www.gardensbythebay.com.

For more information, visit www.singaporegardenfestival.com or follow SGF at www.facebook.com/SGGardenFest and www.instagram.com/SGGardenFest.  

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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