Hi Huneybees,
The Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) returns this August at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, organized by the National Parks Board (NParks). The ninth edition of this premier international garden and flower show will bring back familiar favourites such as the Best of Show Designer Gardens competition and a refreshed Floral Windows to the World Championship, which both feature award-winning designers from all around the world.
The Balcony Gardens competition and Floral Table-Top competition, with local designers, will also be making a comeback, alongside the Singapore Gardeners’ Cup celebrating community gardeners islandwide.
SGF Prelude (14-17 March 2024) at Takashimaya Square
The SGF Prelude event, running from 14 to 17 March 2024 at Takashimaya Square B2, offered a free sneak peek into the festival. Visitors could enjoy 24 Ikebana floral displays (that incorporates edibles - from fresh vegetables such as cauliflower, chilli, green pepper, and long beans, to pandan and dried edibles like corn and lemon), celebrity and heritage orchids, MarketPlace booths, free floral workshops, and the exciting “live” Floral Fiesta competition. Discounted tickets for the main festival in August will be available for purchase during this event.
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| SGF Prelude Event - Orchid displays |
An orchid display featuring various celebrity and heritage orchids were also on showcase, including Dendrobium hybrids named after Bae Yong Jun, Serena Williams, and Stephanie Sun, as well as Aranda Noorah Alsagoff, one of the most well-known blue arandas, and Aranda Grandeur which has impressive large blooms with pink colour shading.
A highlight of the Prelude wss the “live” Floral Fiesta competition on 15 March 2024. The competition featured two rounds of exciting live action during which participants picked from an assortment of flowers to create their floral masterpieces. The top five finalists were announced and will move on to compete in the Floral Table-Top competition as part of the main show in August.
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| SGF Prelude Event - Floral Fiesta Competition flower bar that serves also as a photo booth for visitors |
SGF (3-11 August 2024) at Suntec Singapore: A horticultural and floral treat by international and local designers
The main event of SGF will be held from 3 to 11 August 2024 at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Levels 4 and 6. It will feature the Best of Show Designer Gardens competition with 12 Landscape and Fantasy Gardens, the Floral Windows to the World Championship with 18 international designers, the Floral Table-Top competition, the Balcony Gardens competition, and the Singapore Gardeners’ Cup. Special guests include award-winning designers from Singapore, Japan, South Africa, the USA, South Korea, and Thailand.
Returning to defend their 2022 Gold Award, “Best of Show” and “Best Construction” titles, uncle and nephew designer duo from Singapore, Eliam Eng and Andy Eng, will be participating in the Landscape Garden category.
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| SGF Prelude Event - Ikebana displays |
Other returning past SGF Gold medalists include Kazuyuki Ishihara (Japan; Gold and Best of Show at SGF 2008), Leon Kluge (South Africa; Gold and Best of Show at SGF 2018), and Mark Cook and Emily Cook (United States of America; Gold at SGF 2018). The Republic of Korea (ROK) and Thailand will be represented in this competition for the first time, with designers Hwang Ji-Hae from ROK and Sanitas Pradittasnee from Thailand.
The Floral Windows to the World Championship will feature a new competition format for the first time in SGF’s history, when 18 international floral designers representing 18 respective countries will be vying for the title of Grand Champion through executing six challenging tasks over three days. These tasks will be carried out in front of live audiences throughout the Festival, culminating in a final show-down with five finalists.
In addition to the Floral Table-Top competition that will feature finalists from the Floral Fiesta competition, our homegrown talents will have their chance to shine in the Balcony Gardens competition. The competition, which is making a return after the last edition in 2021, will offer inspiration for apartment dwellers on incorporating greenery into their homes and transforming their balconies into soothing retreats for the senses.
The Singapore Gardeners’ Cup, a friendly challenge for local community gardening groups to co-create thematic garden displays and now into its seventh edition, will also be back at the Festival. Gardening groups from the five districts in Singapore will partner staff from NParks, landscape architects, and implementing partners to develop one show garden for each district. This year’s theme is ‘Botanical Fun’ and will feature a variety of tropical plants with an emphasis on sustainability.
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| SGF Prelude Event - Floral demonstration by Mark Pampling |
SGF 2024 to coincide with prestigious Global Botanic Gardens Congress
This year’s festival will coincide with the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress from 6 to 9 August 2024 at Suntec Singapore. This will be the first time the Congress is held in Southeast Asia and it is jointly organised by the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
The Global Botanic Garden Congress is the only global congress dedicated to botanic gardens. It is a key event and opportunity for the botanic garden community to come together and share information and experiences. Held every three or four years, the Congress includes internationally renowned plenary speakers and sessions covering topics on key activities of botanic gardens in species conservation, research, education and outreach, conservation horticulture, plant collections curation, and many more.
Under the theme “Botanic Gardens: People and Plants for a Sustainable Future,” the Congress will feature presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and technical tours on conservation and sustainability. For more information and to register for the Congress, visit 8gbgc.sbg.org.sg.
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| SGF Prelude Event - MarketPlace |
So make a date and spend some time, enjoy some botanical beauty and join in at SGF 2024 for a vibrant blend of nature, art, and community spirit.
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