20-year-old National Orchid Garden to be enhanced to showcase more orchid varieties

New World of Flowers exhibition opened at Singapore Botanic Gardens to introduce visitors to the diversity of flowering plants

Singapore, 28 January 2015 – The 20-year-old National Orchid Garden (NOG) will be enhanced to showcase more orchid varieties. The plan to rejuvenate some of the NOG’s key features was announced today by Minister of State for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee, during the opening of the World of Flowers exhibition at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

National Orchid Garden

Opened on 20 October 1995 by then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the NOG is a popular attraction within the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The NOG has the largest and most comprehensive permanent tropical orchid display in Asia, with its current collection standing at more than 2,000 varieties of orchid hybrids and 1,000 varieties of orchid species. It is also a ceremonial venue for the naming of orchids after foreign dignitaries and other distinguished guests.

NOG Enhancement Programme Highlights

The enhancements will focus on the Cool House, bromeliad enclosure, Mist House and orchid nursery, improvements to the surroundings of Burkill Hall where orchid naming ceremonies are held as well as refreshing the displays and landscapes in the National Orchid Garden.

The plan is to enhance the Cool House, the Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection enclosure and the Tan Hoon Siang Mist House into a tropical orchidetum, showcasing a diversity of orchids and other plants (e.g. bromeliads, gingers, tropical rhododendrons, gesneriads and magnolias) from the rich lowland, mist and elfin forests. Visitors will be able to enjoy a seamless experience akin to ascending a tropical montane forest as they make their way through the orchidetum.

All three buildings will be upgraded with optimal system designs that meet energy efficiency and sustainability requirements. A more advanced cooling system and technology will also be used at the Cool House, allowing more space to showcase at least twice the number of orchid species from the current 1,000 in its collection. Some examples of cool-growing orchids which visitors will be able to see include cymbidiums, dendrochilums, cyrtochilums and phragmipediums. The Cool House will also be modified such that there will be two-level access instead of the current single level one. This will allow visitors intimate access to the orchids and plants located at the higher levels. The bromeliad enclosure and Mist House will be fitted with improved ventilation, misting and irrigation systems.

The nursery, where NParks staff cultivate orchids for display, will be re-configured to provide more space for orchid propagation, and an artificial lighting system will be installed to facilitate the blooming of orchids. A new viewing deck will also allow visitors to catch a glimpse of the daily behind-the-scenes operations that go into maintaining the horticultural standards of the NOG. This complements and completes the current experience for visitors who can also view a part of the orchid hybridisation process at the laboratory located at the Botany Centre.

On the upcoming enhancement programme, MOS Lee said, “When the enhancements are completed, visitors will be able to take in the beauty of the orchids at the display area, view the breeding and pollination process at the nursery from the viewing deck, and observe the propagation and cloning process outside the Botany Centre Lab. These enhancements will maintain the Garden’s reputation as a premier botanical institution”.

Community Support Received for the Enhancement Programme

In support of the National Orchid Garden Enhancement Programme, Sembcorp Industries presented a cheque of S$10 million to the Garden City Fund. This sum will partially fund the enhancements of the Cool House, which will be renamed The Sembcorp Cool House. This is the largest single donation made to the Garden City Fund by a corporate partner to date.

Tang Kin Fei, Group President & CEO of Sembcorp Industries, said, “Sembcorp is proud to play a part in building a world-class destination of educational and scientific value, while supporting Singapore’s environmental biodiversity. The Sembcorp Cool House will be crucial in horticultural research as well as to help connect, educate and inspire the broader community to cultivate a deeper respect for the environment, which is very much in line with our company ethos.”

Mr Kenneth Er, CEO, NParks, said, “We would like to thank Sembcorp for its generous donation and for its partnership in our greening journey. The contribution will go towards creating an environment for researchers to grow and bring orchids to flower, that are naturally found at higher elevations. This in turn will create a refreshing educational experience for visitors to learn more about these orchids and their environments”.

A donation was made by the family of the late Lady Yuen Peng McNeice, which will contribute towards the enhancement of the Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection enclosure.

An anonymous donation was also received which will partially fund the enhancement of the Tan Hoon Siang Mist House.

In total, the NOG Enhancement Programme is expected to cost around S$35 million.

The enhancement programme will start in 2016 and will be done in phases to minimise inconvenience to visitors. During this period, the NOG will remain open. Visitors can expect to enjoy the upgraded facilities with the projected completion of The Sembcorp Cool House in late 2018, and the rest of the enhancements will be progressively ready from 2020 onwards.

World of Flowers Exhibition  

Held at the City Developments Limited (CDL) Green Gallery @ SBG Heritage Museum, Singapore Botanic Gardens, the World of Flowers exhibition introduces visitors to the diversity of flowering plants through interactive displays and serves as a learning journey for school children. There will also be a special section on the NOG and Singapore’s national flower, the orchid Vanda Miss Joaquim (Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim). The exhibition will run from 28 January to 31 May 2015, from Mondays to Sundays from 9am to 6pm, and is closed on every last Tuesday of the month. Entrance is free. The World of Flowers exhibition is funded by City Developments Ltd.

For more information on the NOG Enhancement Programme, refer to Annex A. For more information on the World of Flowers exhibition, refer to Annex B.