The Flying Saucer At Sunset

Lenticular clouds (Altocumulus lenticularis) are stationary lens-shaped clouds with a smooth layered appearance that form in the troposphere, usually above mountain ranges. One was spotted in Singapore recently...

Eyes Of 30,000 Honeycombs

With 30,000 individual facets, dragonflies have the most number of facets among insects. Each facet, or ommatidia, creates its own image, and the dragonfly brain has eight pairs of descending visual neurons to compile those thousands of images into one picture...

A Kaleidoscope Of Colours, Shapes And Patterns

Spectacular and innovative in design, the Flower 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...

Lightning Strikes, Not Once, But Many Times

Unlike light, lightning does not travel in a straight line. Instead, it has many branches. These other branches flashed at the same time as the main strike. The branches are actually the step leaders that were connected to the leader that made it to its target...

Are You My Dinner Tonight?

A T-Rex has 24-26 teeth on its upper jaw and 24 more on its lower jaw. Juveniles have small, sharp blade-shaped teeth to cut flesh, whereas adults have huge, blunt, rounded teeth for crushing bones. Is the T-Rex a bone-crushing scavenger?

Showing posts with label South. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South. Show all posts

Gardens By The Bay - Tulipmania At The Dutch Countryside

2:57 PM  , , , ,  

Explore the Dutch countryside as Tulipmania returns to Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay with a brand-new tulip display set in an idyllic pastoral landscape. Discover the agricultural roots of the Netherlands with a stroll across blooming tulip fields dotted with traditional thatched-roof farmhouses, stopping ever so often to admire the over 35 varieties of tulips, including crowd-pleasers such as the brilliant golden "Yellow Flight" and new ones like the vibrant red and white "Singapura" which commemorates the 200th anniversary of Singapore's founding.


Imagine riding a bicycle through fields and fields of colourful tulips...

Or drive by with a mini-truck...

Along the way, learn about the different stages of growth in a tulip's life cycle, step into a windmill to take a closer look at its clockwork mechanism within, and look out for adorable cow and chicken sculptures roaming the tulip fields in a quaint little Dutch village.

Visit a Dutch farmhouse and see the waterwheel at work...

Idyllic scenes along the Dutch countryside...

Customize your own digital Delft Blue Tile at the KLM Gardens By The Bay Digital Wall in Flower Dome. Include a caption on why you love Tulipmania and stand a chance to win a pair of return KLM tickets to Amsterdam.


The Origami Tulip Project features delightful paper tulips folded members of our community, including school students, members of the public, and Gardens By The Bay staff and  volunteers. Through getting people together to fold origami tulips, the project promoted social interaction, an appreciation for nature and the beauty of flowers. 


Complementing the country-style tulip display this year is a European-themed fair that runs from 12 to 21 April in the Flower Field Hall. Experience a slice of Europe with an array of delicious food items, cultural performances and fun activities. 


Feast on unique Dutch food such as Bitterballen, a savoury Dutch snack made of meat, broth, butter and flour; Stroopwafel, a popular snack consisting of a waffle biscuit with a caramel filling; and Olliebollen, a traditional Dutch donut.


Tulipmania is on from 0900-2100 hours daily at the FLower Dome from 12 April - 20 May 2019. For more information, check out the Gardens By The Bay website here.

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The International SeaKeepers Society Asia - Awards Dinner 2019

11:30 PM  , , , , ,  

Merlion Wayfarer recently attended The International SeaKeepers Society Asia Awards Dinner. The prestigious event was held at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, Singapore.

The event started with an address by Julian Chang, Director and Asia President, of The International SeaKeepers Society, and Richard Snow, President and CEO, and was followed by a sharing by Gail Tay, Director of Operations.


Midway, the presentation by Dr Poh Seng Chee and Dr James Tan of the Universiti Malaysia Trengganu Ocean Monitoring Project, and was followed with a presentation of SeaKeeper Awards, and Closing Remarks.



The ocean-friendly appetizer was Honey Mustard Graviax, Mango Salsa Poached Tiger Prawns, and Peruvian Sea Scallop with shiso cress and xres reduction...

Mains were either the Castaing Duck Confit with apple balsamic-glazed vegetables, whole grain mustard fingeling promme au jus, or the Provencale herbs Cruster White Snapper with vichy carrot, asparagus and grain dauphinoise beurre blanc...

With the dessert being Poached Pear Frangipane Tart with forest berry confiture, vanilla extract and almond crumbs...

About The International SeaKeepers Society

The International SeaKeepers Society supports marine science and conservation by utilizing yachts as platforms for marine research, educational outreach, and to deploy oceanographic instruments. The Society promotes oceanographic research, conservation, and education through direct involvement with the yachting community. It enables the yachting community to take full advantage of their unique potential to advance marine sciences and to raise awareness about global ocean issues. By tapping on yacht owners, expensive vessel costs are reduced while at the same time, permitting scientists to allocate those funds to maximize research potential.



