Thousands of visitors joined in the festive celebrations as HortPark turned one in May this year. They were amongst the first few to be treated to tours of HortPark’s exciting new attractions, including a Butterfly Garden and new garden display plots, such as the Permaculture Trail. Just like them, you now get the chance to wander through the new attractions and enjoy the unique experience, and be inspired by the landscape displays.
Butterfly Garden - A Visual Feast of Evolution
As you step into the butterfly garden, the first sight that strikes you would be the visual feast of multi-hued plants and butterflies. This is the first park in Singapore to have an enclosed area for butterflies for the purpose of breeding local butterfly species. For those who are interested to learn about the different stages of metamorphosis from caterpillar into butterfly, this is a place not to be missed.
This attraction is not just a display garden; it also doubles up as an experimental garden for NParks to research suitable nectar (food) plants and to host plants for breeding a variety of butterfly species, including locally extinct species such as clipper (Parthenos sylvia), common sergeant (Athyma perius) and yellow glassy tiger (Parantica aspasia).
At the right time, NParks will release the locally extinct species back to their natural environment. Through these efforts, NParks hopes to bring back the familiar but long extinct native species to Singapore, and add to the vibrancy of the local eco-system.
Clipper resurfaced in Singapore
The 150 sqm theme garden comprises an enclosed area and an outdoor garden. The enclosed area is designed in such a way that it is a conducive breeding environment for the butterflies. It also showcases native species such as the lime butterfly (Papilio demoleus), common rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae) and blue pansy (Junonia orithya). You can observe the butterflies through a viewing window during normal days.
area
For those who are not satisfied with looking at them through the window, you can get up close and personal with the winged creatures during specially-organised guided walks as well as on the last Saturday every month.
Besides going into the enclosed area, the outdoor garden is also another place where you can view the butterflies and pupae on host plants in a natural setting. For those uninitiated, do not fret, as educational signages and pupae display cases are installed at the garden for easy understanding of the life cycle and habits of butterflies.
New Display Plots
The one-year-old HortPark also boasts several new garden display plots, which will provide avid gardeners with inspiration on designing and planting their own gardens. These gardens are the generous contributions from various local companies in the landscape industry.
Developed by XIE International, the 128 sqm Permaculture Trail has a science exploration and learning trail with stations bearing interesting names such as “The Climbers and Creepers”, “The Colourful Foliage Bed”, “The Succulent Garden”, “The Wormery”, as well as a sustainable food garden. All the food crops, herbs and spices are grown here without using any pesticides or inorganic fertilisers.
An activity day “Harvest Day” is specially organised once every 35 days by XIE to share tips with visitors on how to grow and harvest nutritious organic produce. Best of all, you can even bring back the produce harvested.
Other new display plots at HortPark include Granite Symphony by Absolute Granite, which showcases garden granite furniture produced from 2D designs; 3R Garden by EcoWise, which demonstrates how a garden can be designed using recycled products such as organic compost, tree logs, copper slag; and Orchid Pavilion by Kiat Lee Landscape and Design, which features a colourful landscape of orchids under a rustic pavilion.
On the valued support of HortPark’s partners, Mr Kong Yit San, Director of Parks, NParks, said: “The most inspiring feature of HortPark is that it is built with contributions from the landscape industry and the community. One year after its launch, it is heartening that this spirit of giving lives on, with partners continuing to sponsor innovative ideas, resources, and efforts to create new gardens. I have no doubt that this generosity will make HortPark one of the most endearing gardens to the public in the long-term.”
HortPark – One Year On and many more to come…
Opened officially by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in May 2008, HortPark has seen over 600,000 visits over the past one year. More than 300 guided tours, workshops, and outreach activities were organised, drawing over 10,000 participants. Its venues are popular with event organisers, and have been used to host more than 1,600 events. The lush environs of HortPark also attracted over 70 couples who held their wedding ceremonies amidst its lush, verdant gardens.
Apart from alfresco and indoor dining at KHA, which offers modern interpretations of authentic Thai cuisine, visitors have been enjoying light snacks and drinks at Adam’s café at the Visitor Centre since it opened in December last year.
For its cutting-edge design by MKPL Architects Pte Ltd, HortPark’s Visitor Centre was conferred three prestigious awards from Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture & Design International Architecture Awards, Cityscape Architectural Awards and the 9th Singapore Institute of Architects Architectural Design Awards.