11. Voyage vers un paradis tropical
Garden by John Tan
published at 21/03/2019
The garden is designed with the spiral shaped Koru Maori symbol, is derived from this unfolding silver fern frond. The circular movement towards an inner coil refers to "going back to the beginning". The unfurling frond itself is symbolic for new life, new beginnings, hope, perfection, rebirth, a new start, awakening, personal growth, purity, nurturing, a new phase (in life), the spirit of rejuvenation, and peace.
The Koru is often associated with nurturing so is frequently used to represent the strength and purity of a loving relationship within a family.
This garden is the birth and journey from forest to a tropical paradise (city in a garden).
Walking in, you will feel the lush tropical forest plants and rainforest mist welcoming your presence. All around you are filled with trees and plants similar to the tropical forest as you stroll along a curve footpath like a new fern branch fill with gravel chipping. Fern tree and bamboos fill the garden and bring you thru a journey of transformation.
Small side pathway lead to a clearing to appreciate nature around you. Listen to the sound of the forest and allowing yourself to be lost within this nature of trees and plants.
As the forest starts to slowly evolves and plants changes into an opening of low flowering shrubs. Towering in this opening is 3 man-made trees with vines creeping on the tree structure. The trees signify the modern city with nature incorporating into these structures creating a tropical Biophilic paradise of a city in a garden. The pathway are lined with wood logs to signify the obstacle face in the change from a forest to a garden city.
The future of our cities where nature integrates into our home and lifestyle becoming as one single entity. Harvesting the fruits of our Biophilia relationship with edible food, medicinal herbs, reduce climatic changes around us and breathing the oxygen from plants.
Enjoy the natural surroundings of sound, feeling the comfort, smelling the sweet flower scent, eating the fruits of nature and seeing the riots of color that splash across garden. Our senses are unconscious heighten when we are in nature to realise the beauty and benefits we receive from it.
Go to Nature to be soothed, healed and to have our sense put in order.
DESIGNER
John TAN, landscaper
SINGAPORE
As manager of an engineering firm, John Tan called it a day on the business front in 1993 for health reasons. His friend, Raymond Toh, introduced him to landscaping and horticulture. This led him to set up his own landscaping business and to enrol in classes at the Singapore Botanic Garden’s School of Horticulture. In 2000, his company branched out to encompass horticulture. In 2003, his company won the Merit Award at Singapore Blooms. At the LIAS Awards of Excellence, it won third prize in 2005, and first prize in 2009. In 2008, at the famous Singapore Garden Festival, the company won the Silver Award as an implementing partner. In 2010 and 2012, John Tan faced world-class landscapers at the Singapore Garden Festival. In 2010, during the same festival, he created The Tree House, which won the Gold and “Best of Show” awards. In 2012, his landscape design Open To Nature: Beyond Traditional was a great success with festival visitors. In 2013, he represented Singapore with Raymond Toh and won the Gardening World Cup. Finally, their garden The Hidden Beauty of Kranji won an award at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015. As an active member of the Landscape Industry Association of Singapore (LIAS) since 2004, today he is continuing to share his expertise and designs gardens across Singapore.
