Aspiring Local Floral Design Talents to Compete at Singapore Garden Festival 2014

Singapore, 31 May 2014 – Over 40 floral enthusiasts showcased their talents and creativity today at the new Singapore Garden Festival competition – Celebrations! Table-Top Floral Display. These participants were shortlisted from a total of 60 submissions, and seven finalists were chosen to compete at the upcoming premier tropical garden and flower show that will be held in Gardens by the Bay from 16 to 24 August 2014. Held at VivoCity, the competition today was graced by Er.* Dr. Lee Bee Wah, Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee for National Development and Environment and Water Resources.

The competition today saw participants transform a simple table setting into an exquisite table setting with fresh flowers, cutlery and decorative accessories within three hours, in line with the “Celebrations!” theme.

“The Celebrations! theme is very apt as we mark the move of SGF to its home in Gardens by the Bay,” said Dennis Lim, Deputy Director for Singapore Garden Festival.” He added, “We have noticed a growing interest in floral design, which is why we expanded the Table-Top Floral Display into a competition this year to enable not just professionals, but also talented individuals from the community to showcase their talents to an international audience. Through this competition, we hope to encourage more Singaporeans to appreciate how plants and flowers can enhance our living environment.”

Four participants from the Professional Category and three participants/teams from the Amateur Category were chosen by a panel of judges from this preliminary round to compete in the finals during SGF 2014.

“I visited the Singapore Garden Festival in 2012 and was very impressed with the table-top floral displays showcased there. So when I learned that it was made into a competition this year, I jumped at the chance to join. It was exhilarating, creating the table-top arrangement side by side other designers, and their talent and creativity really spurred me to improve my design on the spot. I am really excited at the prospect of competing in Singapore Garden Festival in August 2014!”, said Professional Florist, Wong Thoy Lien.

“I enjoy designing, creating something new and making floral arrangements. So when I heard of the Singapore Garden Festival Table-Top Floral Display Competition from my floral design school teacher, I thought why not give it a try? I never expected to be chosen as the top three – it was really more for the fun of it, the experience of competing and to see how others did their displays. I am looking forward to presenting another display at Singapore Garden Festival 2014!” said 27 year old, Tan Han Xiang @ Han Ashworth.

“It is encouraging to see so many aspiring floral designers competing in today’s competition, particularly those from the general public. We were very impressed with the overall standard of the floral displays, particularly since they were done live. Through the various activities leading up to Singapore Garden Festival 2014 such as this, we hope to nurture this growing interest in both floral design and horticulture so that more can pick up this simple and meaningful hobby,” said Alan Tan, Senior Deputy Director for Horticulture, Exhibitions & Events at the National Parks Board (NParks), who was one of the judges of the competition today.

Each finalist will be given a S$5,000 production budget to design and implement another table-top floral display at SGF 2014, where they will be judged by renowned international floral judges and will stand a chance to win a Best of Show, Gold, Silver or Bronze Award.

On top of the competition, visiting supporters and shoppers at VivoCity were also able to observe the live table-top floral design demonstrations conducted throughout the day by NParks staff and many had fun trying their hands at arranging simple table-top floral displays suitable for home settings.

The nine-day biennial SGF, organised by NParks and Gardens by the Bay, will return from 16 to 24 August 2014 and bring together local and overseas award-winning designers to showcase their masterpieces. SGF 2014 will be held at its new location, Gardens by the Bay.

For more details on the Festival, please visit www.singaporegardenfestival.com or Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/SGGardenFest

*"Er" is short for Engineer and is the title accorded to those registered with the Professional Engineers Board