One of the gardening highlights for the year is the Singapore Garden Festival 2010. Unfortunately, I felt that the displays were quite disappointing this year and there's just something artificial and not quite right about having garden shows housed within the confines of a convention centre. Either the venue has to be changed, or the lighting has to be improved. In fact, I feel that garden shows should be featured in natural light so as to bring out the best of the plant's natural colours and splendour. The organisers should seriously consider having the 2012 show done at Gardens by the Bay, probably within some large air-conditioned marquee. Landscape / garden designers can have the option of housing their displays either outdoors or within the marquee, depending on the type of plants used. I do see the draw in having the garden festival housed indoors. It's weather proof, it therefore guarantees more visitors and it's generally more comfortable given the air-conditioned environment. Still, I think its too much of a compromise.
The only thing I enjoyed about the festival was watching Jason and others getting their display done. I also enjoyed scouting around the many plant retailers hoping to look for unusual finds and good bargains. It was fun seeing fellow gardening friends busy milling about, with nosily asking others what they got. Ryan had a stall selling mostly pitchers and bromeliads, and strangely, his set up was reminiscent of some stall at Chatuchak (see photo). Jason was a great help, not only in the tips he gave, but the "kick-backs" I got in the form of discounts from the many retailers he knew. Then again, he is a serious collector who has no qualms in spending hundreds, if not, thousands from the likes of Woon Leng, Song and various others.
In the end, I ended up with quite a huge haul consisting mainly hoya, tillandsia, orchids and ferns. I did not get any nepenthes this time around as Borneo Exotics did not participate in the festival.
