Let’s take a visit to the biennial Singapore Garden Festival 2024 (SGF). The event brings together top award-winning landscape and garden designers, florists and horticulturists from around the world all under one roof, with lots of Garden mural to explore.
The event is into it’s 9th edition of the festival is held from 3rd to 11th August 2024 spanning across two halls at the 6th and 4th floors here at the Suntec City Convention Centre Singapore.
The halls are made for large crowds, with lots of lines and a pretty cool mural with larger than life insects at the entrance. Also, you can obtain tickets, priced at $21 per adult ($17 for locals) online via Sistic booking or at the physical counters on-site.
A garden visual fest
The Garden Festival is tad a visual feast for nature lovers and gardening enthusiasts. Furthermore, the upper galleries here are the highlight of the show, with various standalone exhibits litter the vast dark hall here you can explore at your own time. A small grassy mural with larger than life insects greets you at the entrance of both halls.
As you walk through the venue, the sheer variety of plants, flowers, and landscapes is overwhelming. There is lots of greenery here. Also, the event is meticulously curated to showcase the best in garden and floral design, offering visitors a unique experience that combines creativity with nature’s beauty.
Furthermore, you are advised to visit the 6th floor galleries first as it has the best highlights. Greeting you at the top 6th floor entrance is a mural by the Singapore Botanical gardens. It is tad an Orchid Extravaganza too, with and assortment of Orchids dotting the garden display complete with model animals such as Pangolins and otters dotting the exhibit mural.
Orchids are known for their exotic beauty, are displayed in various forms. From hanging installations to intricate floral arrangements, this section highlights the versatility of orchids. Also, the variety of colours and shapes is stunning, making it a paradise for orchid enthusiasts.
Fantasy and Landscape Gardens Challenge
Moreover, the Landscape and Fantasy Gardens section is a highlight of the show. Here, designers come from all across the globe represented by each of their horticulture or creative design companies. There are some who team up with Singapore’s own talented horticulturists.
Their creations includes vastly large standalone imaginative gardens that transport visitors to different worlds, complete with light, sound, water and smoke effects to name afew. Also, some gardens mimic natural landscapes, complete with water features and towering trees.
Here, you be enchanted by exquisite garden and floral displays, and experience the magic and wonder of the world of garden and floral design. Also, notable ones include a Japanese zen forest, a mini forest complete with surrounding from trees and tree stumps and foliage. Interestingly, it is complete with the experience of walking with dry leaves crunching underneath your feet.
An international competition event
Also, the international participation of the Singapore Garden Festival 2024 tad reaffirms Singapore’s strategic location makes the Festival an ideal platform to showcase horticultural products and services from various regions.
Other displays take a more whimsical approach, using unusual plant combinations and creative structures. Notable ones include a Zen garden and hut with vast water features such as a pond.
Lush and an eye for detail
Moreover, the displays provides for rather good photo opportunities and being one with nature. The displays here tad demonstrates the myriad of possibilities of garden design, whether it is natural materials or one with distinctive man-made elements, where plants are used not just as decoration but as elements of a larger narrative.
Here, there is also a display from South Korea called Sunkiss with a thumping heartbeat which can be heard from across the entire hall up here. Also, a show winner here is a one named Collecting a moment from team from USA.
Here, it comprises of a natural forest blending building and forest elements with finishing touches like pond water bodies and smoke effects. Interestingly, on the array of live plants you can find, you can even find pitcher plants in the garden’s pond area.
There are several other interesting musings too, such as one modeled after a alien like forest, called Portals to Paradise. It does have a Maui inspiration and probably one from Pandora in the avatar movies too.
Smell the gardens too
Also, the experience is not only visual but smell too. One modern looking exhibit with a strong display of scents as you walk through its mirror reflecting interior walkways. It comprises of a mix of smells from local spice plants.
It does remind you of the sights and smells we encountered at the Spice garden we visited at Fort Canning park sometime back.
Balcony Gardens and Floral Windows to the World
Furthermore, an interesting standalone section is the Balcony gardens sector. Here, urban dwellers will find inspiration in the Balcony Gardens section. This part of the festival showcases how small spaces can be transformed into lush, green retreats.
You can learn from the various Designers use vertical gardens, potted plants, and compact furniture to create cosy outdoor spaces. It’s a reminder that even the smallest balcony can become a personal oasis with the right design.
Additionally, one of the main highlights on the 6th floor is the “Floral Windows to the World” section. It is one blending Floral displays with a Fashion statement. This fashion gallery area on the upper galleries are dimly lit, located the right end of the 6th floors galleries.
Here, you can find a vast booth area with stalls line with individual fashion and flower pieces rim competitors across the globe. They are filled with intricate floral displays crafted by international and local florists, brought to you in this vast open hall with each global competitor showcasing their works in dedicated booths.
