KNOWN as the most expensive garden in Singapore at $13 million, HortPark is touted by Singaporeans as South-East Asia’s “first one-stop gardening and lifestyle hub”, boasting as many as 20 themed gardens. Officially opened to the public on May 10, it serves as a park connector between Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park in South-Western Singapore, and is 23 hectares of recreational, educational, research, retail and gardening-related facilities all rolled into one.
A walk in the park |
It was a windy and cool afternoon, the perfect weather for a stroll, when UrbanWire first set foot in HortPark. We were bowled over by its tranquility. The surroundings are indeed a sensory treat with the colourful flora and fauna, sounds of birds chirruping cheerily, and the sweet scent of flowers and herbs wafting through the air, leaving visitors feeling refreshed and amazingly light-hearted. Some plants have nameplates that provide basic information like their common names, scientific names, the plant family they belong to, and their place of origin. |
Our first stop was the Lifestyle Corner, a display of “interior scaping” (interior landscaping using indoor plants to decorate homes). Set in a showroom flat, the Lifestyle Corner offers some innovative and appealing ideas that allow us to invite these plants home, given the spatial and lighting constraints of modern-day apartments.
The way various potted plants were used to enhance the design and ambiance of a room, and the way the whole place was conceptualised as the elements of a modern home are artfully blended with a touch of nature, was most impressive.
With the furniture sponsored by Ikea and interior design by JMayer, the entire place was nicely done up with floral paintings, and rattan furniture that, when contrasted with modern-day gadgets, like a black plasma LCD television, give the place an earthy yet modern feel. |
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Besides that, the garden is also colourfully decorated with bright yellow, pale pink, white and red orchids with ferns and vines twining around and encircling the little compound. Coupled with an eclectic mix of music, and the soft sounds of an artificial waterfall, the experience is like stepping into a secret garden, away from the cares of the outside world.
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Source: Urban Wire
Urban Wire (www.theurbanwire.com) is a entertainment e-zine managed by final-year Mass Communication students of the School of Film & Media Studies in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. At least one new story is published everyday, and Urban Wire readers has been contributing to the average of two million hits each month since late 2007. Urban Wire also attracts regular content syndication requests from other worthy partners, such as NS Portal, youth.sg, Prime Minister's Office's OverseasSingaporean.sg and GameAxis magazine.
Urban Wire also publishes articles from hype, a lifestyle magazine by final-year Mass Communication students of School of Film & Media Studies in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. |
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