Time to Smell the Orchids

Yesterday, I took my dear mother to the Singapore Garden Festival. And my, I have never seen so many aunties and uncles toting their cameras and happily taking photos of plants. (I also spotted my own dear auntie amongst the crowds). It was not just a garden festival but a sort of mega get-together of the plant- and gardening community.

I must admit that as a non-gardener (and owner of a new camera) my main interest was in taking photos, but even I got caught up in the arresting fantasy gardens, the appealing and inviting landscape gardens and the multitude of orchids of every shape, variety and hue, which were on display. My mother's favourite was the Chelsea Pensioner's Garden, which is a tropical version of a prize-winning garden exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show. What makes this garden so exciting and interesting is the great variety of plants on offer - and how they have been able to introduce local plants and herbs, and even vegetables! I personally think that instead of a Chelsea Pensioner they could have made it a "Kampong Headman's Garden", to bring it closer to Asia. But, the crowd loved the two old soldiers in their bright red coats (my mother took her picture with one) and this was one of the most popular gardens in the whole festival. Another memorable garden aimed to present an "abstract expression" of Singapore. This was essentially a series of rectangles filled with neat rows of cacti with different coloured flowers on top. Whilst I am sure it must have been a challenge to find so many cacti flowering at the same time, it was the tongue-in-cheek nature of the display which amused me.

It was also pretty exciting to go around the orchid displays as this allowed me to get closer to the plants to practice macro shots. But with so many people with the same idea (those who did not bring their cameras with them were using their camera phones) there was not much time to linger over composing and focusing each shot. I must admit that I have never seen or even conceived that there could be such a variety of orchids - big, small, with large petals and with twistie-like petals, and of many different colours. I suppose this is the result of all the hybridisation which goes on. I also saw Annika Sorenson's orchid - she was apparently present on the opening day of the festival and was presented with her own special orchid. Well, we have certainly named orchids after stranger people

It was perhaps in the retail section that the avid gardeners find occasion to "express" themselves. There was everything that any gardener could want. My mother found her Neem tree products (apparently the Neem is an Indian wonder-tree which fertilises and repels pests all at the same time) and started signing up with various groups (like the Green Guides at the Singapore Environment Council booth).

So it looks like Singapore is going the right route in promoting ourselves as the City in a Garden (or whatever the NParks slogan is). Perhaps a little more inclusiveness in getting Singaporeans into the process would help? I remember that "neighbourhood" gardens in the US had come about when individuals started converting the eyesors at the corners of their streets into miniature gardens. Judging from the crowds at the festival, perhaps there are sufficient Singaporeans who would be happy to help beautify the areas around them (particularly, say, if the cost of materials etc was not borne by them but by their town council? Which then does not need to pay for landscaping and gardening services). Hmmm

Running the good race

Last year, I went to support my staff running in the Standard Chartered Marathon last year (2 people actually doing the full marathon, others the mini-marathon or half-marathon) and saw a few others I knew running past the finish line. This year I technically don't have any staff but I thought I'd support them anyway.

Many people see running a marathon as a milestone in their lives; an achievement to remember. Watching the runners come in, there is a wide range of people taking part, especially in the half-marathon and mini-marathon. Marathon runners are obviously super-fit types, but I did see a few older men come in. In the half and mini marathons, there are more older runners, and a wider range of female runners including many who have given up and are taking a leisurely stroll to the finish line at the end. But I still applaud them for trying - after all I didn't take part myself. See more marathon pictures.

I reached the finish line a little after 9am and found a colleague of mine stationed opposite the portable toilets in front of Supreme Court (not the best view surely?). He held his SLR with his superlong telephoto lens (I can't remember the length), I had my tiny little Canon IXUS in my bag. I need a new camera. We waited for some of our colleagues to come in after their 10 km run, and together we awaited the arrival of the sole half-marathoner of the group, to cheer him on the final stretch of his run. In the meantime, the kids'event was held and I spotted a friend of mine in the midst of all the kids, with his video recorder in hand. But where was his son? According to what he told me thereafter, he had jogged the last 3km of the half-marathon with a strained leg muscle (nonetheless he did it in about 2 hours, a good result) and just couldn't keep up with his son during the kids' event. He didn't hear me calling him and as a result I have only a photograph of the back of his head.

After the kids, the stragglers for the half-marathon were coming in and our young man was still nowhere in sight. I was complaining that he seemed to be pretty slow and someone told me I should be "more supportive". Finally we got an SMS from him - he had just woken up. Good thing I didn't waste my "supportive" energies.