Also, each exhibit tells a story through flowers, with arrangements that blend colours, textures, and scents. You can see how different cultures interpret floral art, making this section a vibrant, multicultural experience.
Gardeners’ Cup
Moving down to the lower exhibition 4th floor is more of a mix mash of different floral exhibition categories, occupying Halls 401 to halls 406 of the convention center. Here, the Singapore Gardener’s Cup exhibits greets you are the entrance of the 4th floor galleries.
Additionally, these displays here is one for those who wish to showcase their green thumbs. It is a competition that adds an interactive element to the festival. Also here, local gardening groups compete to create the best garden displays, with themes ranging from traditional to modern.
Moreover, you can vote for your favourite garden, making this section a fun and engaging experience. The Gardeners’ Cup showcases the creativity and passion of local gardeners, inspiring visitors to try their hand at gardening.
Also, there is also an Orchid Show here as well as a Celestial Garden area brought to you by 30 ikebana floral artists. It features rare and beautiful Orchids from contributing participants from around the world. The displays are laid out in an open space you can explore at your own time.
Penjing Bonsai Display
Moreover, the Bonsai display on the left of the 4th floors hall is also an interesting one. Called the Penjing and Artistic stone exhibitions and competition. This sector greets you with long rows of display tucked in the corner of the hall.
You can find the best of bonsai here for you to admire, with a number of the plants here aimed to be over 200 years old. Beside bonsai plants, the displays here too are a various of ornamental stones rocks, as well as plants for sale, priced around the hundred-dollar range for a small plant.
Additionally, mural area similar to the upper floors greets you at the hall entrance, where the road branches into sectors front left and right toward sub category displays like flower arrangements, school competition and the event market place too. Also, the 4th floor sector is also notably brighter than the upstairs gallery.
Throughout the festival, there are workshops and demonstrations where visitors can learn new gardening skills. Topics range from basic plant care to advanced landscaping techniques. These sessions are led by experts in the field, offering practical tips and inspiration. The hands-on nature of these workshops makes them a valuable experience for both novice and experienced gardeners.
Floral Fantasies and Harmony
Furthermore, going on the Floral theme, an interesting sector is the Celebrations! Floral Table Series. A rather quirky yet interesting display where florists on how to bring your table floral arrangements to life.
It brings floral arrangements to a more familiar setting close to home. It take an expert and an art to arrange these flowers in harmony within a dining environment without looking too brand or overly complicated.
Also, these exhibits highlight the intersection of art and nature, showing how the beauty of plants can be captured in different mediums.
Moreover, floral photography also play a significant role in the festival. There is small gallery comprising of Art and Photography Exhibits by our foreign workers including foreign workers. Also, the photos showcase nature scenes as seen by our visiting friends, from botanical illustrations to garden photography.
Marketplace explorations
The 4th floor area is also where the event marketplace is located too, no visit to the Singapore Garden Festival is complete without a stop at the Marketplace. It is situated beside the learning garden space where kids can learn more about botany. With little ones being those catered at smaller individuals’ contributors like flower are ages and a floral mural display completion by our local tertiary institutions.
Also, the Marketplace is where you can find a number of both stores hawking plants, plant care and plant products for sale at pretty discounted rates. These are usually run by local plant nurseries as well as hobbies with items going as low as 1-for-1.
Here, you can purchase plants, gardening tools, and decorative items. The Marketplace offers a wide range of products, from exotic plants to handmade garden ornaments. It’s a great place to pick up souvenirs or find new additions for your garden. The vendors are knowledgeable and can provide advice on plant care and garden design.
Moreover Also, next to the marketplace is the event stage home to the event stage covering a packed schedule of Workshops and Demonstrations. Examples includes Floristry and Terrarium Demonstrations and Workshops, Education and community engagement towards Conservation efforts, plant workshops.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the Garden Festival is held in conjunction with the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, also known as 8GBGC. Also, the congress event was held from 6 – 9 August 2024, one jointly organised by the Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) for first time in Southeast Asia.
Wrapping up
All in all, that wraps up our visit of the Singapore Garden Festival 2024 at Suntec City Convention Centre. It is easy to spend hours exploring the various exhibits. You are good for about 2-3 hours visiting all the various galleries at your own time, not bad considering the show runs till 10pm daily where you can have your garden fix after lunch or dinner. Entry costs $21 for Singaporean visitors and $13 for kids and seniors on weekends.
The galleries offers a comprehensive exploration of garden and floral design. From the intricate floral arrangements to the imaginative landscape gardens, every section of the festival provides inspiration and insight. It not only showcases the beauty of plants but also highlights the creativity and passion of those who work with them. The showcases tad appeals to all ages too. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a nature junkie, the festival is a feast for the senses that truly celebrates the art of gardening.
