The Singapore Botanic Gardens celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. TAY SUAN CHIANG asks five people what it means to them
Walks and talks
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
KEITH HILLIER, 80, RETIREE AND VOLUNTEER GUIDE
A volunteer at the Gardens since 2001, he first came to Singapore with the British Army as an officer in 1948. He has been living here since 1970 and is now a Singapore citizen
'My wife and I have always enjoyed taking walks here. Even now, when we are finding a new house, our first criterion is that it must be within walking distance of the Gardens.
'I remember back in 1970, we used to play games on our walks. We would each take turns to guess the names of the trees that we saw. Not only did this improve our knowledge of them, but it also trained our memory. We knew almost every tree then.
'We still enjoy taking walks in the park. For the last nine years, we have been faithfully coming to the Gardens in the evenings for an hour. Sometimes, we walk to the Swan Lake, which is my favourite part of the Gardens. At other times, we walk to the other parts.
'I'm also here every Saturday to take visitors on guided tours. I enjoy being with other volunteers, all of whom have a passion for the Gardens.
'Since I'm here almost every day, I know it like the back of my hand. Yet I am not bored by it. There is always something different. It can be new variety of plants being grown, or even simple pleasures, such as a tree flowering.'
Botanic reveries
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
MR SAMSURI AHMAD, 73
Herbarium research assistant at the Singapore Botanic Gardens
This sprightly senior joined the Gardens in 1952 as a gardener and has worked as a plant collector since 1968.
'My favourite spot in the Gardens is by the ficus tree near Swan Lake. Even back then, swimming was not allowed in the lake. But when the Gardens' director wasn't around, I would secretly go for a swim. I also enjoyed swinging from the roots of the ficus tree.
'Of course, I did that only during my younger days.
'I met my wife here. It was love at first sight. Her family used to live nearby, and we spent our courtship days strolling in the gardens. We held our wedding here.'
Attacks from monkeys
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
DR CHIN SEE CHUNG, 62
Director of Singapore Botanic Gardens
The Batu Pahat-born Singapore Permanent Resident has been the Gardens' director since 1996
'I first visited the Gardens as a student during the late 1960s. There were monkeys then, and they were a big hazard. They would grab our schoolbags, and I would hang on to mine tightly.
'There are no more monkeys in the Gardens now. I'm not sure where they went.
'I remember the Palm Valley, the tembusu tree and Swan Lake from my first visit. The look and feel of the Gardens have not changed, but it is definitely busier now. There are more visitors, more plant displays and a greater diversity of plants.
'Back then, there was no place for visitors to get a drink. Now we provide water coolers, and there is a cafe and two restaurants.'
Morning glory
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
MADELINE LIM, 60, HOUSEWIFE
Madam Lim, who first visited the Gardens 17 years ago, now goes there every Saturday morning to exercise
'My family used to live in Bukit Timah, but somehow we didn't visit the Gardens when I was a child.
'I started coming here regularly only when my youngest daughter, now 26, was in primary school. I would send her to school before heading here for my morning walk. I did this every weekday for nearly 10 years.
'Once in a while, I would bring my three daughters here before going to church on Sundays. We would pack sandwiches, and they would feed the swans and fish in the lake.
'These days, I drive here every Saturday to exercise with a group. There is so much greenery and unusual plants to look at while you do that.'
Tree treats
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
SHELLEY EE, 53, HOUSEWIFE, AND DANIEL EE, 56, DIRECTOR
She used to visit the Gardens often as a child, as her home was nearby.
He visited the Gardens occasionally
'Our fondest memory of the Gardens was when we were newlyweds. My office was opposite the Gardens, while Shelley's office was in Tanglin Road.
'Two to three times a week, we would pack our lunch and head here. It was very warm at noon, so we would find the shaded areas. It was very lovely, as it was not that crowded then, and we had space to ourselves.
'When our three children were much younger, we also brought them here. Once, two of them got stung by bees.
