$7m project to bring 'spring' to Singapore

Six glasshouses here are being used to nurture blooms for Gardens by the Bay project
Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 7 Dec 07;

A $7 MILLION experiment is under way to bring springtime to humid, tropical Singapore.

Six cool glasshouses are being used to test how best to have an 'eternal spring' attraction at the new downtown's Gardens by the Bay.

Horticulturists want to know how to encourage the highest number of flowers to bloom at the lowest possible cost, ahead of the Gardens' opening in 2010.

Flowering plants and rare species only found in areas such as the Mediterranean and sub-tropical regions are being grown in the glasshouses at the National Parks Board's (NParks) new research facility at HortPark, off Alexandra Road.

Temperatures inside the glasshouses are set at 17 to 23 deg C.

Four simulate spring conditions in regions of California, South America and Australia. Among the plants being grown are snapdragons, lavender, olives and grapes.

The other two glasshouses mimic the temperature and humidity of tropical cloud forests in areas such as Papua New Guinea, East Africa and even South-east Asia.

'Instead of having to climb Mount Kinabalu, we hope to allow visitors to see these plants right here in Singapore,' said Mr Kenneth Er, the general manager of Gardens by the Bay.

Some rare plants have also been brought in, to add an educational dimension to the gardens being planned.

The most expensive is the Wollemi Pine, an ancient conifer only discovered in the last 20 years in the Blue Mountains of Sydney.

There are only dozens left in the wild, said the new gardens' assistant director of horticulture, Mr Anton van der Schans. Twelve saplings were cultivated and brought in from Australia at $300 each.

Already, some plants which fare reasonably well in hot and humid Singapore are blossoming continuously in their new environments.

'Marigolds which normally only flower for a few weeks have been blooming since we set up pots of them in the cool, moist conservatory in August,' said Mr Er.

The glasshouses already have over 50 varieties of plants, in a myriad of colours.

'The purpose is to have a visual feast at the Gardens by the Bay, and to do this as energy-efficiently and cost-effectively as possible,' Mr Er said.

So part of the experiments under way includes testing out various methods to save energy.

The design of the glasshouses includes special glass walls and roofing, solar panels and blinds to allow the maximum level of light to enter, while keeping heat out. Combined, the systems will cut 30 per cent of costs.

A small team of engineers, architects and horticulturists is working on the project until it takes off with the actual 54ha new attraction in Marina South.

By 2010, NParks expects to have about another 100 horticulturists on the team.

The HortPark glasshouses will be open to the public from today to next Tuesday only.

There are four 30-minute tours a day, on a first-come first-served basis from 11.30am to 12.30pm and 5pm to 6pm, for up to 15 people each time.