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Photo by tee_eric – Wikimedia

Top 10 Amazing Facts about the Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Singapore is a beautiful eco-friendly country. Majority of its buildings factor in the environment and climate change. The greener the better. Did you know it is illegal to chew or sell gum in Singapore?

That aside, Singapore city is one of the greenest cities in the world. The city has a national garden which doubles as a horticultural attraction.

Gardens by the Bay is a masterpiece of garden artistry that attracts millions of tourists annually.

The gardens are not only for educational purposes but also for entertainment. There are themed gardens representing different regions of the world. They also represent different climates and habitats. 

This massive park sits on 250 acres of land at the centre of Singapore. It is conveniently located close to the Marina Reservoir.

The Gardens by the Bay is made up of three waterfront gardens, the largest being Bay South Garden. It also has the largest glass greenhouse in the world, the Flower Dome.

As you plan to visit Singapore, here are the top 10 facts about the Gardens by the Bay that will amaze you.

1. The Gardens by the Bay sit on reclaimed land

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

These fine-looking gardens were built on reclaimed land in the South of Singapore. The Singapore government was able to reclaim more than 250 acres of land for a nature park.

Its sole purpose was to make Singapore City a city in a garden. These gardens play an important role in improving the greenery and plant life in cities.

Other than just being gardens, the spaces in the gardens have cooled conservatories, dining and events spaces, lakes, waterways, aerial bridges.

Inside the garden, there are centrepiece super trees covered in plants and are 50 meters tall.

As the colloquial term goes, Singapore understood the assignment by having a cool recreation area in the heart of the city.   

It is no surprise that Gardens by the Bay is a UNESCO Heritage site.

2. There was an international competition for the design of the Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay project was part of the country’s efforts to transform its Garden City into a City in a Garden.

This way, they hoped to improve the quality of life of Singaporeans by having an outdoor recreational space.

The plan to have an ultra-modern green park was announced in 2005 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In 2006, an international design competition was held where more than 170 firms from 24 countries participated. They all presented unique designs for the garden.

This activity also involved the locals who viewed the plans and models exhibited at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.   

An 11-member jury settled on two winners; Grant Associates were chosen for Bay South while Gustafson Porter designed the Bay East Garden. Bay Central Garden was designed later.

The contractors completed the project in 2012.

3. The Gardens by the Bay have horticultural themed gardens

Photo by Walter Lim – Wikimedia

There are two noticeably different sets of horticultural themed gardens at the Gardens by the Bay.

These gardens focus on the horticultural heritage of the various cultural groups in Singapore. They form part of the recreational and educational programs for both locals and tourists.

One of the gardens is known as the Heritage Gardens. This garden features plants from respective cultures in Singapore as well as the nation’s colonial history.

The garden focuses on the economic importance of plants in Singapore and South East Asia.

It features four themed gardens namely the Indian Garden, the Chinese Garden, the Malay Garden and the Colonial Garden.

4. Gardens by the Bay represents the national flower

The overall design of the master plan of Gardens by the Bay was created to resemble a flower.

It is not just any flower but the country’s national flower, the Singapore orchid, popularly known as the Vanda Miss Joaquim.

The flower’s nickname stuck after it was discovered for the first time in the garden of Miss Agnes Joaquin in 1893. It was then declared the national flower of Singapore on April 15, 1981.

This flower inspired the design of The Bay South Garden. As one of the biggest gardens, this garden represents tropical horticulture and innovative architecture.  

5. Each of the SuperTree Grove is a garden

Photo by Sergio Sala on Unsplash

One of the most surreal sights at the Gardens by the Bay are the SuperTrees. These towering artificial trees are 18 in number.

They were created to form a one of a kind vertical garden covered in plants and colourful displays of flowers.

Each of the trees has more than 200 species of plants, varieties of flowers and climbers.

There is also a suspended aerial bridge known as the OCBC Skyway between two of the SuperTrees. It gives magnificent panoramas of the garden.

These trees also offer shade to visitors during the day and get illuminated at night, creating a hypnotizing light show.

6. The Flower Dome in the Gardens by the Bay is the largest greenhouse in the world

The Flower Dome is the largest greenhouse in the world. It has also been listed in the 2015 Guinness Book of World Records.

This garden sits on 3 acres and imitates a cool-dry Mediterranean climate. It features varying displays, a flower field, and eight gardens.

Here, one will see the Baobabs, Succulent Garden, Australian Garden, South African Garden, South American Garden, Olive Grove, California Garden and the Mediterranean Garden.

These gardens display exotic flowers and plants from five different continents.

A walk through the Flower Dome is a real delight for every visitor.

7. The Children’s garden is another beautiful attraction at the Gardens by the Bay

Photo by Marcin Konsek  – Wikimedia

When planning the layout of the Gardens by the Bay, one aspect that was not left out was a fun area for the children.

One of the most loved areas in this massive garden is the Children’s Garden. It is made up of trampolines, hanging bridges, balancing beams and several other child-friendly attractions.

The garden is located close to the adventure trail and the treehouse. This section of the garden was opened in 2014 and is open from Tuesday to Sunday. It remains closed on Mondays.

8. The temperature at the dome is always constant

Photo by Supanut Arunoprayote – Wikimedia

One amazing thing about the Gardens by the Bay is that its temperatures are always constant.

Singapore is a tropical country with an extremely hot and humid climate. It is therefore a relief to stroll through the Gardens by the Bay enjoying the cool temperatures.

The Flower Dome is one of two cooled conservatories. It imitates a Mediterranean climate with temperatures ranging between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius. 

The higher roof of the Dome allows it to accommodate a realistic mountain featuring tropical flowers. This mountain also has a waterfall. 

9. There is an amazing light show at the Gardens by the Bay

Photo by tee_eric – Wikimedia

Every night, the Supertree Grove dazzles its visitors with an amazing light show.

Popularly known as the Garden Rhapsody, the show features dancing lights and a music show.

The music played is never the same hence offering a fresh experience on every visit. It plays for an hour every day of the week between 7:45 pm to 8:45 pm.    

Any spot in the garden offers you a front-row experience of this beautiful light show.

10. Construction of the Gardens by the Bay was an expensive project

Gardens by the bay was a considerable project with an expensive price tag. The initial approved budget of the project was SGD 893 million. This amount rose to 1.035 billion SGD.

This budget excluded the price of the land. Maintenance of the Gardens is not a cheap affair either.   

It costs 28 million SGD to maintain the conservatory buildings while the outdoor gardens cost 25 million SDG.