Singapore Garden Festival 2010 - A garden amidst the concrete jungle

More than a week ago, my mom wanted to visit the Singapore Garden Festival in Suntec City. So I accompanied her there, as I have an interest in flora and fauna, and  I like gardening as well. The entire exhibition occupied 2 floors. 

It was so huge that a day-pass was necessary in order to view the entire garden display. The 2 floors of mega exhibition halls were transformed into a modern day jungle / garden. I could not imagine the amount of work and effort in bringing in all the exotic plants, flowers and exhibits. Breath-taking. I took about 600 photos during this visit. I sorted and edited and condensed everything into the below 50 photos. Be prepared for the photo galore!

Interesting display of water plants inside an array of wheel barrow containers. These were floating water plants, big and small.

There were thousands and thousands of different types of flowers and breed. It was an instantaneous colourful vibrant display.

These were the different Landscape and Fantasy Gardens, each with a different theme.

White orchids filled this garden.

I love the restaurant with the garden theme, surrounded by flowers and plants and on the ceiling.

Other displays of gardens from participants of many countries.

From China, to Taiwan to the Phillipines to Indonesia and so on.... each has their unique design and floral structures.

I like this show piece of a modern looking garden and patio, with a water feature.

Other displays, from the gigantic farmer to the boxed up windows of designs.

Many rare orchids and flowers which we have not seen before....

An exhibit of mostly dried flowers and branches which I thought was ingenuously designed.

I don't know why I was attracted to this set of display which was a mock up of the jungle, with trees, rocks, logs, creeping plants, bird nest and hanging flowers. There was a little stream too, exactly like a jungle.

A modern day open-air home garden.

There were different breeds of orchids bursting with colours. So many which we have not seen before, with their unusual names and looks. Mom loved the orchids.

Beautiful umbrellas designed to hang down from the ceiling above the retail shop. And different arrangements which won the top prizes. The bottom right display was aptly named Cocoon. Can you see a human-like mannequin wrapped up in a cocoon?

I don't know why  I like this display of a huge pile of newspaper with dried flowers squeezed in between. This is a simple art piece.

The emphasis was on skyrise garden living because Singapore is short of space and land. 

Many ideas on how we can bring greenery into our homes and offices, by having a vertical garden, which save space. See the wall boxes which can house plants indoors and outdoors too.

I like each showroom of a mock up apartment, how they used the space to design a garden indoors.

Everything is mostly vertically adorned or hanged from the ceiling. I do not know how practically is this for people living in HDB flats and high rise apartments but it is always good to have some greenery inside the house, personally.

Another mock up of a vertical garden. Neat and space saving.

Walls can be adorned with plants as well, hanging on the walls or mounted on ladders, as part of the decor.

More flowers on the way..... I have always like to zoom in and take close-up shots of flowers and plants.

I feel flowers can liven up any place, although it is so much harder to grow flower plants indoors.

They were even encouraging building our own little garden at HDB neighbourhood. The design and layout was quite soothing, which can brighten the landscape surrounding our  otherwise mundane concrete apartment blocks.

I like the way they make use of old items to recycle and use for plants. There was a old fan cover used for a hanging plant. A plastic bottle can be cut with holes and filled with soil for a plant.

I like this cute scarecrow made of pots and plants and a broken chair. Soft drink cans were cut up in strips and became "flowers" a complementary decor amidst pots of plants and creepers.

The same soft drink cans can be used to plant cactus as well... old canvas shoes can be recycled to plant plants too..... even wheels can be items of display. 

Again, this wheel was painted and hanged on a "tree" and plants too.  Old bird cages filled with plants served as a decor on an otherwise boring creeping plant or tree.

My mom loved this little garden, which gave ideas how to spruce up your own garden.  New special modern table which can grow plants inside as well as plants on wooden chairs. Personally I do not like that, as it will attract mosquitoes!

I took a shot of these cactus on pebbles because... it's nice. Hahah!

There was a section where they showcased homegrown vegetables and herbs. Wonderful and refreshing!

