Had the opportunity to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens recently. Fortunately we were there towards the evening although it was still a bit warm with the sun still shining brightly, thus we were walking in the shade where ever possible. :D
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| Singapore Botanic Gardens |
There were many tropical plants in this uniquely Singapore tropical garden but what wowed us was the National Orchid Garden in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
GINGER GARDEN
Ginger, the common spice, belongs to a family Zingiberaceae of over 1,500 species. Together with seven other plant families, they are grouped into the ginger order, some of which can be found here in the Ginger Garden.
Ginger flowers are very delicate and most blooms last just a day. They look their best in the morning or early afternoon, wilting quickly towards the end of the day.
Some interesting facts regarding the ginger family, as can be seen from the pictures below...
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| Beautifully coloured leaves |
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| Check out the unusual striped leaves |
Many gingers flower directly from their rhizome which can be found on the ground and under the leaves.
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| Neatly arranged bracts of the Calathea crotalifera earned the plant the name Rattlesnake Plant |
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| Bright-red bracts with yellow-green tips of the Musa Coccinea |
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| Interesting bright red flower |
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| White colour of the Calathea with bracts ranging from white to deep-pink |
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| Commonly known as the Golden Lotus Banana or Chinese Yellow Banana, the inflorescences last for several months. The stems can be eaten after boiling as a vegetable, but are usually used by farmers to feed pigs. |
An aptly named restaurant in the vicinity:- Halia Restaurant. Halia is 'ginger' in the malay language.
Check out part 2 of Uniquely Singapore - Singapore Botanic Gardens for pictures and holiday travel tips for the National Singapore Orchid Garden. There, I shall share with you the best and most exciting part for us whilst we were at the Singapore Botanic Gardens orchids section and which you must visit if you were to go there. You can skip all the other areas, but this is one area where you will see the most magnificent, unique and wonderful orchids... :D
