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Marking its 10th edition with the theme “Carnival of Blooms”, a festive wave of creativity and celebration swept through this year’s Singapore Garden Festival (SGF). The highlight of the festival was the Show Gardens: All-Stars Edition, which brought back previous “Best of Show” local and international winners to compete in an inspiring showcase of tropical horticulture and garden design excellence.

Among the celebrated designers was Mr John Tan of Esmond Landscape & Horticultural Pte. Ltd., whose Show Garden, “Wellness Living in Nature”, received the Platinum Award. The lush, restorative garden invited visitors to slow down, reconnect with nature and experience how thoughtful landscape design can support well-being in everyday life.

Adding to the joyful occasion, Mr Tan offered to mentor three Diploma in Landscape Architecture (DLA) students, Lee Li Hui, Mabel Yeo and Ong Quanhao; giving them valuable hands-on exposure to the making of a Show Garden. The students contributed to installation works such as the green wall, bamboo structure and woven “bird nest” feature. Fortunately for Li Hui, she was part of the design process during her internship at Esmond, where she contributed to rendering, 3D modelling, and walkthroughs for the Show Garden.

Mr Tan shared: 

“The best part of mentoring the students was seeing their learning and takeaways from the hands-on experience. They went through trial and error, faced challenges, tried again and eventually succeeded.”

Li Hui reflected:

“Being part of the SGF Show Garden journey and seeing everything come to life was honestly the most rewarding part. With the amount of coordination and hard work put in, I have an even deeper respect for the people who work behind the scenes turning designs into reality. Watching SGF visitors stop to admire and experience the garden made my journey worthwhile and fulfilling. I am truly grateful for this experience and opportunity to be mentored by Mr Tan.”

From award-winning design to student learning, this SGF journey was a blooming celebration of mentorship, perseverance and nurturing the next generation of landscape design talent.