Ever since Tulipmania made its debut at Gardens by the Bay's Flower Dome in 2013, it has consistently remained as one of its most popular floral displays. Hardly surprisingly, since the captivating blooms of tulips in a riot of colours never fail to create a spectacular landscape within the dome.
This year, a new twist has been added to the fourth edition of Tulipmania. But no, it is not the presence of the cherry blossom (sakura) trees that form part of the floral display.
The cherry blossoms are the surviving trees from the Flower Dome's previous floral display, Blossom Beats... which together with the tulips, formed a rather intriguing and novel display.
In any case, the wifey and I were all too happy to be able to catch a glimpse of the cherry blossoms as we could not find time to visit the display last month. But I do not think the blossoms will last for too long so if you still haven't seen them, I think this weekend will be your absolute last chance to do so.
Okay, back to the twist.
The Tulipmania editions of 2013 and 2014 saw the displays having a Dutch influence while last year's edition was set amidst a colourful setting of magical fairy tales. This year however, the original roots of tulips are traced back to the ancient Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) where it was first cultivated and served as inspiration for many Turkish songs, paintings and poetry.
Yes, Central Asia was the birthplace of tulips, not the Netherlands. In fact, it is the national flower of Turkey!
So for this year's Tulipmania, expect to witness a stunning spectacle of tulips set amidst an elegant Persian-style backdrop. Kids will be able to learn about how the flower originated in the ancient Ottoman Empire and its significance on Turkish arts and culture.
When we were there over last weekend, many of the tulips were still not in full bloom as the floral display just began on 8 April.
But if some of the other blooming tulips were anything to go by, I think the entire Flower Field will be a spectacular riot of colours when each bulb blooms!
I believe this weekend will be a great time to head down as the tulips will be blooming by the. Tulips typically stay in bloom for 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the climate and weather. But in our climate, I reckon 2 weeks will be an achievement in itself.
If you ask me, one can never get bored looking at these tulips... especially since the monkies seem to have found a new fave tulip this year - the 'Orange Balloon' tulip!
Be sure to pick up a special edition of the Tulipmania Garden Trail map from the ticketing counter for the kids to navigate their way through the wonderful world of tulips!
Or you can join the free ASK Me! tours where friendly guides will share with visitors fascinating botanical facts and anecdotes about the floral display. The tours are scheduled daily at 11am and 3pm, with special tour timings of 1pm to 6pm on 16 & 17 April 2016 and 7 & 8 May 2016.
Useful Information
Tulipmania 2016
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
Date: 8 April - 22 May 2015
Time: 9am - 9pm daily
*Admission charges to the Cooled Conservatories apply
*Local Senior Citizens enjoy 50% off admission tickets to the Flower Dome! Offer starts Friday, 08 April and lasts till Sunday, 22 May.
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