Monday 15 October 2012

Singapore Botanic Gardens: the orchids

On the fifteenth of each month, Carole from May Dreams Gardens hosts the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day meme, which provides an opportunity for gardeners all over the world to share what is happening in their garden.

Once again I am far from home for this month's GBBD, though not for much longer: I fly out this week. However, a week ago I was lucky enough to visit Singapore for the day. This is my third post to share the blooms, planting combinations, and landscaping that I saw at Singpore's Botanic Gardens.

In this post, I have focussed on on the orchids. The National Orchid Garden is located within the Botanic Gardens, and the blooms on display are absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to record as many of the names as I did in my two previous posts, and I will only speculate in the broadest terms what variety I think it is. After my visit it became very clear to me that the more I learn about orchids, the less I confident I am about broadbrush stroke identification due to the extent of hybridisation between the different orchid varieties, especially here in Singapore where orchids are an important industry.



Beautiful blue Vanda orchids


Golden Oncidiums like the 'Dancing Ladies' I grow in Brisbane


The gold here is repeated in the helconias in the background (possibly 'Golden Torch)





A pretty pastel Dendrobium




Singapore's national flower, Vanda 'Miss Joaquin'

Cattleya

Vanda

Many of the orchids on display would just be located in position while in flower. Here you can see the loose fibre around the pink dendrobiums that covers up this detail.  I love the heart-shaped foliage plant to the right. Does anyone know its name?

Dendrobium


Another dendrobium
 
This Dendrobium is a little like my state's (Queensland) floral emblem, the Cooktown Orchid.



Vanda

Spathoglottis


A potted Vanda with pretty two-tone effect with wood-rose flowers and lavender on their reverse.
 
 


Dedrobium



Vanda

White dendrobium

This is one of the blooms that makes me nervous about the correctness of some of my 'identifications', particularly of the Vandas. According to my notes, this is Ascocenda Yingluck Shinawatra.  The Ascocendas result from crossing the smaller Ascocentrum variety with Vandas. As an orchid novice, I would find it very difficult to distinguish this from a Vanda were it not for the tag.

Spathoglottis Phillipe 'Mathilde' named for the Belgian princess after her 2008 visit.

Massed white dendrobiums

Vanda


Phalaenopsis

An unusual apricot-coloured Phalaenopsis
 

Richly coloured Vandas in the mist house





An exotic antennaed Oncidium





Cattleyas













Finally, my kind of golden arches...




Hope you enjoyed the visit and a happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. To see more GBBD blooms, click here.

28 comments:

  1. Oooooohhhh what BEAUTIFUL orchids...I can't stop drooling at the mouth..I would have stayed there all day.
    Another one of my orchids is flowering, I think I will post it today.
    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I must admit I did miss my intended ferry so I could linger longer.I had cut back my orchids. Lots of them went on holidays to my brothers, but I think I am getting the bug back again. Look forward to seeing yours!

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  2. Hi, I am very familiar with these orchids as all of them grow here too, and my sister has been there twice showing us all her photos. But each time i look at the spatial arrangements I am in awe. So thank you!

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    1. You are very welcome, and you make a good point. It's not just that the flowers are glorious, they are beautifully displayed and incorporated into the gardens and landscaping.

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  3. Wow...beautiful gardens. Thank you for the virtual tour and Happy GBBD!

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    1. Thanks Lee. Hope you had a great GBBD too.

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  4. My goodness, so spectacular. That apricot-coloured Phalaenopsis is stunning. Wouldn't know where to stop if I grew orchids, but in my dry island its too much of a challenge so maybe that's a good thing!

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    1. I didn't realise that any of the Caribbean islands were dry, but I suspect there are probably some suited to your climate. I'd phased most orchids out of my garden, but I definitely have the bug again now.

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  5. So many different orchid flowers, wonderful colours, lovely photos.

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  6. Oh gosh, they are all my favorites! Lovely photos, and thanks for showing us how they are displayed in the garden as they are often hard to incorporate. Are those arches covered with orchids? - how amazing.

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    1. You're right. The arches are covered in the golden oncidiums. They look beautiful, don't they.

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  7. Marisa, a fantastic orchid garden; The display is spectacular. I grow a few easy ones. Especially the Dendrobiums are doing well, without to much pampering. I think the cooktown orchid is also a Dendrobium specie.

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    1. I just have pretty easy ones too, Titania. The ones that do the best for me are the oncidiums (Dancing Lady). I have a lovely big dendrobium (Sydney rock orchid) in my poinciana, but the dendrobium beetles get stuck into it, and it's too high for me to be able to do anything about it.

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  8. Beautiful post!!! I love orchids but know little to nothing about them other than they are intricate and unique. When I was in Thailand we went to Phukett and visited some of the orchid growers there- it was amazing. One thing I found interesting while there was the two places I visited were both owned by Texans. I walked in and a big labrador greeted me followed by the owners who said they had gone there to visit and never left. I could see why..... I hope you are having a great time - from the photos it appears so!!! I have never been to Indonesia but it looks incredible!

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    1. I'm homeward bound now, Kacky; last night was my last in Indonesia, but I have been so lucky to have spent the time here, and I've picked up some wonderful ideas for the garden I hope I can put into practice on my return.

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  9. Beautiful selection. We have yet to visit the Singapore botanic gardens but hopefully will get to visit.

    Thanks for stopping by on our blog too :)

    Gaz: Orchid Gardens

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    1. Thanks, Gaz. Your orchid photos are amazing.

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  10. Gorgeous. I love the arches.

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    1. Me too, Mac. Imagine walking your way through them as entry to your house.

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  11. Beautiful flowers and great pictures!
    Would you like to follow each other? Will be glad to hear from you ;o)
    www.impromp-two.blogspot.com

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    1. Done! Love that bulky cable cardigan in your latest post.

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  12. WOWSA what beautiful flowers! :) Your blog is awesome-just became a member/follower of your blog. I hope you'll follow me back and we can keep in touch. Happy Blogging!!! 



    Elle xoxo

    www.thehighfeather.com 
    High Feather Twitter
    High Feather Facebook

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    1. Thanks, Elle. I look forward to some inspiration for a wardrobe overhaul on my return!

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  13. Wow! So many beautiful orchids! I would love to know what the moss covered sculpture depicts. It is very curious.

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    1. Sorry, Jennifer. I'm afraid I don't know more about the sculpture and its meaning. I have another photo of it, and it's hard to tell if the lower figure is piggybacking the more grotesque one. There is a similar one nearby, which seems to have a female figure riding on the shoulders of another figure. Happy to email the photo to you if you are interested.

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