Saw these gigantic water melon, and a plant which looked like cauliflower was growing on it.

Different types of soil, sand, clay... there were these beetles or bugs breeding inside a tree trunk,.... and you know why some plants are dying due to various conditions. 

Plants in the bottles were on sale, and even many different types of bonsai were on display. The bottom right picture is actually a big pot of bonsai, landscaped to look like a padi field with mountains and stream! 

The section where they showcase flower arrangements from schools, done by kids from the age of 8 onwards. There were probably hundreds of these flower arrangements.  These were the few which stood out among the rest.

These were prize winners too....

I like this flower arrangement with the tea set and log cake. The other flower arrangement I was curious why they used empty mineral water bottles and inserted a slice of lemon inside each bottle, as part of the design.

Here were the art work done by school children relating to nature, greenery, flowers.... drawings, paintings and handicraft too.

Here were some retail items on sale.....flowery pouches, accessories, planter sticks, books, umbrellas, aromatherapy candles etc....

We bought some pots of plants home at the marketplace. I like that old vintage van as a drinks stall... and hey there were cupcakes too!!!

Here's a close up of the cupcakes... and yes they were ... what else but flower cupcakes.

A favourite photo of my mom.  Reminded us of the time we were in Keukenhof,Holland viewing fields and fields of tulips and flowers...

The "bugs" at the entrance were cute.  A real nice end to the Singapore Garden Festival.

Earthlings - Biting the hands that feed us

In response to a food posting earlier, a reader sent me a link to a  grim gruesome full length documentary movie, Earthlings (see below). I know where he/she is coming from and the  message he/she is trying to convey. The subject stems from the core concern of animal rights, the humane treatment of animals and adopting a vegetarian/vegan diet. 

From the religion point of view, it also stems from a basic precept in Buddhism that is non-harm, Ahimsa, a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm, no violence. According to Buddhist belief, there is no fundamental difference between a human and a non-human animal, therefore if humans are important, then so are other animals. Buddhism teaches compassion towards all beings without species discrimination.

Most westerners assume Buddhists to be vegetarians, especially in Asia where the majority are Buddhists. But unfortunately in many countries, this is not always the case, and this includes monks. However in recent years, attitudes are changing and conscientious efforts are on-going. Bringing awareness and education is the way to change, slowly but surely.

On a personal level, although I am not a full time vegetarian yet, I am making an effort to cut down on meat. I have not been taking beef for 6 years, I do not eat exotic food which comes from animals facing extinction, I go vegetarian for a certain length of time (ie. 100 days) and I have been cutting down on pork and seafood as well.  

If you have been following my blog, you would have noticed my entries are largely about Buddhism and Food Reviews in general. While I am passionate in sharing about Buddhism and my experiences, I also have an interest in Food, being a typical Singaporean and being easily exposed to all sorts of international cuisines here. Hence, the irony of both topics. I would like to remain honest in sharing my experiences, instead of lying about something which I am not in an enviable position of yet. Slowly, but surely.

Now this movie, EARTHLINGS, is a feature length documentary about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called "non-human providers." The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby.

With an in-depth study into pet stores, puppy mills and animals shelters, as well as factory farms, the leather and fur trades, sports and entertainment industries, and finally the medical and scientific profession, EARTHLINGS uses hidden cameras and never before seen footage to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. Powerful, informative and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests. EARTHLINGS cries to be seen.

This is the full movie.  Whether you are an animal lover or not, whether you are a vegetarian or not, no matter what religion you adopt..... if you have the time, I highly recommend you watch this. Watch it and tell me if you do not feel anything.  What goes around, comes around.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing animals with holy relics in a stupa. May these animals plant the seed with the Dharma and hence may they have a good rebirth as humans in their next lives. Photo copyright of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

All beings tremble before danger, all fear death. 

When a man considers this, he does not kill or cause to kill. 

All beings fear before danger, life is dear to all. 

When a man considers this, he does not kill or cause to kill. 

Whosoever tries to find happiness through hurting other beings, 

will not find happiness.

- The Buddha