Cheekwood Estate and Gardens-A Nashville Treasure

Tennessee is a long thin state running east to west and interstate 40 spans the length from Knoxville to Memphis. Neatly situated in the center of the state is Nashville. Perhaps Americas greatest center of musical traditions from country to rock. The Grand Ole Opry is central to the music industry, hosting famous and rising stars many of whom came to Nashville to seek their fortunes.

Tucked away from all the music venues and recording studios is one of Americas most unique and stately gardens. Situated in an elegant part of town on subtly rolling hills, Cheekwood embodies an emotive and aesthetic magnitude found in few new world gardens. It feels like a much older European garden. Grand at every turn, with specimen trees and large ornamental display gardens, Cheekwood is exceptionally beautiful and engaging. From the detailed train exhibit built among bald cypress trunks with perfect roughhewn miniature bridges to monumental sculpture, Cheekwood is a Garden for all ages.

The center piece is the Cheekwood mansion situated atop a prominent hill with sweeping views of the garden and distant hills. Built between 1929 and 1932, its a traditional Georgian mansion with 50 rooms spread among four floors. The exterior is made largely of limestone blocks cut from local quarries. The original house included stables and a multiple-car garage. In fact, the family traveled to England specifically to study 18th-Century Georgian architecture and furnishings. Leslie and Mable Cheek's fortune was earned in several business ventures, most prominently in association with Maxwell House Coffee.

The mansion is now the primary museum for Cheekwood’s permanent and traveling exhibits. Room after room is perfectly arranged into specific, intimate galleries. Combined with the exceptional architecture, it's a nationally unique museum experience oozing curatorial excellence. Spring 2016 featured the remarkably diverse work of Steve Tobin. A Philadelphia based mathematician and artist, Tobin's work ranges in material and subject matter. With ceramics, wood, glass and even a Lantern House made from archival film slides, Tobin's work is mystical and mesmerizing all at once. Some ceramics are intentionally exploded to create something akin to a giant earth star mushroom with a deep, colorful glass center. Illumination often plays a central role in Tobin's glass work. Outside several of Tobin's monumental sculptures tower among the trees like giant spiders.

Departing the Mansion one is quickly reminded there's an entire Garden to explore. Huge hackberry trees dot the landscape displaying their unique knobby bark. Intimate creeks and hollows beckon the casual walker. The Robertson Family Water Garden is a treat. The flowing creek descends several small waterfalls laced with yellow iris, purple wood sorrel and native creeping wild ginger. The creek leads to three ponds that shrink in size as they near a subtle wooded edge. In the distance a neatly tended lawn sways up a hillside, inviting further adventure.

Not far from the ponds is the Japanese-themed Shomu-en Mist Garden. This is the meditative highlight at Cheekwood. A meticulously built garden house gazes on to a seemingly perfect rocky landscape complete with several Asian conifers pruned to perfection. On one side a bamboo Alley leads to another section of the Mist Garden where naturalized, mossy steps ascend a hill and deposits you near the visitor center and Pineapple Room restaurant. Across from the visitor center is the fascinating Turner Seasons Garden, a must stop feature for any serious gardener. Beyond the core area around the mansion one can stroll the Sculpture Trail featuring fourteen internationally recognized artists.

Other Cheekwood highlights include the Martin Boxwood Garden appropriately situated near the Mansion. Nearby the Herb Study Garden and the lovely Burr Terrace Garden occupy a sloping hillside interspersed with many large specimen trees. At the bottom of the slope the Howe Garden features beautiful stone masonry walls, entrance ways and a pond. Above the Howe Garden is the First Learning Center with more galleries and classrooms.

There's an air of southern grace at Cheekwood. One could imagine an ornate garden party or traditional Chatelain among the splendid landscape. Indeed, Cheekwood hosts events large and small including a holiday light show. Between art exhibits, classes, social events and tours there’s something special going on all year. Many gardens around the world feature monumental sculpture outside and in conservatoires.

