In some ways, the recently concluded Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) has got to be the longest 10 days of my life. On the other hand, it was a fleeting, but most treasured 10 days for me in more ways than one. It was an exhilarating experience combining colourful sights and smells, together with a wealth of new insights and knowledge. New acquaintances were made, and existing friendships were reinforced. On a personal level, the festival had changed my perception of myself being an atypical plant-growing teenager, and instilled a sense of belonging to the vibrant gardening community of Singapore.
Work started before the festival had even begun. Official administrative matters had to be settled, and display plants had to be grown and groomed. Calendar cards were designed and printed, while the metal rack and fluorescent lights had to be purchased to construct the light garden we planned to build. Set-up day arrived, and we entered the convention hall for the first time to see our assigned booth. It was pretty bare and spartan at first, but the Green Culture Singapore (GCS) banner immediately brightened things up once it was in place. In fact, our booth was one of the first few to be completed, and we gazed across the aisle to an empty booth lined with shelves, wondering what they would hold. Little did we know that what we imagined to be yet another booth selling books, would be occupied by the largest bromeliad nursery in the whole of USA!
It wasn’t long before the first day of the festival dawned. Imagine my surprise and sheer pleasure to see the shelves of our neighbouring booth filled with rows upon rows of bromeliads and air plants of myriad form and colour. All I could do to restrain myself from openly staring at the Tropiflora bromeliads, was to put the final touches on our own booth before the crowds came in, and occasionally stealing glances over at my neighbour’s stash of my favourite plants.
We got acquainted with our new neighbours in a jiffy. Mr Dennis Cathcart is a world-renowned and respected bromeliad collector and grower hailing from Sarasota, which is located in Florida, US. Together with his wife, Mrs Linda Cathcart, he has been running Tropiflora for over 30 years. Accompanying them was Mr Brian Weber, one of Tropiflora’s bromeliad growers. Although we were sad that Mrs Cathcart had to leave early to spend Christmas with her family in Florida, we spent many hours during the 10-day exhibition talking to Mr Cathcart and Mr Weber, getting to know more about their work and their bromeliad collection back in their farm. Mr Cathcart even presented slide shows of his various collecting forays in exotic locales such as Ecuador and Guatemala, which gave us better insight into the natural habitats of bromeliads and air plants. There was so much to be learnt.
Watching a slideshow with Mr Dennis Cathcart at the GCS booth
Fulfilling our duty as friendly neighbours, a number of us helped out at the Tropiflora booth when we were not required to tend ours, assisting in Mandarin translations and teaching customers how to care for their purchases properly. It was a new experience for me, talking to so many different people about growing bromeliads and air plants, day after day. Sure enough, the novelty of it wore off after alwhile, but the light conversations with Mr Cathcart and Mr Weber kept work interesting and refreshing.
Apart from Tropiflora, there were also many other booths selling various orchids. Saucer-sized Cattleya flowers and mottled Phalaenopsis blooms lined the counters of many booths. The musky odour of Cycnoches warcewiczii was also constantly in the air, catching the attention of passers-by. Xuan Hong, Shao Xiong and I also helped out at Purificacion Orchids, a booth selling orchids from the Phillippines, ran by a friendly lady named Anna and her mother, Mrs Corazon Purificacion. Various species of native Bulbophyllum and Dendrobium orchids were available, including the prized Euanthe Sanderiana or “Waling-Waling“, as known in Tagalog.
My schoolmate Xuan Hong, me (centre) and Ms Anna Purificacion
Borneo Exotics (BE) was invited to sell their plants at the National Parks Board’s booth, which was just a lane away from ours. They had created a printed caresheet, thoughtfully listing GCS in their list of website links to consult regarding Nepenthes culture. We have Rob Cantley, BE’s Managing Director to thank for that. The BE booth was yet another place packed with people, and the crowd there could have left one wondering how pitcher plants had become such a major draw over the years. Everybody was busy trying to pick a plant, while wanting to learn how to grow them at the same time. There was this buyer who decided to “consult” the NParks salesperson about how to grow Nepenthes. Unfortunately for him, Rob was not around and the NParks salesperson knew nothing about the plants being sold. This is an indication of how important the mission of GCS is, that is, to provide a platform for newcomers to learn the know-how from more experienced growers!
The landscape exhibits on the 6th storey were a sight to behold. Highlights were a cottage-style garden landscaped completely with tropical plants by the Chelsea team, a huge black dome containing an apocalyptic scene of trees in their throes of death reminding us to protect our environment, as well as a giant chandelier constructed out of hundreds of bromeliads strung up amidst brilliant blue lights, hanging majestically down from the ceiling. All in all, it was a highly commendable effort on the part of the various landscaping teams.
One day blurred into another, and before long, the last day of the festival arrived far too soon. There was a scrumptious Christmas feast in the afternoon for SGF volunteers in the VIP lounge. I arrived a tad too late and missed the durian log cake, which I was told that it was “simply excellent”. Finally, evening approached and the festival drew to a close. The festival was concluded with the cutting of yet another log cake, followed by an impromptu singing of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” with Mr Cathcart and Mr Weber. I was filled with conflicting emotions as I helped to take down the posters and restore the booth to its original pristine state. A sense of fulfillment tinged with poignant regret would be an apt description - fulfillment after 10 days of hard work, but a sense of loss at having to leave our new-found friends.
SGF 2006 showed us the merest glimpse of what lies in store for Singapore’s gardening scene in years to come. Within the next year, the new HortPark at Telok Blangah will be completed, giving us urban gardeners the means to better develop and nurture our passions. The Gardens by the Bay, which is scheduled to be completed within the next few years, will transform Singapore into a city that truly fits its namesake as a Garden City, and a City in a Garden.
Most importantly, as members of GCS, it should be our duty to spread the gardening fever to fellow Singaporeans, and in doing so, live up to our motto that “Gardening is for everyone”.
- by Chong Ren
About this blogger:
Chong Ren is an active member of Green Culture Singapore. He has an avid interest in exotic tropical plants, especially Heliconia, Bromeliads and Orchids, which make up most of his garden. Although currently serving in the army, he still makes time for his various horticultural pursuits. He hopes to be able to go on exploratory trips to other countries and discover newer species of plants and animals after completing his university education.
