Bringing the Alps to the Flower Dome

Highlights of Swiss mountain magic

- Chantal Sajan

What would Switzerland's alpine plants and quaint mountain towns look like when recreated in the tropics? In a word: spectacular.

Gardens by the Bay's new month-long showcase, Alpine Adventure, which opens at the Flower Dome on Sept 8, is billed as the first of its kind.

It reimagines the land-locked European country's mountainous landscape in Singapore, complete with iconic architecture, breathtaking blooms and intricate folk paper art.

To simulate the look and feel of an authentic Swiss alpine landscape, the floral display designers studied alpine flora and selected close to 60 per cent of the plants for research horticulturists to grow in-house.

These were chosen for qualities such as being climate-appropriate with similar textures, heights, and colours.

The showcase, which was conceived more than a year ago, features a plant palette comprising about 6,000 plants across 50 varieties of alpine and seasonal blooms. On display at the show are larger-than-usual begonias in red, pink and white; as well as asters, salvias and geraniums.

While the plants are cultivated varieties that are larger and showier, the display's design and layout still follow the layering and rhythm of a natural meadow.

This balances authenticity with the visual impact expected of a show garden, honouring the alpine spirit while immersing visitors in a memorable experience.

True alpine plants are small, compact and adapted to survive sub-zero temperatures. They cannot thrive in the tropics, even in the Flower Dome's controlled conditions.

So, the designers selected relatives and cultivated varieties that echoed the alpine plants' colours, textures and layered look.

Research horticulturists then carefully curated these in-house at Gardens by the Bay's back-of-house cooled nursery.