The magical glass work of Dale Chihuly is particularly popular in North American Gardens. Chihuly is prominently featured at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburg, among others. But Cheekwood remains unique. The hilly site crowned by the mansion nestled among huge trees, beautiful perennial gardens and water features are inspiring. In addition, gallery space in the mansion is Smithsonian caliber. The combination of these features makes Cheekwood the garden to see in Nashville and one of the most unique gardens in the nation. No drive through Nashville is complete without a visit to Cheekwood. Nashville is well known as the musical epicenter of America and it’s also home to a spectacular public garden and art museum.

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden: A Horticultural Hot Spot in the City of Angels

Our pace quickens as we enter the arboretum. Superintendent Tim Phillips knows it will be a busy day, entrance fees are waived the first Tuesday of each month and there’s a film crew waiting to get started. As we walk onto the Bauer Lawn I'm taken with the grand view of the San Gabriel Mountains towering to the north framed by a lush horticopia of trees from around the world. Tim casually mentions that this part of California can grow more types of plants than almost anywhere in the world. The Mediterranean climate is nearly perfect. Rarely a freeze, sunny days and cool nights...with irrigation almost anything is possible. That's a pretty big deal for an arboretum and botanical garden.

 Touring such a public garden with a senior staff member is a dream come true for any plant geek. But, in reality this was the continuation of a long-term professional relationship. I first met Tim in a tropical ecology class at the University of Hawaii in 1991. I was working in the Botany Department at Bishop Museum, the State Museum of Cultural and Natural History and Tim was the caretaker at the Universities Lyon Arboretum, a legendarily tropical garden. Tim's training was more horticulturally oriented, mine more botanical. Many hours ensued as we botanized the islands remarkable gardens and mountains over the next several years. Over the past few decades we have toured gardens in Colorado, Washington DC and London together.

With predictable enthusiasm and lively banter, we headed into the collections as Tim's radio crackled the occasional question or inquiry. Like kids in a botanical candy shop we headed straight for the Madagascar Spiny Forest, a relatively recent addition under Tim's decade-plus tenure at the arboretum. To the untrained eye it might look like a generic collection of desert plants. But this is far more interesting. Madagascar is one of the world’s great endemic kingdoms. Nearly all the plants and animals found there are unique to the island. Only a few other locations in the world share such a highly unusual and endemic biota. As Islands go, New Caledonia, Hawaii and the Canaries rival Madagascar. On a continent only the Cape Province of South Africa compares. Amazingly, many plants from these exotic locations can be grown with considerable success in the Los Angeles Basin.

 A favorite of the Madagascar collection is Pachypodium, sometimes called the Madagascar Palm. It's swollen spiny trunk narrows to a whorl of relatively small leaves. One has to wonder if Dr. Seuss saw these plants somewhere and included them in his many illustrations. Nearby a smaller version of Pachypodium called Elephants Foot looks as if it's ready burst.

Among several unique Aloes the tall narrow stick-like trunks of the Madagascar Ocotillo reach for the sun. It has a stunning similarity to the native Ocotillo but is totally unrelated belonging to an entire plant family found only in Madagascar. The tiny thick leaves radiate in perfect rows like miniature solar panels. In a gravelly bed nearby the Madagascan Rosy Periwinkle blooms with characteristic brilliance. A common landscape plant throughout North America, it’s also the source of Vincristine and Vinblastine two of the most effective drugs for fighting childhood leukemia among other cancers.

 As Tim heads off to meet the film crew I wonder over to the Prehistoric Forest.  The thought of tree ferns and ancient conifers growing among the world’s dinosaurs has always fascinated me. So many museum dioramas I saw as child strived to recreate these ancestral forests in skillfully painted mural behind a brooding Stegosaurus. I'm thrilled to find several species of tree ferns mingled with Norfolk Island pines and cycads. With lake Baldwin in the background one can imagine a Stegosaurus approaching.

 Apparently, the production crew for Katy Perry's "Roar" video agreed. The entire shoot took place at the Arboretum. One of the casts happened to be an elephant. Many beloved movies and television shows have used the Arboretum over the years. In fact this may be the only public garden in the nation that employees a full time person to manage all the filming request.