'Even though the kids are now grown up, as a family we still come here for walks and jogs in the mornings, even though it is quite a drive from our home in the East Coast.'
catch it
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
BOTANIC GARDENS 150th ANNIVERSARY LINEUP
THIS MONTH
What: The Seed That Changed The World
When: Now on till April 30
Where: Botany Centre.
Info: Exhibition on the history of the rubber plant in Singapore.
NEXT MONTH
What: An Open Conversation With Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew: Greening Of A Nation
Info: MM Lee speaks on the inspiration and challenges for Singapore as a Garden City.
JUNE
What: Green Generation Concert
Info: Secondary school students and other local talent perform to spread the message of conservation.
What: 150th Anniversary Stamp Series
Info: Singapore Post launches a First Day Cover stamp series featuring iconic landmarks in the Gardens.
JULY
What: Darwin & Wallace: Their Stories & Their Expeditions
Info: An exhibition on naturalists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, who came up with the theory of evolution.
SEPTEMBER
What: Romancing Kangkong & Its Relatives
Info: There is more than one way to cook kangkong besides frying it in sambal. Celebrity chefs demonstrate what else you can do with the popular vegetable.
DECEMBER
What: Rainforests - The Human Challenge.
Info: The Singapore Botanic Gardens, together with Kew Gardens and the Prince's Trust charity group, hosts a worldwide touring photo exhibition of international rainforests.
Gardens through the years
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
1859: The Gardens is founded at its present site by an Agri-Horticultural Society. Planned as a leisure garden and ornamental park, the society eventually organises flower shows and horticultural fetes.
1874: The society hands over management and maintenance of the site to the Government, which puts Kew Gardens-trained botanists and horticulturists in charge.
1877: Kew Gardens in London sends 22 rubber seedlings to its Singapore counterpart, sparking an economic boom across South-east Asia
Late 1920s - late 1950s: The Gardens becomes a place for flora research. Laboratories are set up for experiments in orchid breeding and hybridisation, laying the foundation for a multi-million-dollar cut-flower industry in Singapore.
Mid-1960s: The Gardens play a part in the greening of Singapore. To meet the need for urban landscapes and recreational areas, the Gardens' staff introduce plants and supply planting material to increase the variety and colour in roadside and park plantings.
Early 1970s: It becomes customary to present Gardens-grown orchids as state gifts and to name orchid hybrids after VIPs in their honour. Among the first dignitaries to have their own orchids was Queen Elizabeth II, when she came to Singapore in 1972.
1989: Master Plan for the Redevelopment of the Gardens is announced. It aims to have better visitor amenities, botanical displays and research facilities.
1995: The National Orchid Garden opens. Located within the Gardens, it contains more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids.
1998: The Visitor Centre, near the junction of Cluny and Nassim roads, opens. Amenities include a shop selling books and souvenirs, car parks, and a cafe, now called Casa Verde.
2005: Evolution Garden, closer to Bukit Timah Road, opens. It traces the development of Earth's flora.
2006: The Botany Centre, near Tanglin Gate, opens. It houses the herbarium and library collections.
2007: The Jacob Ballas Children's Garden opens to educate preschool and primary school children on the importance of plants in fun ways.
Garden trivia
Straits Times 11 Apr 09;
# The 63.7ha Gardens is home to 10,000 species of trees and flowers.
# One of the tallest trees in the Botanic Gardens is the Jelawai (Terminalia subspathulata) located in the Tanglin Core. It is about 50m tall.
# The Tembusu tree (Fagraea fragrans), depicted on the Singapore $5 note, is one of the oldest trees at Lawn E.
# The seeds of the candle-nut tree (Aleurites moluccana) are oily enough for them to be lit like candles. The tree can be found at the Eco Garden in Bukit Timah Core.
# The biggest branching inflorescence (a cluster of flowers arranged on a stem) in the plant kingdom is that of the Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraculifera). Each inflorescence has more than 20 million flowers. It flowers only once in its lifetime, after 30 to 80 years of growth, and then dies. There are mature Talipot Palms in the Palm valley that may flower soon.
# The native Tiger Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) is the largest orchid plant in the world and can weigh as much as 1 tonne. See it at the National Orchid Garden.
