Singapore’s largest water lily collection, scenic boardwalks: Japanese Garden in Jurong to reopen in September
The new Water Lily Garden will be home to over 150 day- and night-blooming water lily varieties sourced from around the world.
The giant water lily and Nymphaea "Tropic Sunset" water lily. (Photos: NParks)
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SINGAPORE: The Japanese Garden at Jurong Lake Gardens is set to welcome visitors with Singapore’s largest water lily collection and boardwalks with scenic views when it reopens this September.
Spanning about 13ha, it will also feature “water-sensitive designs”, said the National Parks Board (NParks) on Sunday (Jul 21).
This will mark the latest milestone in the redevelopment of Jurong Lake Gardens, which is located within the larger Jurong Lake District (JLD).
The Lakeside Garden and northern section were opened in 2019 and 2023 respectively.
The opening of the Japanese and Chinese gardens, both slated for September this year, will mark the complete rejuvenation of Jurong Lake Gardens, according to a timeline on the JLD website.
“Japanese Garden, along with the completed Lakeside Garden and the upcoming Chinese Garden, is one of the three gardens of Jurong Lake Gardens, the first national gardens in the heartlands,” said NParks.
“Among the highlights of the rejuvenated Japanese Garden will be new curated gardens that showcase our tropical flora and a series of waterscapes interwoven with greenery,” it added.
WATER LILIES
Visitors coming from Jurong East MRT station and crossing the Japanese Garden Bridge will be greeted by the Water Lily Pavilion, which opens up to the Water Lily Garden.
The pavilion will offer unobstructed views and serve as a sheltered space for events.
The new Water Lily Garden will be home to the largest water lily collection in Singapore, with over 150 day- and night-blooming water lily varieties sourced from around the world, such as the US, France and Thailand.
This will include both the largest and smallest member of the water lily family, as well as several varieties that will be on public display in Singapore for the first time, said NParks.
Among them will be the giant water lily which can produce leaves that grow up to 3m wide. A fully mature leaf pad can reportedly support the weight of a small child.
“Boardwalks extending across a series of terraced ponds will allow visitors to take scenic walks along cascading waters and admire the water lilies up close, offering more opportunities for nature appreciation,” said NParks.
In 2021, US chipmaker Micron Technology donated S$1 million to support the Gardens’ sustainability efforts through the implementation of a smart water management system that helps clean and restore the water in the Water Lily Garden and the larger Japanese Garden.
SUNKEN GARDEN
NParks added that visitors can also look forward to the new Sunken Garden with its immersive “gorge-like landscape” surrounded by green walls lined with epiphytes such as orchids, ferns and mosses.
The centrepiece of this garden will be a cenote-inspired water feature that will harvest rainwater for recycling.
A cenote is a deep natural well or sinkhole, formed by the collapse of surface limestone that exposes groundwater underneath.
“With its naturally cooling environment, the Sunken Garden will also offer visitors a refreshing respite,” said NParks, adding that the garden will create a microclimate of high humidity and low temperatures.
FLORAL GARDEN
Visitors entering the Japanese Garden from the Lakeside Garden will be greeted by the new Floral Garden.
Within this space are four thematic gardens - Tranquility, Abundance, Wabi-sabi and Invigoration.
“These gardens will be inspired by the design principles of a traditional Japanese garden, and will feature Japanese garden elements, such as sculptural rocks, bamboo clusters and ornamental trees, woven within tranquil landscapes,” said NParks.
Look out for the wild tamarind tree, which resembles the weeping willow when viewed from afar. It may also bear its signature twisted, red seed pods.
The centre of the Floral Garden is made up of a dry garden and rock gardens, surrounded by five community plots.
COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP
As part of efforts to foster community stewardship, NParks engaged community stakeholders to co-design the community plots within the Floral Garden.
NParks said it has worked with JTC to develop the design concept and partner students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and ITE College East, as well as Friends of Jurong Lake Gardens.
On Sunday, more than 150 residents, grassroots leaders, students from Institutes of Higher Learning, volunteers from Friends of Jurong Lake Gardens and Nature Kakis Network, as well as donors participated in the ongoing enhancement of the Japanese Garden.
They planted trees and shrubs on site with advisers from Jurong GRC, West Coast GRC, Yuhua SMC and Bukit Batok SMC.
This included Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration Mr Desmond Lee, and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Ms Grace Fu.
The community tree planting event was supported by a S$21,000 donation from Mr Han Jok Kwang towards the Plant-A-Tree Programme under the Garden City Fund. Mr Han is a member of the Garden City Fund Management Committee.
