Only 1 week to Christmas! Apart from the ChariTrees at Marina Bay, enchanting christmas lightings and beautifully decorated Christmas trees along Orchard road, you may also notice the Trees of the World at Singapore Botanic Garden.

Hundreds of tropical trees were individually decorated with special ornaments (hand-made/recycled) that represents its organisation or community. Although these are not Christmas trees, the decos and lights gives it a Christmas cheer. Especially as the night falls, the garden is transformed into a magical tropical wonderland as you take on a leisure stroll and admire these trees along the path.

Each tree stands out on its own and you'll notice the interesting ornaments like orchids, plastic bottles, gingerbread man hanging on them.

The 300 trees used for this festivity will be replanted after the event which ends on 1st Jan 2012. We also voted for our favourite tree in hope to stand a chance to win tickets to the Singapore Garden Festival 2012! :)

Come celebrate Christmas at the Singapore Botanic Garden :)

There's a lot to see at the National Orchid Garden if you slow down your pace, and take your time to look at the variety of orchids within. We too took an hour to walk leisurely around the three-hectare garden.

Squirrels and orchids are spotted within and around the Golden Cage display. Hubby, Denver and Gladys did a lovely pose signifying freedom outside the cage. Hahaha 

We walked to the Burkill Hill (a colonial plantation bungalow built in 1886) but did not manage to see our National Flower - Vanda Miss Joaquim. Awwwww.. :( Nevertheless, we learnt a brief history of the first orchid hybrid. :)

More orchids can be found at the Hertiage Orchid Display which was blooming beautifully. We took a turn and settle in at Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse. Tan Hoon Siang was a descendant of Tan Tock Seng and the misthouse has a colourful selection of orchid hybrids.

Lady Yuen-Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection -  As the name suggested, Bromeliad House showcases unique collection of bromeliads from the Bromeliaceae family.

The Cool House - our favourite place to be in the NOG! Why? It was so cooling upon stepping into the house. Denver & Gladys cheered and shouted as they feel the mist!  Even I cannot resist enjoying the cooling air to vent off the heat.

Misty inside the house. :)

Gladys had so much fun wandering within the Cool House and playing with the mist. So much so that she refused to exit until after much persuasion!

Celebritey Garden - Before leaving, we stopped by the Celebrity Garden where some orchids are named after a celebrity. (e.g. Stefanie Sun, Bae Young Jun, Princess Diana etc.)

Finally, its Mommy's turn to take pictures with the kiddos. :)

Stylish and happy pose!

NOG is a pretty neat place if you enjoy greenery and flowers. It brightens your day by just looking at them. ^_^  If you are visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens, you may wish to drop by the National Orchid Garden. :)

On our trail for the elephants in the Elephant Parade, we took an extra effort to visit various parts of Singapore. This time, we made our way down to the Singapore Botanic Gardens in search for another 2 elephants to add to our collection.

Coincidentally, there was an open house at the National Orchid Garden and free admission for adults bringing their children! It was our first visit to the garden and we were blessed with a lovely, sunny Sunday morning. A perfect day to stroll around the park after a couple of wet downpours over the couple of weeks!

Located in the central core of the Botanic Gardens, National Orchid Garden houses over 1000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids.

Opening hours
8.30am - 7.00pm daily

Admission Fee:

$5.00 for adults

$1.00 for students

$1.00 for senior citizens (60 years and above)

Free for children below 12 years

Visit NOG webpage for more information: http://www.sbg.org.sg/centralcore/centralcore.asp

There are a lot of scenic spots for photography within NOG. Water fountains, orchids, sculptures, trees and various plants. Denver & Gladys are having a good time and I have been snapping pictures all over the place with my beloved family. ^_^

Lots of greenery and colourful flowers.

Apart from bees buzzing around the orchids, we spotted squirrels, lizards and spiders!

Of course the main highlights are the orchids! Look around carefully and you will spot the various species blooming beautifully before your eyes.

Seems like we have been seeing a lot of orchid exhibits for the past 1 month and we are loving it! Not only that, we are looking forward to the Singapore Garden Festival 2012 which returns from 7 - 15 July 2012!