After spending time in the UK, Europe and also Indonesia I learnt a lot about myself. I had more confidence flying to Singapore, and I knew that I was going to make the most of everything that was thrown at me.
My first day in Singapore was at Ong and Ong Architects –see their webpage at http://www.ong-ong.com/pages/about-us. This firm incorporates Architecture, Interior design and Landscape Architecture. I got to learn from many different landscape architects about their roles within the firm. It was encouraging to me that the people there all worked like a well-oiled machine, each person doing work that they were good at and specialised in. It made me confident I could work in such an environment. I thought the dynamics of the firm worked well: there was a person who would do initial drawings; a person qualified on CAD or Sketchup and other computer programmes. Another staff member’s role was to meet the clients, bringing in the skills of everyone to make a presentation to sell the idea. As the architects or interior designers involved in the project were close by in the same building, they could speak face to face to their colleagues about the design. Every person had a specific role that played best to their skills and this I thought was just one reason why this company was so successful.
I was lucky to get the chance to go out on to a newly completed site and see the high quality of work of that was done. It was a condo apartment block in the middle of Singapore which had different areas throughout the landscape with different feelings for everyone who was to live there to enjoy. It was a really great day and helped me understand what is involved with a high end Landscape Architecture firm, the type of work that is carried out and what that hard work can do to get to a beautiful final product
John Tan from Esmond Landscapes http://esmond.com.sg/ - who is also a member of Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH) helped me throughout my time in Singapore. He organised a designer who was doing a show garden at the Singapore Garden Festival for me to work alongside, he also arranged the work experience at Ong and Ong and also with BNL Landscapes and Nature Landscapes.
John walked me around Singapore Garden Festival and introduced me to many different Landscape designers that were show casing their designs. I started working with Xanthe White from New Zealand, her design was all about perspective and playing with the way people perceived the space, she used bright coloured walls, closely linked together to get a feeling of the city- you then are intrigued to walk through and get to a space where nature has taken over- an open, lush place of solitude- to escape the ‘city’. On the other end of the area is a bright Yellow wall peeping through a black Xanthe described this as after escaping the city going through solitude and seeing “the light”
I then helped Kate Hillier and Dan Rutherford both also from New Zealand. Their design “Winter Illusion” is about the juxtaposition of Singapore’s Jungle garden to a winter wonderland of New Zealand’s winters. They achieved this by using mirrors to reflex a landscape covered in snow with a typical Singapore jungle growing over the top to give an illusion that you are in a different space when you look deeper into the garden using the element of surprise.
I helped Damian Tang a Singapore Designer with his design “A Garden of Hers” the space was cathedral like with tall structures of stain glass windows encapsulated with foliage. Like a hidden and enchanted space with elements of surprise. Damian taught me important elements of design. He spoke about drawing one into the space with excitement from a far, then once the client is there use features to captivate them and draw them in deeper. He then spoke of elements of surprise as one continues into the space something that they would not expect. He then taught me that it is important to leave the viewer having a sense of wonder as well as being able to bring them a peace of mind about the design. He wants to place one through a journey of discovery and I think he achieved this through this design.
I spent a few days helping James Basson from Monaco France. I loved working with James and Bruno as I felt I could relate to them and their design “Tartartus” This design was all about Greek Mythology. It incorporated different stories to create one of its own. I helped mainly with placing out the plants- they needed to look natural as they sat in an “unruly landscape”. The plants James used were unusual and interesting many also corresponded to the concept of the design, like the Greek story about Chronos who devoured his children this was represented through the use of carnivorous plants. James and his team were great as they were very willing to leave me to put a space together by choosing and laying out plants. They would then give me advice on why it worked or didn’t and how I could change to make it better I found it a great way to learn as I was chucked in the deep end, it made me have a better understanding of the space that I was helping them create.
On my last day I helped Jim Fogarty with laying out and planting plants. It was great to get the opportunity to meet and talk more with an Australian designer about his design and also his involvement with the Australian Garden Show Sydney. Jim’s garden “Australasia” incorporates western and eastern styles. He used beautiful lush plantings native to Singapore, Asia and Australia. Bright colourful walls added structure to the space with the colours representing the bark of Eucalyptus deglupta. A sunken tea room situated in the middle again combining two cultures of Australian outside barbeques and Asian style of sunken gathering areas. I enjoyed working with Jim he was very open to teaching me new things and making me think about why he was using such plants and how they worked with their surroundings.
Every one that I met at the show were so open, they all took time out of what they were doing to help me and talk to me so I could learn from them. I was so overwhelmed by the generosity that I was shown and would like to thank all that I met.
I also spent a day with BNL Landscape and Nature coast Landscapes. Bala from BNL Landscape took me through Fort Canning Park a national park in the heart of Singapore. BNL is a maintenance company that hold the contract for many parks around the city. It was great to get an insight on how a good maintenance business is run. I saw first-hand at Fort Canning how pristine their work is on ensuring that the park is in a respectable state for visitors to come and enjoy.
I then spent the rest of the day with Jacqueline from Nature Landscapes. We explored Santosa Island, where Nature Landscape carries out the maintenance work. Jacqueline is the head horticulturist for the company, her main role is to ensure that all the plants are in good health and she also gives advice to clients of plants and after care of the landscape design. While at Santosa Island I was privileged to get to go onto the roof top to see how the gardens were growing up there, I spoke with the gardener in charge of these gardens and learnt about the duties that he does to keep the plants in good health. I was also talked through how a garden like this is initially put together and the requirements that are needed. I thoroughly enjoyed my day with both BNL and Nature. It was great to see how maintenance companies operate and work with designers and landscape architects to get a space that will last well after completion.
Singapore was a highlight for me. I loved that I was not only introduced to industry experts from the UK and Europe but this scholarship also took me to Singapore where I could get another insight in the world of Horticulture.
It was a great stepping stone for me to deeper my understanding of show gardens as I was now only weeks away from setting up and organising my own at the Australian Garden show Sydney. I again would like to thank everyone I met at Singapore including the Students that were helping at the show also.
I flew out of Singapore and on my way back home I was thinking my trip is over- but little did I know that really it has only just began.
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