The next "Hort' Park.

Hortpark: My next ‘HOT’ park!

Your body is feeling lethargic and your head is throbbing. You’re already feeling the effects of the week’s late nights taking a toll on your body and you feel lucky to even make it through the week. Half of Saturday has flown by as you slept more than half the day away. To make things worse, last night’s fun with your friends is firing your sleeping desires. There is one and only one word that best epitomizes on how you feel and that is: SIAN! Your friends ask you to check out the new Hortpark near Alexander road the next day; which is also South-East Asia’s first gardening-lifestyle hub, for a retreat from your hectic work schedule. But all you want to do on a Sunday is turn into a couch potato in front of the TV and slowly savor a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey while channel-surfing the day away. After constant pestering, you decide to accompany your friends and suddenly you realize, Hey! This week ended surprisingly better than expected and you feel refreshed to start the new week!

When Hortpark first opened to the public, it became an instant hit with many visitors from different demographics and psychographics. With 20 different themed gardens, prototype glasshouses, creative playgrounds, garden features, lifestyle corner, and a HortMart, it is not a surprise that Hortpark lives up to its name, ‘HOT’ Park. Here you are promised a wide variety of lush greenery integrated with educational and retail activities, all under one roof. The relaxing scenery and refreshing atmosphere will definitely revitalize your energy and make you feel young once again!

Hortpark was opened to the public in conjunction with Singapore's one-stop gardening carnival, the GardenTech 2007 in December last year. However the official opening by Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong was only held this month on the 10th of May. What sets Hortpark apart from the rest of the other popular parks in Singapore is that it manages to incorporate gardening-related, educational research and retail activities under one big canopy in a park setting. The 13 million dollar, 23 hector park, which was a project by the National Parks Board is also a park connector - linking Telok Blangah Hill Park to Kent Ridge Park. More than just a park, it has successfully become a knowledge hub for gardening and tropical plants while simultaneously providing the platform for this industry to share best practices and promote related product and services.

From its prototype glasshouses to Characters from Wizard of Oz, Hortpark never fails to awe you with its creativity which keeps the stereotypical perception of gardening and plants as boring and tedious, at bay.

So it was with all these hype that I wondered over to Hortpark, tempted by the promise to be enthralled by South East Asia’s first horticulture hub. The moment I cut the engine power of my lovely Vespa at the carpark, an army of black suited winged troops equipped with inbuilt nostril-like spears immediately besieged me! Unfortunately for them, I came prepared. Upon learning from my previous mistake while exploring Changi Boardwalk, I brought along the best defense against the fiercest offense by any Mozzie army: Insect repellent! Looks like they picked on the wrong guy to bully! Somebody please tell them to consider taking on someone their own size!

However, it was the water garden which greeted me at the entrance that diverted my attention away from the attacking Mozzies, to the reason why I was there. (Of course by then I had already applied ample layers of defense). The beautiful design, calm water and the swimming fishes were a teaser to my senses. It not only soothed my mind, but was also therapeutic. It kept me excited as what was to come next!

With 20 themed gardens and other attraction facilities, Hortpark was way too vast for me to document every single aspect of it. As such I’ve narrowed it down to the following highlights:

Bamboo Labyrinth
Legend has it that a labyrinth has healing abilities and as such this Bamboo Labyrinth was created for such purpose. With green bamboos set against clever architecture, I walked through the path to discover the true inner strength within myself. With the guided 3 simple steps of the 3cs provided at the entrance, it is easy to see how Bamboo Labyrinth can work wonders.

Fantasy Garden
If you’re a fan of Dorothy and friends, there is always the Fantasy Garden to keep you entertained! With the casts of Wizard of Oz, such as Toto, Scarecrow, Tin man and Lion strategically placed within the designs of the garden, it is not a surprise that this place has become a hot spot for families and kids! Not to mention photo enthusiasts too!

Recycling Garden
And in conjunction with itchytraveller’s May eco-friendly theme, recycling garden offers the perfect example accomplishing one of the 3 Rs! Here, trash such as water bottles, unused tanks and even hats are turned into containers for gardening. Furthermore, recycling Garden showcases how items, which are commonly deemed as trash, can be recycled! Turning drink bottles and even a pair of boots into home garden accessories are one of the many examples.

Living Walls
Nope, here you don’t see the walls moving and responding like life has been breathed into it. In the broadest sense of the word, this wall supports life for plants growing on it as well as little organisms living among the plants as their habitat. The Living Walls are eight 6m by 4m concrete walls on which various types of plants grow. Experts say that these walls are an example of how vertical gardens can be created, and help improve ambient temperature and at the same time, save space!

Herb & Spice Garden
If you ever come across many cookbooks and can’t imagine how the herb & spice look, then you should visit Herb & Spice Garden. Not only can you look, but you can also smell, taste, and touch them here. Not so much of a spice fan, nonetheless, Herb & Spice Garden still had its effects on me. After walking through it, I was already having ideas on growing some spices back home such as the green chili and the curry plant!

Hortmart
Finally, if you are a loyal advocate of retail therapy, then here is a chance for you to kill 2 birds with a stone! With the entire healing and relaxing ambience around you what better way to shop other than at Hortmart! You get to shop and at the same time immerse in nature’s sweet and scenic atmosphere! Catered for green enthusiasts, garden supplies and tools for landscaping are abundant here! Furthermore, with the mart designed to showcase the interior décor of an eco friendly house, I was instantly hooked! Just a word of reminder, no footwear allowed inside the mart!

With that, I ended my adventure at Hortpark. It’s not just these highlights that make Hortpark a definite place to go for family, friends and lovers. Places in the area such as the Prototype Glasshouse, Kids playground, and also Kha Thai restaurant offering a smorgasbord of Thai cuisine are one of the many ‘must go’ places in Hortpark. Furthermore, HortPark also hosts year-round activities for everyone, including guided tours, gardening talks & workshops for the public, educational activities for kids, and trade shows, plant clinics & plant fairs for industry.

A little setback is that with majority of the activities and gardens planned around outdoor interactions, the park is susceptible to weather conditions. Although there are other exciting indoor activities to look forward to at Hortpark, to experience the greatest fun, it is advisable to pay the weather check a visit. If you do not know where to check for the day’s weather condition, fear not as we at Itchytraveller empathize your need. Here at our website, we provide you with up to date weather forecast and also many other interesting places to explore!! Just visit us!


My humble 2 cents worth:
In our little red dot, if it is not the incessant showers that spoils the mood, the extreme heat that follows will always be right around the corner. Just be prepared for the worst!

How to get to HortPark?
• Alight at HarbourFront NEL MRT Station (NE1)
• Take bus number 61, or 93, or 100, or 166 , or 963
• Walk into the small road, No.33 Hyderabad Road from the bus stop at Alexandra Road