April 17, 2010
Quote for today. ‘All gardening is landscape painting.’
William Kent
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a dynamic and living monument to the foresight of the founding fathers of Singapore.
Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore and a keen naturalist, established the first botanical and experimental garden on Government Hill (Fort Canning Hill) in 1822, shortly after his arrival.
The present gardens were planned as a leisure garden and ornamental park. Kew-trained botanists and horticulturalists were brought over by the colonial government and developed, in particular, orchid breeding and hybridization, laying the foundation for the multimillion dollar cut flower industry.
In 1988, Dr Tan Wee Kiat was appointed Director of the Gardens. Under his direction, the 3-hectares National Orchid Garden, a major tourist attraction today, was established.
