New Orchid Garden Opens within the Singapore Botanic Gardens
source NParks
On April 3, a new Tropical Montane Orchidetum (TMO) has open within the Singapore Botanic Gardens by the National parks Board (NParks). This area has three display houses which contain a variety of orchids and other plants. The enhancement works for the TMO started in 2017 which cost $35 million in total and $10 million was donated by Sembcorp. Here you can find the largest display of tropical orchids in the world.
Visitors can walk along the path called Secret Ravine which is a long winding path connecting the three display houses which are surrounded by the large coniferous tree, rare orchids and ferns. These three display houses have over 1,150 species of orchids arranged in a natural setup and landscape with more than 150 species from other plant families. There are benches and statues scattered through these display houses which serve as a great spot for you to take pictures or enjoy resting after a long walk.
source 123rf
Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection which previously occupies the space of 350 sqm has now expanded to 620 sqm and this display house has mid-elevation to emulate the forest in Central and South America where it houses over 100 Neotropical orchids and orchid hybrid species, bromeliads and others.
The Tan Hoon Siang Mist House is a paleotropical garden mimicking Africa, Asia and Oceania at 650 m to 1,000m altitude which has increased from 350 sqm to 760 sqm featuring 50 orchid species and hybrids. Here you can also find some award-winning orchids from a speciality breed of orchids from the National Orchid Garden’s collection.
Sembcorp Cool House is expanded from 260 sqm to 1,100 sqm size which has temperatures between 16°C and 23°C, and the visitor can enjoy an environment of an air-conditioned glass house while enjoying the plants here. This Sembcorp Cool House also contains the largest collection of high elevation 1,000m to 2,000m montane orchids in Asia which is around 1,000 species of orchids and hybrids from five biogeographical regions such as Malesia, Continental Southeast Asia and South Asia, Australasia, Afrotropics and the Neotropics. There are also more than 150 species from other plant families such as carnivorous plant-like pitcher plants, venus flytraps, begonias, towering tree ferns and Wollemi Pines which were once close to extinct.
The Sembcorp Cool House has a feature build-in with several sustainable features such as creating low humidity conditions to mimic the high elevation montane forest and advance optimal system to reduce its energy usage by 30 percent with small square or photovoltaic system which are used to generate electricity. There are chilled water pipes beneath the floor and vents blowing out cool air on the lower floors to help reduce the temperature at the bottom of the cool house, and if the temperature rises above the ambient temperatures outside the cool house, louvers will automatically open to let the hot air out.
TMO is open every day and visitors who want to visit the TMO can purchase tickets of $5 for adults and $1 for seniors above the age of 60 and students, while children below the age of 12 can enter the garden for free. The garden is open from 8.30 am to 7 pm with the last ticket sales and entry at 6 pm.
