Singapore showcasing creative and horticultural prowess

By Michael Casey

The Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) successfully returned in August for its ninth edition at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, showcasing an amazing blend of creativity and horticultural prowess. Organised by the National Parks Board (NParks), this premier international garden and flower show continues to captivate with its signature events, including the highly anticipated Best of Show Designer Gardens competition and a refreshed Floral Windows to the World Championship. These events highlight the brilliance of award-winning designers from across the globe.

Local talents shine in the Balcony Gardens and Floral Table-Top competitions, while the Singapore Gardeners’ Cup celebrates the dedication of community gardeners island-wide. This year’s festival is a special one, marking its return to an indoor venue for the first time since 2012, a move that promises an immersive experience in the comfort of the air-conditioned Suntec exhibition hall.

Though seeing gardens in their natural outdoor settings has its charm, there’s something uniquely enchanting about strolling through these meticulously crafted landscapes in a dimly lit, indoor space. The gardens, especially the ever-popular Fantasy Gardens, are artfully illuminated, bringing every hidden corner and secluded nook to life in a mesmerising display.

The festival’s return to Suntec also means a grander event, spanning two floors, and culminating in the much-anticipated Awards and Gala Opening dinner on the eve of the show. The gala night, opened and hosted by Tharman Shanmugaratnam (President of Singapore) with Minister Desmond Lee (Minister for National Development) along with representatives from NParks, ensured the night had all the glitz and glamour that we have become accustomed to with the opening of garden and landscape events in this country. The guided tour following the opening provided invited guests with an up-close look at the displays and a discussion with the designers and the local landscape companies that created these spaces.

Some inspiration I got from the festival included the many landscape displays and fantasy gardens on show. The impressive work carried out by the designers and the installation teams amazes me each time. The ability to install these large and complex landscapes inside a building, taking in the weight loads, size of built components and the installation timelines, is impressive enough, and something that always has visitors quizzing the landscape crews on the difficulties and complexities of these builds.

The fantasy garden that took ‘Best of Show’ award and a ‘Gold’ award for ‘Between Two Worlds’ designed by Leon Kluge of South Africa (built by Tropic Planners and Landscape PTE) captured the moment between wakefulness and the realms of dreams. The mix of mangroves and exposed root systems throughout the design invited the visitor to ease into a slumber and embrace the magical world of life. The designer ensured that the movement of light amongst the many plant forms and shapes captured our imagination to bring back memories of a simpler time when we lived in harmony with nature.

In the Landscape Gardens category, the American duo Mark and Emily Cook crafted a horticultural masterpiece titled “Collecting a Moment”, which was brought to life by Ban Nee Chen Pte Ltd. This design highlighted a spectacular plant display amongst a well-designed and engineered landscape structure. The designers briefly summarise this display as “Evoking search, the inviting archway reaches across linear pools reflecting the immersive landscape and captivating atmosphere. Tucked within the cascading foliage, a serene garden adorned with dapple shade and a moss-covered floor entices a tiptoe across the cool water surface.” And, “… the sought after sanctuary offers respite from the relentless passage of time.” This garden won the hearts and imaginations of the industry and the many visitors who attended the show over two weeks. Congratulations to all involved with this award-winning display.

The Balcony Gardens consistently captivate the Singaporean community, particularly given that many residents live in smaller units or condominium apartments where space is at a premium. Designers in this category showcased innovative uses of limited space, blending abundant plant life with features that reflect both traditional aspects of Singaporean culture and cutting-edge technology. The contemporary fixtures and creative solutions on display offered visitors practical inspiration that they could take back to transform their own living spaces. One display that caught my eye was that of friend and colleague John Tan from Esmond Landscape Pte Ltd. John, a friend to many of us in Australia, and a member of the Australian Institute of Horticulture, this year handed the design of the balcony garden over to his two designers Dorin Sim Xue Feng and Tan Jie Min. Both these designers combined elements of the past and present to create a seamless fusion of vintage charm and modern functionality. The design duo incorporated pea sprouts cascading into a repurposed mahogany wooden table, introducing both greenery and functionality. The use of herbs and spices, which provide both aromatic appeal and fresh ingredients for cooking, made this balcony space very achievable for today’s modern gardener. The feature of the mushroom wall added an unexpected twist but one that worked so well in this garden space. Their Silver award was well deserved, and the balcony space looked fantastic.

Overall, the garden show again provided a taste of everything from modern garden design to traditional use of flowers and landscaper features. The talent on display in the professional field excelled and reminded us why the Singapore Garden Festival is a must-visit for both the public and industry. Last but not least is the inspiring work the students who participated in the Landscape Design Challenge carried out. The students were all mentored by a professional landscape designer and had a set time to construct their own design under the watchful eye of industry and the public. Congratulations to all participants who confidently demonstrated that their passion and future in this industry will be a huge advantage when they enter the professional fields upon completing their training.

Anyone interested in upcoming events in Singapore should keep their eye out for next year’s Horticultural Festival. Held every second year, the show highlights the wonders of our profession in a format similar to the Garden Festival. It is a great way to see other fields of horticulture as practised throughout Southeast Asia.

Michael Casey

Director of Evergreen Infrastructure,

Consultant/Advisor to the green infrastructure industry

On the Technical Panel AIPH World Green Cities Awards 2024

E: michael@evergreeninfrastructure.com.au

All Images supplied by Michael Casey