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Straits Times, 20 Jun 05 New Botanic Gardens draw: Maze in kids' park Also, showcase for hanging blooms and herb section. Library to be opened to public A MAZE designed specifically for children will be ready at the Botanic Gardens next year, when the park will also be opening its well-stocked library to the public. The two are the first of a set of new draws planned for the garden, to boost its standing as a botanic institution. Among them is a garden for medicinal plants, a showcase for hanging blooms, and a section for herbs and spices, which are expected to be ready by 2008. These will be scattered over the 11.7ha of land at Bukit Timah that it acquired recently, and its existing 52ha grounds at Cluny Road. The maze will be part of a children's garden, a 2ha site that will contain a tree house and unusual plants. Bushes and shrubs will also be cut into a variety of shapes. The chief executive of the National Parks Board (NParks), Dr Tan Wee Kiat, said in an interview: 'It'll be a good space at which kids can use their imagination.' The place costs $7.3 million to set up. The Jacob Ballas Trust Fund, tycoon Ong Beng Seng and the Government are picking up the bill. The library that the park is opening to the public will allow plant hobbyists access to its 30,000 volumes of botany books. A herbarium housing 650,000 plant specimens will also allow visitors. Nature Society president Geh Min said of the plan: 'It's wonderful. We don't believe in separating the experts from the amateurs. In countries with a gardening culture, you find the amateurs very knowledgeable. 'The kids' garden sounds quite magical, interactive and participatory. 'The most off-putting gardens to children are those they can see but cannot touch.' Dr Tan said of the Botanics' plans: 'This garden has been trying to fulfill too many roles, as a public park, a tourism icon and an institution. Now, it can concentrate on its botany role.' News of the planned additions drew mixed reactions from some of the three million who visit the Botanic Gardens every year. Civil servant Shong Lai Hock, 47, liked the planned draws, but asked whether the park will start start charging an entry fee. 'It's about the only attraction in Singapore that's still free,'he noted. Mr L.S. Loh, 46, who goes to the Botanic Gardens regularly, praised the plan to engage the young, but was concerned that the children's garden will lead to the peaceful park filled with noisy youngsters. Over the next three years, NParks, which will move its operations department now at Beach Road into the park, will also roll out its Friends programme. This will give members previews of plant sales. They will also get the garden's newsletter, and invitations to events at the park. Singaporeans will not be disappointed with the developments, said Dr Tan. 'The land is hard-gotten. We're going to justify having it,' he said. links Related articles on Re-creation in our wild places |
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