On the south side of Lake Baldwin some of the Arboretums extensive human history comes into focus. The beautiful Queen Ann Cottage is a window into Southern California's Golden age, an example of Victorian architecture at its best. It was built by Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin in 1885 as part of his 2000 acre ranch.  Nearby is the equally interesting Coach Barn complete with a beautiful collection of horse drawn carriages. Many species of stately palms surround the lake along with a Redwood Grove. One can only imagine the privilege of living in such an exquisite setting with one of the world’s most accommodating climates. The cottage is on the National Register of Historic Place.

 Only a short walk away one comes upon the Meyburg Waterfall. In full stride Tim arrives eager to show me the Ficus collection. We ascend a skillfully designed stairway that negotiates the waterfall without ever having to balance on a slippery rock. Numerous blooming orchids line the route as falls roar in the background. One of the resident peacocks preens near the top of the falls as we arrive on Tallac Knoll, a slightly wilder part of the arboretum. Trees makeup much of attraction on the Knoll, none more than the large Ficus with draping crowns, the trunks festooned in maturing fruits. Nearby a grove of native Engelmann Oak inhabits a semi-arid slope. Trees of various ages are closely monitored for vigor and regeneration. Englemann Oak was the one of the prominent native trees in precolonial times.

We walked back through the Tule Pond area while several native birds cavorted about the water and adjacent vegetation. Finishing our tour we glanced at the large Australian collection and stopped by the beautiful fern exhibit. I had a plane to catch and Tim's radio sparked up with another request. We said goodbye as Tim dashed off, while I was planning my next visit. An Arboretum and Botanical Garden of this caliber deserves many returns.

From the BGT Team-more info at www.arboretum.org

The Gardens of Schönbrunn Palace

Vienna Austria is a truly refined city. A bit like Washington DC with low building profiles, copious museums and beautifully manicured public parks. But the jewel in the crown is Schönbrunn Palace. For pure grandeur it has few equals in the world. 

The land was originally secured in 1569 by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Initially used for breeding game birds and hunting, boar and deer where also cultivated on the property. Ducks mingled on stocked fish ponds as peafowl and turkey wondered the grounds. Over nearly the next century hunting was the properties primary function. Overtime one of the world’s grandest Palaces would ultimately take shape on the site. By 1638 the Katterburg Palace had been built. It’s name would change to Schönbrunn as expansions took place. The name Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring”. 

The Palace we see today was constructed and remodeled between 1740 and 1758. Large scale redecoration was commissioned by Franz the 1st with a focus on neoclassical style. Austria’s longest reigning Emperor, Franz Joseph was born at Schönbrunn and lived most of his long life there. He died in November of 1916 at 86 years old. At that time the Palace was surrounded by some of Europe’s grandest gardens and conservatories. Shortly thereafter it became a museum in the newly formed Austrian Republic. In 1996 the Palace and gardens received UNSECO designation on the World Heritage list. The Palace itself is so huge and fascinating the grounds can be overlooked by the casual visitor. Yet the gardens and grounds make up a horticultural setting worthy of a visit on its own; really a vast arboretum and botanical garden inlaid with fountains, specimen trees and splendid ornamental horticultural displays. 

On the east side of the palace one finds a rose tunnel. At Schönbrunn its not enough to have a rose garden, so you can stroll a one hundred foot long rose tunnel to the garden itself. Meticulously cultivated onto an arching metal frame, thousands of red roses bloom with abandon. Beyond the striking beauty one can’t help wonder the level of labor required for such a display. Soon, you realize this applies to the entire property. Seemingly endless tulip beds form meandering rivers of color toward bold displays of tropical palms nearly exploding from pots the size of a compact car. Every Landscape detail is etched in living plant material. 

