SINGAPORE : An explosion of blooms and imaginative arrangements will greet visitors at this year's Singapore Garden Festival, which opens on Friday.

Over 200,000 temperate and tropical plants have been modelled into 32 masterpieces by award-winning designers.

Winner of the "Best of Show" in the Landscape Design category was a creation by Kazuyuki Ishihara. Called 'The Green Breeze' (Ryokufu Tei), it is made with moss and native Japanese plants that are reminiscent of the designer's childhood hideaways in his rural village.

"Best of Show" winner in the Floral Windows of the World category was "Four Seasons" by Canadian Hitomi Gilliam. Gilliam's arrangement offers a sensory experience of the changing seasons along Canada's Northern Frontier.

The judges were impressed by this year's entries. They said standards were higher than the inaugural competition two years ago.

"It certainly compares favourably to our show in the UK, and... also to the shows in Europe. I think it has come a long way, and I'm really amazed at what has been achieved," said Michael Balston, head judge of the Singapore Garden Festival.

For the second time running, Singaporean Peter Cheok clinched "Best of Show" in the Fantasy Design category. His creation, which is an ode to global warming, took five months to create. Called "Seeking Shangri-La", it features the Himalayan peaks submerged in rising oceans.

"I really didn't expect it because this year the level of competition has increased. And I do see a lot of better works," said Cheok.

Ranging from the whimsical to the philosophical, the Singapore Garden Festival packs a visual feast into 24,000 square metres at the Suntec City Exhibition Centre.

The festival runs from July 25 to August 1, and is open to the public from 10am to 10pm daily.

More information is available at this website.