Healing plants get their own display

Botanic Gardens sets up 2.5ha area with 500 species of medicinal plants
Huang Lijie Straits Times 21 Oct 11;

THE new attraction is shaped like a crouching human figure, with clusters of medicinal plants associated with different parts of the body.

This $8 million Healing Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens boasts 500 species of South-east Asian medicinal plants. The 2.5ha garden, launched yesterday by President Tony Tan Keng Yam, is part of ongoing efforts to enhance the 152-year-old Gardens, a cornerstone of the Government's vision of greening Singapore.

Mr Poon Hong Yuen, chief executive of the National Parks Board (NParks), said the theme of healing plants was chosen as it is a 'melting pot of South-east Asian tradition and plant sciences'. It aims to leave visitors marvelling at the many medicinal properties of common plants in the region.

While the garden is not meant to help prescribe herbs for ailments, Mr Poon said he hopes it will inspire visitors to do more with plants, such as growing them.

Staff took three years to scour the region to get cuttings and seeds from traditional medicine practitioners to populate the garden. The $8 million cost is comparable to that of other attractions launched previously.

New additions in the pipeline include a Learning Forest to be completed by 2013 that will feature conserved fruit and nut trees.

The cost of the attraction has not been finalised, but Singapore Press Holdings has pledged $1.2 million to the project.

The Gardens attracts more than three million visitors annually.

NParks is also canvassing for ideas on the development of the Gardens as part of its year-long public consultation exercise for its City in a Garden vision.

Since the exercise was launched in August, it has drawn more than 1,000 suggestions, with more than 10 per cent of them focused on the Gardens.

Preliminary ideas for the Gardens include having a people- mover system to improve accessibility, and having better lighting and holding events at night.

Mr Poon said the suggestions will be evaluated on grounds such as feasibility and popularity.

He added that the idea of boosting activity in the Gardens at night is 'well worth exploring' because it would be cooler then.

The public can go to www.nparks.gov.sg/ciag to contribute their ideas.

New 'Healing Garden' in Singapore
Channel NewsAsia 21 Oct 11;

SINGAPORE: Singapore Botanic Gardens has launched 'Healing Garden', the largest garden in Singapore showcasing a collection of healing plants.

The 2.5 hectare garden was launched Friday morning by President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

It showcases an extensive collection of 500 species of plants from South-East Asia.

Designed in the shape of a human body, the Healing Garden is laid out thematically relating to parts or systems of the body, such as "Head, Neck, Ears, Nose and Throat" and "Digestive and Related Systems".

It took three years to set up.

Dr Nigel Taylor, director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens said, "Visitors will be surprised by the plants they see in the Healing Garden because many plants that have traditional medicinal usage are actually common plants."

He said he hoped that through visiting the garden, people become more aware of this fast-forgotten knowledge.

Visitors can also download an iPhone application to find out more on the various plants found in the garden.

- CNA/cc