The hardscaping is similarly amazing. At one point you’re walking on fine river gravel toward a circular fountain. A few steps away, you arrive in a tall hedge of European basswood tightly trimmed and tended by perfectly interlocking random slate. This in turn is hemmed in by moss that nips and tucks each irregularity on the stones margins. The outdoor court yard might be 100 feet long by 100 feet wide containing thousands of flat moss-clad stones. Sweeping lawns host a remarkable collection of trees. Huge American white and red Oaks stand near European beech trees that may predate the palace. Nearby the exquisite Lebanese cedar appears as the perfect wind swept conifer and massive dawn redwoods rise in a feathery cone toward the sun. And of course there are fruit trees. Pears, apples and cherries bloom in anticipation of fall fruits. Inside the giant Orangery citrus trees-oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit and the globous pomelos are carefully tended. Add the vineyards, boxwood maze and zoo you’ll need an entire day.

For the garden enthusiast the site never fails to inspire wonder at how one of Europe’s greatest monarchies lived among the pure magic of nearly endless gardens. Perhaps no other aspect of the garden embodies this wonder more than the conservatories. Today we are accustomed to large conservatories being a public facility. But Schönbrunn had several just for the pleasure of the royals. The Palm House rivals many conservatories at the worlds best public gardens-think of Kew Gardens, Longwood or the New York Botanical Garden. For Schönbrunn this was just another amenity for royal strolls, horseback adventures or a family picnic. The Palm house features plants from the wet tropics of the world. 

Indeed, many plants were sent back by European explores in the new and old-world tropics. Tree ferns, fan palms and Ficus trees mix in the humid air as numerous orchids decorate the entrance way. But the humid tropics is just one aspect of conservatory horticulture. A short walk east and you can enjoy the dryland conservatory where a large collection of North American cacti mix with Euphorbias from Africa and various Mediterranean species. Detailed rock scaping backed by beautifully painted sunset murals creates a remarkable pallet of color and texture that can nearly transport you to Namibia or Arizona. Among the plants, several tortoises and lizards native to various deserts are kept in adjacent enclosures.

Collectively the conservatories demonstrate a remarkable commitment to estate horticulture rarely equaled in any royal residence. Surely the grandest vista at Schönbrunn is from the back of the Palace looking toward the hilltop and Gloriette. Today the Gloriette houses a restaurant and roof top viewing area. Once you climb the hill, views back across several large knot gardens is awe inspiring. The Palace spreads a giant span, perhaps five hundred feet across. The magnitude of this view embodies the absolute grandeur of this vast palatial complex in all its glory. Its worth touring the Palace and grounds- but a full day is recommended. The royal tenants, endorsed by the Holy Roman Empire, lived a magnificent life among the gardens. Today we can enjoy them too and marvel at the diverse horticultural treasures of Schönbrunn. 

 From the BGT team- More info at www.schoenbrunn.at.en

The Missouri Botanical Garden-Beyond Exceptional

 

To anyone who works in a botanical garden there are a handful of institutions that clearly rank at the very top. If it were cars, we’re talking Maserati, Rolls Royce or Ferrari. Like the car, the gardens combine many aesthetic and performance qualities that are renowned industry wide. In the case of gardens this normally includes exceptional horticulture programs on a historic site and a major research department with global influence. In addition, these gardens have extensive education programs that reach everyone from kindergarteners to advanced graduate students. Generally three gardens come to mind: The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew north of London and The Missouri Botanical Garden. 

Many people are surprised that St. Louis, home of baseballs storied Cardinals, historic breweries and the iconic Arch also has a public garden of such renown. The convergence of several distinctive figures over 150 years made it possible, perhaps none more than Dr. Peter Raven, Director Emeritus. Raven began a long scientific and publishing career in his teens. The consummate taxonomic botanist who studied the evolution and classification of plants, Raven was also something else; a remarkable fund raiser and businessman who combined horticulture, botany and history as a vehicle for conserving biodiversity around the world. New Week magazine recognized him as a Hero for the Planet and he received the U.S. National Medal of Science in 2000, one among many international honors. In 2003 the founder of Enterprise rental cars gave the garden 35 million dollars, believed to be the largest single gift to a public garden ever. 

In 1971 Raven arrived at Missouri and began to build on a distinguished garden history, ultimately leaving it one of the world’s greatest gardens in 2011. Founded in 1859 the Missouri Botanical Garden served as the estate of Henry Shaw, a lifelong bachelor and business man who profited handsomely from the westward expansion of American settlers. Shaw bought the property in the westerly reaches of St. Louis and began adding trees to the partially wooded site. 

