Everyone was just snapping photos of everything here. Both Esther and I had to do the Ninja walk – moving from one spot to another in a swift manner in order not to get in the way of others who were busying posing and taking photographs of themselves in the midst of the freshly planted tulips at Gardens By The Bay.
You’ve probably already seen pictures showing up under your Facebook livefeeds and Instagram pictures of these bulbous vibrantly coloured flowers which were flown directly from Netherlands to our tropical island. I am not surprise if you were also wondering what’s the hype about tulips in the Flower Dome at Gardens By The Bay as well. On photos, the tulips look just like any other tulips you’ve seen on the web but the moment you get here, you will be left in awe by the 20,000 imported tulips and other fascinating flowers which surrounds you.
Welcome to Tulipmania. Take a deep breath and enjoy the cool air with pleasant flower scents wafting through the air as you take a stroll in the garden of tulips. If not for the weekend crowd, the place could actually be quite magical and romantic at the same time.
When I first stepped into the flower exhibit, I was drawn to the little signage or the information boards amidst the flowers with nuggets of information about tulips and its origin. Pretty interesting, I thought. Most of them were the sort of “Did you know?” facts written in layman terms which is perfect for both adult and children to read,digest and learn more about the tulips. Besides capturing photos, the visitors could also gain valuable insights and knowledge about tulips.
In addition to the tulip exhibit, you will also be able to see other exotic flowers which thrive in cooler climates like the one shown above. I had no idea what this flower is called but it looks like mini orchids grown on a single branch. Besides the usual flowers which were planted by our road pavements, where else could we get to see such beautiful flowers like these on a normal basis?
Nature really helps to uplift your spirits. I felt instantly calm and composed whenever I see these pretty things of nature.
Boy, the Flower Dome was packed with locals and tourists who were there to spend the first weekend of May with their family or friends. There were also a handful of photograph enthusiast who were armed with their camera gadgets and zoom lens, searching for ways to capture picture-perfect photos which looks like the ones found on the National Geographic magazine.
That day, I wasn’t there to just enjoy the glory of the Dutch Spring at Tulipmania with the Saturday crowd. I was also there to celebrate the fact that I’m now a year older and wiser. Fourth of May has always been my special day of the year as it marks a start of a new beginning for me as I grew a year older. And the month of May marks the start of Spring.
These brightly coloured and upright flowers looks like tiny tea cups.A peek in it reveals only a relatively small stigma (female part of the plant) and anthers ( male part of the plant). The Flower Dome really makes a good educational site for children to learn about plants in general.
Below are a series of close-up photographs of the flowers which appeals to me. Oh, these flowers happen to be ‘clothed’ in my favourite colours too.
The air was also perfumed with a mixture of scents. I can’t tell whether it was the scent from the flowers or the synthetic scent of the expensive perfumes donned by the ladies. Though I half wished that it was the natural scent of the sweet nectar from flowers. I wouldn’t want to go dizzy from smelling Chanel or Dior.
Get a feel of the Dutch experience here as you walk through the garden.
Tulipmania
A Floral Display
( From 29 April to 20 May)
9 am to 9 pm.
Catch it before the tulips are gone!
For more information, visit Gardens by the Bay website
Tulip origami, anyone?
Since the sky had not turned dark yet and we still have some time to spare, my all-time buddy, Esther and I went to visit the Cloud Forest.
I love the feeling of tiny water droplets or mist spraying across my face. The cloud forest has always been so welcoming to the visitors with its casacading waterfalls and lush greenery.
It was super misty that day.
A ray of hope.
I love the feel of this photograph. For a moment, it did occur to me that it looks like a scene in India were a little boy was running on a dusty road pavement with the rays of sunlight beaming through the cloud of dust. Have I watch too much of the movie titled Slumdog Millionaire? Maybe.
Later, we patronize the souvenir shop and guess what we’ve found? Flower-flavoured ice-cream!
I bet many people didn’t know that Gardens by the Bay has their own specially flavoured ice-cream which is uniquely created by Udders ice-cream for Gardens by the Bay. They come in mini-tubs which is equivalent to about one or one-and-a-half scoops of ice-cream.
We were torn between two flavours of ice-cream : Red hisbiscus and lavender. But in the end, we went for the safer choice which is lavender. At least, we both knew how it smells like. And oh my heavens, it tasted uniquely darn good. You should know that I hardly use the word ‘darn’ in my blogposts unless it’s super good. Rather than spending $4.50 on a scoop of ice-cream at Seventh Heaven, the ice-cream parlour, a level below the visitor’s centre, why not spend it on these “flower ice-creams” which can’t be foudn elsewhere? I need to try all those exotic ice-cream flavours the next time I’m back.
Well, my birthday celebration did not just end here. Esther bought Red Velvet cupcakes from Twelve cupcakes and I was like, ‘Oh no! Added calories!’. I know I shouldn’t be counting calories on the day where I allow myself to pig out but I can’t help it. Oh well, the cupcakes looked too tempting for anyone not to eat it anway.
At night, Gardens by the Bay transformed instantly into another world. It’s like entering a new realm of space and dimension. Esther describes the tranformation using this word, “Avatar”. Indeed, it’s a futuristic world out here, powered by solar energy.
View from the OCBC skyway at the Supertree grove
For dinner, we head to Bakerzin at Gardens by the Bay,opposite the Visitor’s centre, to have our dinner. And thankfully, it was a sumptious meal. Bakerzin, you really caught me by surprise. I’ve tried the outlet at Jurong Point but the food there did not taste as good as the ones served here.
Waldorf Salad (SGD$11.50)
A mix of greens, apple, chopped walnuts and dried cranberries with yoghurt.
This is pretty filling for me as the apple chunks are quite large and fibrous.I was happy with the roasted walnuts and dried cranberries tossed in the salad. With just this dish alone, I could tell that this kitchen only uses fresh and fine ingredients for cooking.
Penne with Wild mushroom (SGD$14.90)
This dish was done to perfection. Pasta cooked to al dente and the combination of the fragrant mushroom and cheese was like… going for a thrilling roller coaster ride. The flavour of the parmesan cheese, herbs and the three different types of mushrooms (oyster,button and shitake) just sends you whirling through the clouds and once everything has melted away in your mouth, you are back to the earth. Time for a second round.
Gardens by The Bay
8 Marina Gardens Drive
Singapore 018953
Tel: 6420 6848
Bakerzin
(Gardens by the Bay)
18 Marina Garden Drive
#03-03
Singapore 018953
Tel: 6604 7370
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri :10:30am – 9pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 9am – 9pm
