Magical Night Garden

[Ann]

A Garden alive with the sight and scents of many thousands of Orchids, clever lighting effects, flittering butterflies, music, and colourful dancers with swirling silken scarves.

This beautiful scene in the New York Botanical Gardens was created in association with the government of Singapore.



The Botanical Gardens stayed open on a few nights when entry was only with pre-ordered tickets in strictly controlled numbers and these photographs were shot during one of these evenings.

The paths had been lit with gobo-shaded spotlights and the flickering flames of a giant brazier was there to warm us on a still-chilly Spring evening.









The orchids were displayed in the impressive domed Haupt Conservatories with huge clusters of the plants mounted on islands in the ponds, on the framework of replicas of Singapore’s famed “Super Trees”; or hanging from a tunnel of arches like the ones in Singapore’s National Orchid Garden.













The vibrant swirling colours of Singaporean Venus Chun’s troupe of dancers' clothing (accented with mini-LEDs stitched into the fabric, attached to their shoes and even attached to their eyebrows!) was quite magical although the rapidly changing colours of the Spotlighting did provide quite a challenge photographically.

[CS]

what an exciting evening, Ann! Wonderful, colorful images too!

[Olivier]

This really has a Singaporean feel indeed. BTW we will be visiting the orchid garden again tomorrow afternoon just before a live concert in Botanic Gardens here in SG. I will be thinking of you Ann!

[Ann]

Carl and Olivier:
Thank you both for your extremely kind comments.

I believe that the orchid exhibition was a two-way exchange between New York and Singapore and may also have included performances and concerts in the Singapore Orchid Garden and in the Gardens by the Bay too?

The evening here also offered a Taste of Singapore!
 
Fortunately I had a friend to carry my Singapore Sling so that I could sip it between taking the pictures.
I believe there was also Singaporean food but I was too busy taking photographs to search it out

[Anthony]

Beautiful, lovely colours.