Now the garden is surrounded by a vibrant mix of city neighborhoods with a combination of residential and commercial dwellings. In fact, the garden is such a regional and national tourist attraction its increased local economic activity. Today, Shaw’s home remains as a beautifully curated museum, including many of his original furnishings. One aspect of the museum that deserves particular praise is the careful and transparent interpretation of eleven slaves who worked on the property. 

Passing through the Visitor Center one is immediately immersed in some of the finest ornamental horticulture anywhere. On the right an expansive Rhododendron collection invites walkers into a maze of spring color. On the left the Linnean House provides a hint of the properties remarkable history. Long and narrow the Linnean House is a classic Orangery featuring hundreds of potted plants. The brick building is named for Carol Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist and creator of the “binomial” classification system for living things. The plants inside are arranged into fascinating family groupings. Just east of the Linnean House the Rose Garden sweeps in a grand arch with one of many fountains in the distance. 

Specimen trees have a big impact on the gardens emotive grandeur. Throughout the gardens massive trees shade intimate lawns and shrub collections. Among these giants are many North American natives. Southern red oak, white oak and swamp oaks tower high above the busy pedestrian traffic. Near the gardens Museum Building the National Champion white basswood beckons skyward creating a vast canopy of distinct cordiform or heart shaped leaves. This national designation confirms it’s the largest known tree of its type in the United States. Many temperate trees from Asia and Europe add to these big trees. Chinese elms, Mongolian oaks, giant Himalayan dogwood, Persian perrotia and European beech are just a few. For Virginia natives used to our beautiful small dogwoods, the giant Himalayan dogwood is simply stupendous. Many of the Asian tree species are planted in the Japanese and Chinese gardens. The Japanese Garden and adjacent lake is one of the finest Asian gardens in North America. It could be a complete stand-alone institution and warrant major tourist traffic of its own. Yet it’s just another inspiring part of Missouri Botanical Gardens seemingly endless variety. 

Along with all the fountains, huge trees and specialty gardens one of the nation’s very best conservatories entices visitors into a carefully recreated tropical rain forest. The Climatron was built in 1961, one of the first major geodesic domes built in the United States and the only conservatory at the time utilizing the remarkable architectural brainchild of Buckminster Fuller. For conservatory enthusiast it rarely gets better than the Climatron.

Gentle, circuitous pathways meander through tropical plants from all over the world. Trees, shrubs, orchids, delicate begonias and bold heliconia’s reveal the stunning growth forms and diversity of plants of equatorial forests. This is no heavenly, manicured glasshouse of perfectly pruned ornamental displays. It’s a true botanical exhibit that embodies the magical floristic fascination of the wet tropics. The geodesic design is remarkable as no structural supports intrude into the vegetation. Add a few water falls, requisite humidity, the occasional insect or bird sounds and this conservatory goes further than most in recreating a tropical ecosystem. 

 What the public doesn’t see at Missouri may be even more impressive than the gardens. Tucked away in a few discreet buildings, research staff study and catalogue the world’s most endangered plants. The gardens Herbarium where preserved, pressed plants are kept is one of the world largest at seven million plus specimens. These “sheets” are the backbone of research at the garden. Missouri staff scientists work routinely in some of the world’s most imperiled plant diversity hotspots. A long-term presence in Madagascar has helped conserve some of the islands endemic plants. At the same time staff may be working in New Caledonia, Amazonia or Africa. Much of this work is chronicled in the gardens own impressive publishing office and vast library.

