Sentosa Flowers is back and for the first time ever, the entire stretch spanning over 4.5 hectares from Beach Station to Palawan Beach has sprung up into a garden full of seasonal blooms!
Themed “Joys of Spring”, this eighth edition from 9 to 17 February 2013 will feature Singapore’s first Giant Floral Carpet, a Glittering Snake Trail, a Four Seasons of Love garden, floral sets and much more.
Snake through the floral displays and you will discover that this is not only a chance for you to usher in the year of the Golden Snake with your family in a different way this Chinese New Year, but also one where you can gain educational insights to flowers, plants and places, and introduce ancient fables to your kids.
Here’s a preview of the highlights you can look out for as you take time to smell the roses and more, starting from Beach Station:
1. Giant Floral Carpet
Flowers: Vinca, Impatiens, Kalanchoe, Petunia, Cockscomb and Cosmos Sonata
Find out if the Giant Floral Carpet measuring 50 metres by 40 metres will enter the Singapore Book of Records as the ‘Largest Fresh Floral Carpet’ with over 30,000 fresh flowers!
2. Story of the Zodiac Water Snake
Flowers: Cuphea, Carnation and Forget-me-not
Rising up at centre stage on the Giant Floral Carpet is the intelligent Zodiac Water Snake. Share with the children the story of ‘The Great Race’ organised by the Jade Emperor and how the poor Horse, frightened by the sudden appearance of the Snake, fell back and lost the sixth place to the Snake in the Zodiac line-up of animals.
3. Community Gardens – Sentosa in Bloom
Flowers: Tropical flowers
Three garden plots have been transformed to include a floating market, handmade birdhouses and a rustic hut. Designed by Singapore Polytechnic students and jointly set up by the gardening enthusiasts from the local community, ST Kinetics and ITE College West, these community gardens are a display of the harmonious balance between man and nature.
4. Story of Nüwa
Flowers: Chrysanthemum and cherry blossom
Nüwa is the legendary goddess with a snake tail who repaired the sky and saved a village to restore its peace and beauty. Catch her snake tail all decked out in chrysanthemums and surrounded by traditional flowers of Spring.
5. Four Seasons of LOVE
Flowers: Rose
Right smack within this Chinese New Year season is Valentine’s Day. To celebrate this festival of love, a garden has been groomed to show how love is celebrated in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Spot the larger than life bugs and ladybird as they come alive in spring.
6. The String Garden
Flowers: ‘Kokedama’, a type of Japanese bonsai hung in mid-air and orchids
The Tivoli Gardens, the famed Danish theme park, specially created The String Garden just in front of Port of Lost Wonders. Look out for the Tivoli Boys Guard performances from 10 to 13 February 2013 right here.
7. Rainbow Snake
Flowers: Cuphea and carnation
Symbolising the river stream that is an important life source for the villagers, the Rainbow Snake displays the colourful spectrum of a rainbow.
8. Fun About Snakes
Plants: Sabah Snake Grass, Snake Gourd and Blue and Pink Snakeweed
This educational trail will shed light on how many types of snakes there are in the world, if they are all bad or useful, the life span of a snake and more. Learn about the Sabah Snake Grass that is well known for its abilities to treat cancer and kidney failure, besides snake bites, as well as the Snake Gourd that is used to cook Indian curry and treat ailments such as jaundice. Don’t forget to enjoy the games and activities here too.
9. Fables Walk
Relate old fabled stories of the Farmer and His Children, and The Farmer and the Snake from signboards in both English and Chinese right next to these large murals.
10. Glittering Snake Trail
Last and not at all the least, a long slithering snake has arisen from the sands of Palawan Beach. Created by international renowned sand artist JOOheng Tan, the Glittering Snake Trail is a contender for the ‘Longest Snake Sand Sculpture’ title in the Singapore Book of Records. 100 Sentosa staff volunteers completed the masterpiece by decorating the snake with colour-dyed sand. This entire art piece took over 240 man-hours to create.
Don’t simply snake around on the sand, but glide across the bridge and over to the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia. From the top of both towers on this little isle, you should be able to make out that the body of the snake forms the numbers “2013” and the word 福 (the Chinese character meaning fortune).
Have a great little day out bonding amidst sweet scents in floral wonderland!
