A concrete jungle such as Singapore is more inclined to feature modern structures streaking towards the sky than lush foliage. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, however, is one of the few places in our cosmopolitan city that is dedicated to showcasing our country’s flora and fauna.

Founded by Sir Stamford Raffles who was a keen naturalist, the original Botanic Gardens was first established on Fort Canning Hill in 1822. He had aimed to introduce the cultivation of economic crops such as cocoa and nutmeg but due to insufficient funding, the garden was closed in 1829 after Raffles’ death.  With the help of the Agri-Horticultural Society, the gardens moved to its present site Cluny Road in 1859 and has since provided a place for horticultural research and development.

When the Heritage TV team made a trip down to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the skies were overcast and grey clouds loomed with vengence. We didn’t complain much because the lack of sun meant we wouldn’t be sweating buckets as we usually did when filming.

Besides a scenic backdrop for many weddings (it’s been too many times I’ve witnessed a blushing bride lugging her skirt across the green) and a site for family picnics during the weekend,  the Gardens which spans across 63.7 hectares (that’s equivalent to nearly 85 soccer fields!) is home to age-old trees and exotic plants.

In the early 1900s, the Garden’s first director, Henry Nicholas Ridley worked on improving plant propogation methods and soon discovered how to harvest commercial quantities of latex without harming the rubber trees grown there. Ridley wasn’t without his critics and many scorned at his methods and ideas. It wasn’t till a demand for rubber soared and many approached the Gardens for seed supply. The Gardens revenue did not only multiply, but it also earned a reputation in the Southeast Asian rubber industry.

Our national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim was also discovered during Ridley’s administration. It was said during a morning walk through her garden, a new stalk of orchids caught the eye of Armenian woman, Miss Agnes Joaquim. Awed by the hues of pink and excited by her discovery, she brought the plant to Ridley’s attention who later confirmed the flower was indeed, a new hybrid. Of course, this dramatised account clearly forgot to mention that Miss Joaquim was in fact an esteemed horticulturist who successfully crossed the Vanda Hookeriana Rchb. f., and V. teres, two plants cultivated in almost every garden in Singapore.

But everyone loves a story, yes?

As the HTV team made our way through the park, we came across the Tembusu tree. Considered a heritage tree at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, it can grow up to a towering 25m! This sturdy tree assumes an irregular shaped crown with several large branches – offering great shade on a sunny day! Its light green leaves are oval-shaped with a leaf tip while its flowers are creamy white and known for producing a pleasant fragrance in the evening.

I couldn’t resist the urge to climb the tree but my pathetic attempts were foiled by impractical shoes and a not-so-keen sense of balance. While I was inching across the low-hung branches quite gingerly, my HTV director was having quite a chuckle at the sight and lamented, “How are you ever going to be an Orang Utan?”

You might have noticed that the Singapore five dollar note bears an image of this Tembusu tree! Now you can have a piece of our natural heritage in your wallet!

While the park features many sites such as the popular National Orchid Garden or the Ginger Garden, we decided to drop by the Evolution Garden – a 1.5 -hectare area for visitors to study plants through the ages and how it, well, got its roots.

Long before humans arrived, plants began evolving from a myriad of complex life forms. When earth began to form about 4,600 million years ago, its conditions were too harsh to harbour any life. It was much later that Stromatolites, mounds of calcium carbonate produced over time by colonies of bacteria, the first single-celled organisms in the oceans were formed over 3,600 million years back.

The garden features various plants and replicas that tell the story of plantlife through the ages. We observed columns of stone surrounding the entrance – these are actually ‘petrified’ tree trunks, the fossilised remains of an ancient forest. We also found models of cooksonia, one of the earliest land plants, which gives us a clue as to what ancient plants may have looked like.

So you see, plants have come a long way. This year, the Singapore Botanic Gardens celebrates its 150th anniversary. Today, the park has evolved to a world class institution for horticultural research and education, and a much-loved space for the local community. Because of its integral role in Singapore’s cultural, social and economic development, many fans are hoping that it will be considered for a  nomination as a Unesco World Heritage site. Though there has been much debate on this issue, there is certainly no denying the garden is not merely a historical site, but a showcase of our efforts to conserve our rich natural heritage.

For me, the Botanic Gardens brought back memories of sketching by the swan lake during art classes – or as my parents would recount, a three-year-old me went running round with stick nicked off the park grounds and prodding strangers in the rear. I of course have no recollection of this and suspect that the actual culprit was probably my sister – but that’s another story!

It would come as no surprise that most of us have a fond memory or two in the park – whether it was a family outing, a school excursion or maybe that unforgettable first kiss. With its awe-inspiring beauty, it really isn’t all that difficult to understand why the Singapore Botanic Gardens leaves such warm memories.

EDITOR’S NOTE::::

Watch this Beatles/Bollywood-inspired episode of the Heritage TV at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.