 Collectively, Missouri’s research collections and scientific programs serve people all over the world in the quest to conserve plant diversity for human well-being. A visit to Missouri Botanical Garden is more than a botanical or horticultural outing. Combined with the historic structures, enchanting landscape and excellent visitor amenities this garden is a cultural institution of global stature. The next time your headed west, don’t miss what might well be America’s finest public garden…in a city better known for beer, baseball and the Arch. From the BGT Team-more info at www.missouribotanicalgarden.org 

The Palm Garten: Frankfurt’s Grand Botanical Garden

Many travelers to Europe and beyond transit Frankfurt’s massive airport. Very often there are layovers, sometimes hours other times days. But the airport is a short train ride from Frankfurt’s gleaming skyline and ever-clean city scape. Majestic skyscrapers mix with tree lined streets and intimate European cafes. Large well-kept parks are busy with strolling seniors, families and dogs. Set among these features is the lovely Palm Garten, one of Europe’s finest public gardens. 

 The Palm Garten was designed by the landscape architect Heinrich Siesmayer. Modern Frankfurt features many public spaces influenced by Siesmayer’s work. Opened to the public in 1871 the Palm Garten became a large attraction for Frankfurt socialites and ultimately an important repository for plants being collected in the wet and dry tropics. At the time Germany was a global leader in plant exploration. Much of systematic botany’s early progress came from Germany scientists. One of the world’s largest Herbarium collections was destroyed in Berlin during World War II. The Palm Garten also suffered major damage during the war. Following the American occupation the site was returned to city authorities in the fifties. After which a major renovation occurred. 

 At the entrance an important horticultural display is found. Several windmill palms are planted in front of the gate house. These are said to be the most cold-tolerant palms in the world. I remember seeing them in Wuhan China where winter can be fairly cold. However, I’ll never forget stumbling upon a large specimen in a Eugene, Oregon school yard. It was during a very cold and snowy winter storm. The broad fan-shaped fronds stood upright as if it was a sunny subtropical day. Since then plant breeders have created new varieties for cold tolerance. These trees appeared to be planted permanently. Windmill palms are known to grow in North America too. 

The Palm Garten gatehouse is a curious entrance-way with a few tropical trees in the lobby, plus the front desk and gift shop. In this building the real treat is upstairs. Two separate rooms display a cacophonous collection of smaller tropical and subtropical plants. Several very large terrariums house different plants arranged by habitat. Surely the most fascinating is the carnivorous plant enclosure. Small enough to mimic micro-climates with remarkable accuracy, tiny plants like sundew can be observed in remarkable detail. Next to them are the vase-like pitcher plants native to North America, with two species found in Southeast. These clever plants have evolved various traps to ensnare visiting insects. Once captured, the insects dissolve overtime providing nutrients for the plants. Gazing at these enclosures it occurred to me what a wonderful teaching resource they are. At the same time a group of elementary students noisily arrived with work sheets in hand. 

 Once inside, the gardens 54 acres expands in several directions demarcated by beautiful seasonal beds expanding to formal pools and forested lakes. At the center is the House Rosenbrunn, a lovely light filled cottage surrounded by the colorful annual garden. Further afield is the Boat Pond where paddle boats can be rented. A notable rock garden sits above the lake and rhododendron garden skirts the north shore. A fine collection of temperate trees invites visitors to stroll in the shade. Heather gardens and a bamboo collection are located beyond the trees. As lovely as the outdoor collections are, it’s the remarkable size and diversity of the conservatories that make the Palm Garten an institution of national prominence in Germany. 

The traditional palm house is exceptionally large, the oldest of the conservatories, its devoted to the humid tropics. The moist, organic air immediately instills a sense of wonder as vines, palms, huge Ficus trees and bird nest ferns drip water in an atmospheric cooperative that could be cut with a knife. A large rock terrace with a stream and waterfall add an audible reality to the setting. Various local birds dart between tree canopies in search of emerging fruits and insects. Like most conservatories it’s a meticulously fabricated ecosystem under glass, but the size and plant diversity are truly engrossing.

Closer to the entrance is the Tropicarium, a modern collection of angular conservatories interconnected and featuring the wet tropics of the world. Thus you can stroll through a patch of Amazonia, the Congo Basin, South East Asia, Queensland Australia or New Guinea and compare the differing plant species. German scientists and explorers largely invented the science of plant geography during the age of discovery. Much of this work was based on describing plants and forests as connected to landforms and geology. Many German universities still offer degrees in Geobotany. The Tropicarium embodies this noble tradition of German naturalists traveling the world. Indeed, there was a university classes being held during my visit. There’s another set of conservatories featuring the dry tropics with similar biogeographic themes. Once again student groups were diligently taking notes while an instructor discussed some unusual species from coastal Namibia. 

