Flower Dome Singapore is having their Dahlia Dreams Promotion at Gardens By The Bay. Usher in the Year of the Tiger and welcome the arrival of spring at Dahlia Dreams! Kickstart the festivities as you stroll along a backdrop of prosperity bags and red lanterns which symbolise good fortune and happiness.
Admire the field of over 2,000 blossoming dahlias made up of over 70 cultivars, throughout the duration of the display, that were grown by Gardens by the Bay’s very own horticulturists. Other festive favourites such as azaleas, celosias, coleuses, chrysanthemums, and cymbidiums are also on display to add to the celebrations. The larger-than-life floral lanterns featuring peonies and narcissuses come to life as part of River Hongbao’s display with a spectacular light up in the evenings!
The tiger cubs are also out and about, sending greetings and well wishes for the Lunar New Year as you make your way to the Chinese pavilion! Finally, take a step back and appreciate the refined beauty of plants depicted by the classic Four Gentlemen paintings.
Admission Ticket Prices: Admission charge to Flower Dome applies.
Highlights
Prosperity Bag
The prosperity bag – (fú dài), can be directly translated as “good fortune bag” or “blessed bag”. It is a common sight during the festive period, where merchants and households put it up on display. It is also used as a carrier for mandarin oranges during Chinese New Year visitations.
The Chinese character 福(fú) on the bag means good fortune and prosperity and is an auspicious symbol that can be found not only on prosperity bags, but on red packets and festive decorations. It is often placed in an upside-down position to represent 福倒 (fú dào), symbolising the arrival of good fortune with the word play. The red colour of the bag symbolises happiness in Chinese culture, while the gold colour used for the characters corresponds to earth, symbolising royalty.
Dahlias
Native to Mexico and Central America, dahlias belong to one of the largest flowering plant families, Asteraceae, or the sunflower family. They are related to chrysanthemums, gerberas, daisies, and marigolds to name a few.
Dahlias not only come in a wide range of colours, they also have a great variety of flower forms. They can be as small as 5 centimetres to as large as 25 centimetres in diameter. Those in the Dahlia
Chrysanthemums (top left), gerberas (top right), daisies (bottom left), marigolds (bottom right)
Dreams display mostly belong to the small water lily, anemone and collarette form. You can also spot other popular forms in the display! They include cactus, pompon, and orchid. The name of each flower form describes its appearance or shape.
Try your hand at identifying these forms in the display!
The Four Gentlemen
The Four Gentlemen ( sì jūn zǐ), also commonly referred to as Four Noble Ones are depicted in Chinese paintings with four plants – plum (梅, méi), orchid (兰, lán), bamboo (竹, zhú) and chrysanthemum (菊, jú), representing winter, spring, summer and autumn seasons respectively. These plants’ natural character and beauty are used in the paintings to symbolise human virtues, expressing nobility, righteousness, modesty and purity.
Dahlia Dreams 2022 – Fun Facts
- Native to Mexico and Central America, dahlias are perennial root tubers belonging to one of the largest flowering plant families, Asteraceae, or the sunflower family.
- Dahlias appear to have a single bloom on each stem. However, each head consists of a cluster of tiny individual flowers known as disc and ray florets. Disc florets lie in the centre and resemble tiny tubes, while ray florets are essentially the petals.
- There are around 40 dahlia species, and thousands of different cultivars and hybrids. With the exception of blue, dahlias come in a wide variety of colours, with variegated and bi-colour ones as well. They range in size from tiny micro dahlia flowers 5 centimetres in diameter, to “dinner plate” ones measuring 25 centimetres across!
- Decorative dahlia blooms are normally large and have what is known as the archetypal dahlia flower form. Without a central disc of florets, they appear as a mass of broad, flat petals that are usually completely blunt at the tip or only slightly pointed.
- Native to East Asia, chrysanthemums or “mums” belong to the Asteraceae or sunflower family and consist of over 200 species, with more varieties being developed each year. They come in a wide spectrum of colours, sizes and forms.
- Obsessed with the chrysanthemum, the Greeks called it “Gold flower”, picking the words chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower) for its name. Its refined beauty also makes it one of the “Four Gentlemen” in Chinese and East Asian art.
- Apart from tea, chrysanthemum flowers are used to flavour a Korean rice wine, and as garnish for sashimi dishes. In addition, the plant has medicinal properties where it is used for treating conditions such as chest pain, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
- The chrysanthemum is culturally significant, and in different countries, symbolises adversity, grief or love. In Japan, it stands for the Emperor and the imperial family, with the imperial seal featuring a yellow or orange chrysanthemum.
- A popular bromeliad, Guzmania is native to the Tropical Americas and epiphytic in the wild, clinging to trees or other supports for survival. What looks like the flower is in fact modified leaves called bracts. The true blooms are those nestling in the bed of bracts.
- Commonly known as the plumed cockscomb or feather cockscomb, Celosia argentea is known for its very bright colours. This ornamental plant has edible flowers and leaves, which are consumed in some parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.
- Cymbidium, commonly known as boat orchid, is a festive favourite due to its large and fragrant blooms that signify fertility and abundance.
- Oncidium is aptly named dancing lady orchid as the shape of its petals resembles a dancing lady. It is also commonly known as golden showers, as it resembles gold coins overflowing from the planter, hence its popularity during the festive period.
Date: 14th February 2022 to 20th February 2022
Available at: Flower Dome at Gardens By The Bay
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