Singapore Botanic Gardens
These gardens are all the more amazing for being in the heart of a city of over 4 million people. Singapore Botanic Gardens are a reminder that all Colonial legacy is not bad. The gardens were established in 1822 but closed for a few decades and the present gardens date from 1859. The gardens are cleverly laid out and only occasionally do you realise how small the gardens actually are and how densely packed with features the various areas are.
http://www.sbg.org.sg/
Orchid Garden
Specialist collections : Orchid Park, Ginger Gardens, Palm Court, and the engrossing Rainforest - any one of these warrants a lot of time, so it is important to allow pleny of time to enjoy these fantastic gardens. Ifr you want to trreat yourself, the Halia Restaurant near the Ginger Garden has good food. The surprising thing is that this is near a central circulation area for the gardens, but once you are in the restuaurant (or on the terrace) you really are only aware of the lovely garden setting.
Burmese Banyon tree
I am mad about trees so I was plesed to find this fine specimen of a Fig Tree.
The Rainforest
from the SBG's Website:
Rainforest The 1889 Gardens’ catalogue gave the following description of the Gardens’ Rain Forest ‘With one or two exceptions, this is the only piece of original jungle left on the island…. It gives the visitors some idea of the wonderful richness of tropical vegetation.’ This is still true today, where 314 species jostle for space in this 6-hectare fragment of primeval forest forming a multilayered complexity of herbs and ferns, shrubs, climbers and small, medium and large trees.The tallest canopy trees top 40 metres in height and include a good representation of Singapore’s original timber trees, such as our tallest native tree, the kempas, and several merantis in the Dipterocarpaceae, the most important timber tree family in the region.It is sobering to think that these venerable trees were tall and standing before Raffles had first dreamed of Singapore.
The fine print
Date of travel : February 2008
Country information :
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html
What now?
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