Gardens by the Bay - Flower Dome - Alvinology

Gardens by the Bay – Flower Dome

Thanks to the folks from URA and Gardens by the Bay, I was invited on a guided tour to visit the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Supertree Grove, three of the gardens that form  Gardens by the Bay.

Happy family at the Flower Dome
Happy family at the Flower Dome

My wife and son were with me on the tour, together with fellow blogger, Calvin Timothy and his girlfriend, Nicole. We were brought around the gardens by friendly Ferne and Mihkaail from Gardens by the Bay. It was a delight to have them as guides. Mihkaail is like a walking encyclopedia for plants and was able to quickly name any plants or flowers we pointed out, not to mention add on some background information and facts about them!

The first garden we visited was the Flower Dome.

Pardon me for not getting the names of most of the flowers and plants. I love looking at them and enjoying their beauty, but I am not a botanist hobbyist. If you know the names of any of the flowers or plants below, do drop me a comment to share and I will amend them accordingly.

Inside the Flower Dome
Inside the Flower Dome

The dome brings to life, a world of perpetual spring, where plants bloom in an everchanging display of flowers.

The dome replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy. Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it showcases the adaptations of plants to arid environments.

Various arid plants
Various arid plants
Close up of a round fat cactus
Close up of a round fat cactus
More arid plants, cactuses
More arid plants, cactuses
Fat leaves with thorns
Fat leaves with thorns
Grey coloured plant
Grey coloured plant
Pretty yellow flower
Pretty yellow flower
Cactus flower
Cactus flower
Furry cactus pollen
Furry cactus pollen
Phallic looking cactus
Phallic looking cactus
Asher's curiosity was piqued by the different plant textures
Asher’s curiosity was piqued by the different plant textures
Touch touch
Touch touch
Large patch of furry pollen
Large patch of furry pollen
Some really large cactuses
Some really large cactuses
Asher pointing out a small violet flower
Asher pointing out a small violet flower
Furry arid plants
Furry arid plants
Red flowers
Red flowers
Closer shot of the flowers
Closer shot of the flowers
Beautiful, dainty hanging flowers
Beautiful, dainty hanging flowers
More pretty, dainty flowers
More pretty, dainty flowers
Plants which look like they are dead
Plants which look like they are dead
Small flowers
Small flowers
Small thorny plants
Small thorny plants
More thorns
More thorns
Tribal feature and some tall plants
Tribal feature and some tall plants
Different kinds of cactuses
Different kinds of cactuses
This whole eagle was carved from a tree root
This whole eagle was carved from a tree root
View of the garden from the second floor
View of the garden from the second floor

At the Flower Field, visitors can stop and smell the flowers in the colourful changing displays which reflects different seasons, festivals and themes.

View of the Flower Field from the second floor
View of the Flower Field from the second floor
Vibrant colours
Vibrant colours
Archway
Archway
Red Kangeroo's paws
Red Kangaroo’s paws
Yellow Kangaroo's paws
Yellow Kangaroo’s paws
Pretty round flowers
Pretty round flowers
Bird-of-paradise plants
Bird-of-paradise plants
Close-up on how beautiful the flower looks
Close-up on how beautiful the flower looks
Small pots
Small pots
Sea of yellow flowers
Sea of yellow flowers
Sea of red flowers
Sea of red flowers
Wild pink roses
Wild pink roses
Wild red roses
Wild red roses
Assorted wild roses
Assorted wild roses
Rachel with Asher, enjoying the roses
Rachel with Asher, enjoying the roses
Assorted colourful flowers
Assorted colourful flowers
Pink flowers
Pink flowers
Small purple flowers
Small purple flowers
Towering trees
Towering trees
Family photo
Family photo
Giant old tree
Giant old tree
Giant hibiscus
Giant hibiscus
Giant white hibiscus
Giant white hibiscus
Fiery red flowers
Fiery red flowers
A gardener at work
A gardener at work
Beautiful bed of roses
Beautiful bed of roses
Natural flower bouquet
Natural flower bouquet
Pretty white flowers with sprinkles of orange
Pretty white flowers with sprinkles of orange
A large wild rose
A large wild rose
Pretty yellow flower
Pretty yellow flower
The same flower as above in red
The same flower as above in red
Asher enjoying the scent of fresh flowers
Asher enjoying the scent of fresh flowers
Interesting-looking lantern shaped flowers
Interesting-looking lantern shaped flowers
Interactive learning gallery for the kids
Interactive learning gallery for the kids

My family and I enjoyed the cooling, leisurely stroll through the Flower Dome. Asher was particularly fascinated by the wide array of colours, sights and textures of the various plants and vegetations ranging from the baobabs (“bottle trees”) to succulents (water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions).

Many baobabs
Many baobabs
Closer look at the Baobabs
Closer look at the Baobabs
Succulents
Succulents
More succulents
More succulents
Assorted succulents
Assorted succulents
On our way to the exit to visit the other dome
On our way to the exit to visit the other dome

If you are into fine dining, there is a very good restaurant inside the Flower Dome called Pollen. Helmed by renowned Chef Jason Atherton, owner of Table No.1 in Shanghai and the Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social in London, the 2-storey restaurant offers innovative, Mediterranean-influenced, modern European cuisine. Book early to avoid disappointment – Ferne told us that Pollen’s reservation list was already fully booked for months ahead!

Rachel and I love the Flower Dome very much. Instead of traveling to expensive, far flung travel destination to experience a cooler climate, a day visit to the Flower Dome allows for a similar, short escapist experience. 🙂

If you are interested to visit, check out Gardens by the Bay official website for more information on the Flower Dome.

Meanwhile, stay tune to my next updates on the Cloud Forest and Supertree Grove.

Flower Domes – Hours and Admission Fees:

Hours:
Opens 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily
Last ticket sale at 8:00 PM daily
Last admission at 8:30 PM daily

Local Resident Admission:
Adult $12
Senior Citizen* $8
Child** $8

Local Resident Admission
(includes entry to Cloud Forest):
Adult $20
Senior Citizen* $15
Child** $12

Standard Admission
(includes entry to Cloud Forest):
Adult $28
Senior Citizen* $28
Child** $15

* Senior Citizen (≥ 60 years old)
** Child (3 – 12 years old)

Ticketing Hub:
Opens 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM daily

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