The Palm Garten is an unparalleled classroom for students of plant science and anyone interested in walking a remarkably well kept public garden. Exhibits, education and superb ornamental horticulture are all on display in addition to rotating art exhibits. Only a short train ride and urban stroll from the airport and one of Europe’s great gardens is at your fingertips. That requisite layover in Frankfurt for long haul trips offers more options than waiting at the next departure.

Gardens by the Bay Singapore

 

Singapore is known for many things; a slightly authoritarian, yet efficient government and the ruby red Singapore Sling cocktail, best enjoyed at the famous Raffles hotel. Clean, vibrant and modern Singapore outshines many of its neighbors as the world’s premiere Entrepôt, a bustling port city without equal. Sitting a single degree north of the Equator its a topical locale where afternoon rain is a daily occurrence and new skyscrapers rise like steam. The airport is considered the world’s finest. When Singaporeans set out to create something new you can expect organizational excellence and innovation. Thus, its no surprise that Gardens by the Bay is now one of the world’s premiere horticultural attractions.

Opened in 2012 on 250 acres Gardens by the Bay is administered by the Singapore National Parks Board. It was envisioned by Prime Minister Lee Haines Loong as part of the “City in a Garden” concept. Fifty million people visited in the first five years of operation. A notable accomplishment for any public garden.

Part city park, sculpture garden, botanical garden and waterfront oasis Gardens by the Bay feels big and grand at every turn. That’s simply because it is. Several canals bisect the site creating many lovely bridges and walkways leading to shops, restaurants, intimate courtyards and vast tropical landscapes.

 The grandest attraction is surely the twin conservatories, the Flower Dome is largest in the world. Next to it is the Cloud Forest dome. For the regular garden visitor, a big question comes to mind: this is Singapore why have a conservatory in the heart of the tropics. Well, these conservatories are cooled. That’s right- massively air conditioned. The Flower Dome is essentially a Mediterranean climate, pleasantly cool and dry compared to the weather outside. The Cloud Forest Dome is somewhat cooler and very moist, as if you’re at 6000 feet elevation in neighboring Malaysia. A huge waterfall punctuates the lobby. Visitors can stroll up a series of elevated trails that weave in and out of the faux mountain planted with thousands of cloud forest species. At times the elevated walkways are strikingly high as one looks down on large Australian Tree Ferns like a little clubmoss.

 The Flower Dome can consume an afternoon all by itself. Multiple levels provide viewpoints across the structure. Eucalyptus trees mingle with the culinary olive, nearby a neatly tended bed features several shrubs endemic to Western Australia. The New World is also represented with a stunning display of Cacti and Yuccas cultivated to perfection.

Like some horticultural displays at Disney World, most of the gardening staff work the night shift from 11pm to 7am. Its just too busy to work in the gardens during the day. Wondering the world’s largest conservatory also fosters the wonder of modern architecture. In several locations the domes bend and sway with seemingly little visible support.

No visit to Gardens by the Bay is complete without taking-in the Super Trees, especially at night. The built “trees” form a grove of arboreal sculpture unique in the world. Massive trunks covered entirely in staged plants sweep up toward the tree crown as it spans out in silvery dendritic tendrils. Several of the trees are connected by a spacious canopy walkway with commanding views of the entire space. Each evening the trees come to life as a high-tech light show set to classical and modern music. Young and old visitors alike are mesmerized by the thirty-minute show.

The combination of stunning equatorial horticulture with the conservatories, Super Trees, sculptures and other amenities makes Gardens by the Bay the attraction in Singapore. Not too far away from the bay is the UNESCO World Heritage site Singapore Botanical Garden, notable for a huge orchid collection and research facilities. Further afield is the Jerong Bird Park with one of the world’s largest aviaries. Singapore is a remarkable little nation-state with four officially languages and what may well be the world’s greatest horticultural attraction in Gardens by the Bay.

