This week the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge aka Will and Kate traveled to Singapore as part of their tour of Southeast Asia. One stop on their trip was to the Singapore Botanic Gardens to view an orchid that was named for William's mother, Diana. An orchid was also named for Will and Kate.
Three years ago I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in Singapore and I too visited the botanic gardens. Despite my profession, I have not been to very many botanic gardens, but I will say that it will be hard to top the gardens in Singapore. With Singapore being so close to the equator the vegetation is lush and exotic. If I recall correctly entrance into the gardens is free, but you must pay a small fee to visit the National Orchid Garden. It is worth your five dollars (which is really more like $3.50 USD) to go see this outstanding exhibit.
The gardens were founded in 1859 as a place where the residents of Singapore could go to relax. In the 1920's the director of the gardens started a program that bred and hybridized orchids. This research, along with all of the new varieties of orchids produced, became the basis for the orchid industry we know today. The botanic gardens have also led the way in the greening of Singapore by providing a variety of plant materials to be used in roadside plantings and in Singapore's parks. In my personal opinion these efforts were successful as every road and Singapore is absolutely beautiful.
To see more about Will and Kate's trip : William and Kate in Singapore To read more about Singapore's Botanic Gardens: Singapore Botanic Gardens
No comments:
Post a Comment