Members of SeaKeepers include influential opinion leaders who believe that the best way to protect the environment is to protect the world’s oceans. They recognize the ocean’s critical importance to the life of our planet and are deeply committed to finding real-world solutions to the problems now plaguing our marine environment. The small but distinguished membership includes entrepreneurs, yachtsmen, corporations, divers, scientists and concerned citizens building a global effort to help restore and protect the world’s oceans. As a private/public collaborative effort, the Society focuses on critical ocean issues in cooperation with government agencies, other like-minded organizations, the academic community, and the public with the motto - "Research, Educate, Protect, and Restore". For more information, visit their website at www.seakeepers.org/aboutus/.

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Gardens by the Bay’s Sunflower Surprise

1:37 AM  , , , ,  

Say "Hello, sunshine" to Gardens by the Bay’s first-ever "Sunflower Surprise" floral display which brings together the largest variety of sunflowers in Singapore! More than 50 varieties will be on display, from the fluffy ‘Teddy Bear’ to the enormous ‘Russian Mammoth’ with blooms as large as a human face!


In all, over 16,000 sunflowers of various shapes, shades and sizes are being grown for the display, of which more than half are of unusual varieties grown from seeds specially sourced from the United States.


The sunflower display is further enlivened by characters and scenes inspired by the classic tale "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". Amidst a field of vibrant blooms, visitors can try to spot Dorothy and her friends Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion as they make their way to the magical Land of Oz.

Journey along the Yellow Brick Road. What will you find?

There's Scarecrow!

Lion's a bit harder to spot and he hides well among the sunflowers...

And hey, Tin Man is sitting there waiting for you...

You'll find be led along a magical world and find the Wizard of Oz...

"Sunflower Surprise" runs till 21 October in Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay.
  • Date: 31 August (Friday) - 21 October (Sunday)
  • Time: 9am – 9pm
  • Location: Flower Dome
  • Details: Admission charge to the Flower Dome applies. For more information on the floral display and related programmes, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/sunflower.


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Singapore Garden Festival 2018 - Showcase of Flowers & Gardens

8:38 PM  , , , , ,  

Asia’s premier tropical garden and flower show is returning for its seventh edition from 21 July to 03 August 2018 at Gardens by the Bay. With more than 70 garden and floral displays at The Meadow, Flower Dome and the Supertree Grove, SGF 2018 will mesmerise, surprise and wow visitors...


Promising a visual fiesta of exquisite garden and floral displays, this year’s SGF will feature a host of exhibits and activities including:

  • Fantasy and Landscape Show Gardens featuring approximately 80 sqm creations by top award-winning gardening luminaries from around the world. This year’s festival will feature landscape and garden designers from Australia, France, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.

Innovative use of structures to create interest and perspective... 

Look out for the little props used - They may just pop out and surprise you!

  • Floral Windows to the World featuring colourful and vibrant cut-flower displays and floral masterpieces with stunning set design and lighting by notable floral designers from around the world. This year’s festival will welcome master floral artists from Austria, Azerbaijan, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Romania, Singapore, South Korea and Spain. 

  • Balcony Gardens featuring colourful and inspirational displays for home and apartment owners. Visitors can see how these designers transform 3m by 3m spaces into a soothing retreat.
Balcony Gardens can be a relaxing haven for adults...

Or a cartoon-themed play area for kids...

  
  • Orchid Extravaganza in Flower Dome showcasing the world’s largest family of flowering plants. Orchids are a significant part of Singapore’s heritage and this year’s orchid display will see award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Royston Tan providing the creative concept and direction.
Set against a Peranakan backdrop typical of shophouses in Joo Chiat and Katong...

Orchids galore...

Colourful traditional Peranakan-themed icons include beaded slippers, trishaws, teapots...

Tiffin carriers and colourful tiled floors... 


  • ASEAN Garden, a special feature to mark Singapore’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2018. ASEAN Garden will showcase a myriad of colourful blossoms symbolic of Southeast Asian nations, including lotuses, hibiscuses and orchids, just to name a few.

The Mountains & Vanda Valley...
  • Other stunning displays by NParks, a series of gardens with different themes featuring plants such as fragrant flowering edibles and plants with visually cool colours and pleasant scents.
The fun Flower Field with gnomes playing in a child's playground...

  • Landscape Design Challenge where 12 teams of students will transform 3m by 3m empty spaces into a garden within the span of four hours.

  • Gardeners’ Cup a friendly competition where 60 groups of community gardeners will be split into five teams to compete for the best show garden.
Several entries for the International Floral Design Competition came with self-composed poems...

  • A Vibrant Marketplace with over 100 booths offering food and beverages, plants, botanical resources, and arts and crafts for sale. Visitors can also look forward to performances by local musicians.
Be awed by the grandeur of the Landscape Gardens...

  • Other favourites include more stunning displays, the Learning Garden, displays by the Floral Designers Society (Singapore), Singapore Penjing & Stone Appreciation Society and Singapore Gardening Society, as well as various educational talks.
One of the Learning Garden exhibits which shows samples plants with seeds
that dispersed through different ways, e.g. water, wind, explosive....




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