Category: Blog

Last week, Dr Garden Consultant and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary with a surprise trip for him to Singapore.

I managed to keep it a surprise right up until boarding the flight, which was amazing when you think of everything that goes into arranging an overseas trip.

Why Singapore?

I selected Singapore as our anniversary destination to fulfil a bucket list tick off (don’t tell The Dr. that!) for me. I really wanted to see Gardens By The Bay which since its construction in 2012 has become a mecca for garden lovers (and communicators) all over the world wanting to view tropical plants at their very best and it did not disappoint!

Stepping into the year 2030….

The entire experience was surreal, featuring the elevator ride up to visit the 22-metre high OCBC Skyway and SuperTree Grove. The huge man-made trees and the bird’s eye view of the city was something very special.

The piece de resistance had to be the Cloud Forest to immerse ourselves in tropical plants, especially the fabulous orchids which were showcased in the Orchids of The Andes display. This was the featured exhibit during our visit.

I could not help but think though, “I really hope that this is not a snapshot into our future…” Is this the only way that our grandchildren will experience nature? The entire time I wandered around this incredible attraction I felt somehow that I had been transported to the year 2030…it was a funny feeling, I must say. That said, walking through all the levels of the Cloud Forest was a beautiful experience that I will never forget. Every single plant was at its very best. Not a single leaf out of place. Perfection.

The vertical gardens and the waterfall in The Cloud Forest were quite incredible, such detailed planting of tropicals as well as stunningly huge Fuschias, Rhododendrons and Azaleas.

Outside of the Cloud Forest, there are many other beautiful things to see within the gardens.

I particularly loved a piece of art called The Planet which is a giant white baby seemingly floating in mid-air.

The Floral Clock and The Children’s garden were lovely but I also enjoyed the Sun Pavillion and all of the Cacti and Succulents on display.

We spent a full day at Gardens By The Bay-no trip to Singapore would be complete without visiting these very unique and mind-boggling gardens. I wonder if people of the Victorian era had the same thoughts that I did about the future when they visited places like Kew Gardens in England and other glasshouses around the world at that time….I think maybe they just might have.

Would I visit again? Of course…just name the date and I’m there!

Andrea’s Top 5 Tips for a GREAT Tropical Plant Paradise at your place

1. Foliage Colour is a MUST-introduce various coloured foliage for year-round interest
2. Fragrance, think about plants that offer scent-many tropicals offer incredible aromas in the garden
3. Look Up! A tropical garden allows you to hang things in trees and drape over branches of existing trees, let your imagination go wild!
4. Layer your garden-replicating the look of the jungle is important for a successful tropical look, you need big plants at the back of the bed coming down to ground covers at the front.
5. Bring the look indoors-Tropical plants can thrive very well indoors, no matter where you live in the world