The Singapore Garden Festival returns

Whether you are a gardening enthusiast or someone who likes to take pictures of pretty flowers, the return of the Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) after a 4-year hiatus is something to look forward to.

Unlike previous years, which were held at Suntec convention centre and later at Gardens by the Bay, this 8th edition will be held at new locations.

The premier garden and flower show will run from Jul 30 to Aug 7 at ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City, and from July 30 to Aug 9 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, to reach a wider audience, according to organiser, the National Parks Board (NParks).

Dennis Lim, NParks’ coordinating director of festival, events, and exhibitions says he is excited to bring back the well-loved SGF. “We decided to bring the show to Singapore’s main shopping belt, Orchard Road, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens, home of Singapore’s earliest garden and flower shows. The pandemic has led to a rise in interest in greenery and nature, and the addition of Orchard Road, which is a stone’s throw from the Gardens, makes the Festival more accessible.”

An all-time favourite at SGF is the highly contested Show Garden competition. Get set to see Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza transformed into 6 show gardens, as 3 international and 3 local gardening luminaries battle for top prizes. The designers are usually tight-lipped about their creations, but visitors can be assured that the final show gardens will be breathtaking.

Over at ION Orchard, those who want a break from shopping might want to check out the Community Gardens Edibles Competition, where the local gardening community come together and compete by submitting their home-grown edibles. See who is growing the longest cucumber or ladies’ fingers, or who has the heaviest winter melon or heirloom tomatoes. 

Besides this friendly edibles competition, there will also be a floral showcase by award-winning designers Harijanto Setiawan of Beonga Flowers and John Lim, founder of This Humid House.

Setiawan is known for incorporating architectural concepts into his floral designs to create distinctive displays, while Lim’s floral boutique studio uses organic matter and oversized ferns to create memorable installations.

A new addition to the show is the Flora Fiesta: A Floral Creation Challenge, a live competition that encourages aspiring florists to create floral pieces based on a specific theme.

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Over at the National Orchid Garden in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, NParks and the Orchid Society of South East Asia will be holding its orchid competition. Expect to see over 400 rare and exquisite orchids, including warm and cool-growing species and hybrids, cultivated by  hobbyists and professional growers competing for trophies. 

The Gardens will also be hosting its Heritage Festival, where there will be concerts, guided tours and workshops.

And of course, those who find themselves inspired to grow plants, will want to check out MarketPlace, where all things gardening-related will be available for sale. 

For more information on SGF, log onto: https://sgf.nparks.gov.sg.