Singapore Garden Festival expects to hit 400000 visitorship after the weekend closes

Last day for visitors to catch “The Treasure Box” and “Fairies Wheel”,
the most popular displays at Singapore Garden Festival 2016

As Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) draws close to its final day on 31 July, organisers have shared that they expect to achieve a visitorship of around 400,000 people, far surpassing the figures for 2014. About 300,000 people had visited SGF in 2014, when it was first relocated to Gardens by the Bay. Results of the People’s Choice Award and Gardeners’ Choice Award, which were the most popular displays voted by visitors, were also made known today to enable the public to view these favourite exhibits and other stunning displays before the Festival closes at 10pm on Sunday, 31 July.

Mr Kenneth Er, Chief Executive Officer, National Parks Board (NParks) said, “This is a special year for the Festival – not only because it is our show of the decade, the sixth edition in 10 years – but because of the extensive collaboration and efforts by local and international designers, community gardeners, hobbyists as well as staff from NParks and Gardens by the Bay who have come together to create 79 displays, featuring some 400,000 plants. Feedback from internationally-acclaimed garden and floral designers affirmed that this year’s Festival is the best they have experienced and commented in particular about the high international standards of the show. The strong visitor turnout is also testament that we have presented a truly magical tropical floral wonderland experience to the visitors. Much of what we have achieved today, is only possible because of the contributions from Dr Kiat W. Tan, then CEO of NParks in 2006, who spearheaded the inaugural Festival.”

Dr Kiat W. Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Gardens by the Bay, said, “From when the Singapore Garden Festival was launched in 2006, the intent has always been to host it at Gardens by the Bay when the Gardens is ready. This year, we are proud to play host for the second time to a bigger and better Singapore Garden Festival. Even more heartening for us is the overwhelming response from Singaporeans from all walks of life – it is gratifying to contribute a one-of-a-kind venue where visitors could experience stunning floral and landscape designs showcased in a tropical garden setting, as well as in the unique environment of the Flower Dome. I particularly commend the CEO of NParks, Kenneth Er, for spearheading this seminal flower festival of the tropics.”

Visitors’ favourite displays

“The Treasure Box” by designer Inch Lim (Malaysia) won the People’s Choice Award, which recognises visitors’ favourite displays created by professional designers across various competitions at Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) 2016. This show garden – which also won judges’ endorsement by clinching Best of Show and Horticulture Excellence in the Landscape Gardens category – envelopes visitors in greenery and water. The walls and floor are covered with mainly rice plants, that symbolise treasure as many people rely on them for life and sustenance.

Winner of the Gardeners’ Choice Award, “Fairies Wheel” by community gardeners in the North East CDC, follows the transformation of an abandoned village into a magical fairyland. It outdid four other displays in the friendly Gardeners’ Cup competition for the Gardeners’ Choice Award.

Feedback on competitive highlights of the Festival

Competitive highlights at the largest edition of SGF include 15 Fantasy and Landscape Show Gardens, 14 Floral Windows to the World, six table-top displays under the Celebrations! Floral Table Series, and five Balcony Gardens. These were developed by a total of 47 professional and amateur designers, including 30 international competitors.

Inch Lim (Malaysia) (林映宗) said, “Displays at SGF have become increasingly elaborate through the years, and the quality of competitive garden and floral showcases at this year’s Festival is certainly the highest in its history. This is an indication of the show’s progress, and it certainly compares very well with international counterparts.”

Judges of various competitive categories also lauded the show for high-quality displays. Mr Pascal Garbe (France), who was the head judge for the Fantasy Show Gardens commented that, “SGF is amongst the topmost prestigious shows in the world,” while Mr Jack Blandy (United States of America), one of the judges for the Landscape Show Gardens, cited that, “(this) is a Festival of international standards, putting Singapore’s horticulture on a world stage. Besides impressive competitive displays, community outreach efforts to encourage a love for greening among local residents should be applauded.”

For local implementing partners, working with international designers provided greater exposure. Jerverss Choo (朱俊伟), Project Director, Mao Sheng Quanji Construction said, “Since we first participated in SGF in 2010, the Festival has provided many learning opportunities, thus we roped in younger team members to be part of the process this year. Besides learning the finer details of landscape design, their interest in this field has certainly grown, especially with encouragement in the form of awards won.” Mao Sheng Quanji Construction was the implementing partner for Inch Lim.

Feedback on non-competitive highlights

To complement the works of competitors, SGF 2016 also provided room for local talents to showcase their creativity. Non-competitive displays such as the Orchid Extravaganza, World of Terrariums and other show gardens, were made possible through collaborations amongst staff at NParks and Gardens by the Bay, local designers, community gardeners and students.

Choo Kim Poh (朱金保), a 76-year-old teacher, created six displays for the World of Terrariums together with her husband. She said, “Contributing to World of Terrariums allowed me to spread my love for gardening, and I hope my creations will inspire visitors to start gardening, whether at home or in the office.”

Non-competitive displays were well-received by visitors such as mother-daughter pair, Sue Kim Lee (何金丽) and Sheradine Wong (苏思嘉). They commented, “Our trip to SGF has been very educational as we have been exposed to a wide variety of plants, some of which we never thought could be cultivated in Singapore. We also learnt more about common cooking and baking ingredients, and look forward to trying out new herbs when preparing food at home.”

Visitor and photography enthusiast Sky You also shared, “This is my first time at SGF, and I enjoyed admiring and photographing the many beautiful plants and displays spread across the Festival grounds.”

Another highlight of SGF 2016 is a non-ticketed area that allows more visitors to experience the Festival. Every night since 23 July 2016, “SGF Rocks!” – a host of nightly performances at Bayfront Stage by top local acts such as Gentle Bones, Jack & Rai, Jive Talkin’ and 53A –entertained visitors. Additionally, visitors can shop to their hearts’ delight at the Marketplace, with over 100 stalls offering plants, gardening and landscape products for sale. The area also hosts “Dining in the Garden City” – an alfresco dining space with some 30 stalls where visitors can be satiated by local favourites and fusion dishes from various hawkers and international food vendors.

The next SGF will be held at Gardens by the Bay in 2018. Details on Festival dates will be announced when available.

For the People’s Choice Award, one lucky voter will walk away with a two nights’ stay at Pan Pacific Singapore, while for the Gardeners’ Choice Award, a lucky voter will walk away with a Bugatti VITA Juicer.

Winners will be notified via their mobile numbers by the organisers to collect their prizes on 31 July 2016 (Sunday). 

For more information, please visit www.singaporegardenfestival.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/SGGardenFest