From the BGT Team- More info at- www.gardensbythebay.com

Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, Cape Town South Africa

For public garden professionals and enthusiasts one name always rings a bell. Perhaps it’s the world’s most beautiful garden in one of the most spectacular settings on earth. It’s located in the South African Cape Floristic Province, one of the most species rich areas anywhere. Moreover, most of the plants are endemic, found only in this South African, Mediterranean climate biome. Add the dramatic sandstone mountains along a rugged coast, it can only be one place- Kirstenbosch. For nature lovers and botanical garden travelers its a must-see garden.

Kirstenbosch is managed by the South African Biodiversity Institute or SANBI. A world-renowned institution that works to conserve the globally unique biota across South Africa. In many ways Kirstenbosch is the jewel in the crown. A center for education, research, outreach, aesthetics and carefully curated open space. Walking into the garden one is instantly consumed with the proximity of Table Mountain. The grayish-sliver crags covered with shrubbery rise above the neatly organized plant collections. Its a bit like visiting The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew if it were in Yosemite. The magnitude of this place is all consuming.

 In 1903 staff in the Botany department at the South African College envisioned a garden on a long-neglected farm among the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. In 1913 the garden was formally established. Huge amounts of manual labor from local people made early milestones possible. Soon the Cycad Amphitheater and nearby Dell were completed. Today this area is a remarkable display of these ancient cone-bearing plants. A few dinosaur sculptures add to the primitive essences of this collection.

The entrance area and gardens are immediately inviting. A largely open-air conservatory houses a number of botanical curiosities and an interesting Bonsai collection. Signage is careful to explain that you are in an endemic kingdom where weather, geology and evolution have come together to create one of the world’s greatest botanical treasures. Only a handful of areas on earth have a similar amount of endemic plants. These include the Hawaiian Archipelago, the island of New Caledonia, the Canary Islands, Southwest Australia, Madagascar and a few areas of Papua-Asia. 

Further along the Fynbros Garden delights with a number of endemic species. Proteas are cultivated in a large area near the mountains base. This remarkable and ancient plant family is found mainly in South Africa and South West Australia plus a few other locations. Their floral structure is unmistakable, pincushion-like in many colors. A diversity of Erica species occupies their own garden nearby. 

 A relatively recent addition to Kirstenbosch is the Tree Canopy Walk. This canopy walk is among the absolute best in the world. It meanders through a forest then opens onto a breathtaking view over the entire gardens as the mountains loom even closer. The structure is meticulously engineered and fits right into the gardens sloping topography. Built into the Arboretum section of the garden this walkway is a superb aesthetic and educational feature with excellent signage.

A center piece of Kirstenbosch is the ethnobotany garden. For many years’ gardens overlooked the important contributions of native peoples to the expanding knowledge of global plant diversity. The collection and importation of new exotic species to European conservatories was paramount. Not until the mid-twentieth century did western botanist begin to realize the extensive knowledge of native peoples and the plants they used in daily life. In Africa native knowledge of plants for food, shelter, medicine and clothing is as vast as the continent. SANBI recognizes this wealth of indigenous knowledge with an outstanding display at Kirstenbosch that interprets many useful pants and includes a traditional rondaval house.

Collectively Kirstenbosch harbors every asset a world class botanical garden has. Behind the scenes there is a robust research program, large herbarium and innovative conservation initiatives. In addition, Kirstenbosch is just one of several “conservation gardens” under the SANBI umbrella. Together these facilities (including a zoo) conserve and interpret the remarkable South African environment as whole. Sustainability at every level is an overarching theme.

As a public garden Kirstenbosch is a model of conservation and education in a truly exceptional location. Signage, accessibility and a broad offering of public programs entertains and enlightens citizens and tourist alike.  Horticultural displays and curatorial excellence abound throughout the garden. 

There’s little doubt among botanic garden professionals the world over, Kirstenbosch is a garden that cannot be missed.

From the Botanic Garden Traveler Team More info at-

www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch/