Singapore Garden Festival

Many are aware of the world-famous garden shows at Philadelphia and Chelsea, and most will be familiar with their artfully designed garden showcases, trade shows, and the individual competitions of cadillac specimen plants. However, Singapore has also recently begun to pursue its own spectacular horticultural pageantry, and the week long Singapore Garden Festival just finished last weekend. The number of these shows in the U.S. is dwindling, possibly an indication of economic languor, but it seems that there are as many eager upstarts in Southeast Asia yearning to jump start their own gardening culture. I heard Kuala Lumpur also held a flower show during the same week (Oooh, competition!). The Singapore Garden Festival structure and format is very similar to other existing flower shows, except the garden showcases weren’t designed thematically (fantasy served as the inspiration). Several international designers were recruited for their notoriety and previous success at similar international flower shows, but the best of show was awarded to a local designer, a fellow NParks colleague. During this event, I volunteered during the setup and tear down. So, I  was able to see all of the supplies  and manpower that’s required to pull off such an enormous event. The entire show occupied two levels of the convention center downtown, and I’m sure that well over one thousand people were involved in its execution. I’m not sure about the final attendance figures, but it appeared to be packed with visitors each time I was at the show. Suffice it to say that it’s a pretty big deal.

Personally, however, I must admit that I’m always more interested in a botanical garden’s core raison d’etre (its plants!) compared with these blockbuster exhibitions. Although each garden is uniquely suited to its local conditions, I do wish that more gardens didn’t need to step outside of a common core function of collecting, cataloging, and caring for living collections (see one recent article). These cultural organizations frequently have mission statements charging them with stewardship of living collections, research, education, and land management; I often worry that blockbuster exhibitions detract from a garden’s principal achievements. Habitat loss, development, and deforestation are occurring at high speeds, and gardens could strive to position themselves as constructive counterbalances to human-centered, economically-driven development. These gardens have the resources and expertise to remind everyone that we’re part of a larger ecosystem and it’s in our own interest to safeguard the larger balance. Modern civilization, however, has moved farther from the forest and closer to the iPhone, and young hipsters need to be coaxed into appreciating plants in new and different ways. Lately, showcasing a beautiful Victoria amazonica or Amorphophallus titanum simply isn’t enough to attract the continuously distracted. Gardens are struggling to broaden their appeal and maintain their relevance, and I hope I can be one voice saying, “Hey, botanical garden, I like you just the way you are!”

The financial receipts from these events could provide valuable support for mission-related horticultural activities, and this would be a reasonable justification for all of the costly inputs. At least, I strongly support the horticultural enthusiasm engendered by these events. I love to see kids and adults admiring orchid blooms and tree canopies, and I’m sure that flower shows leave a lasting, positive impression on many people. I take comfort knowing that many more gardeners walked out of the flower show center than entered, the result of a transformation fostered by beautifully crafted horticultural displays and alluring plant material.

P.S. – shameless self-promotion: I briefly appear in the video above!

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