Inch Lim took home the top award for his “Origami Paper Boat” garden. As a collaborator, Lim chose Zenjiro Hashimoto of Suquru Inc, known for his rock work and Japanese aesthetics (All photos: Albert Chua/ The Edge Singapore)
The highly anticipated 10th edition of the Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) was a glorious celebration of nature: gardens, flowers and even unique edibles. Hailed as a premier, world-class horticultural event, it is organised by Singapore’s National Parks Board. It showcases truly spectacular landscapes and floral designs by the world’s best names. In short? If you can’t score tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show, this regional showcase is as world-class as it gets.
This year’s edition of SGF featured a 14m Floral Mirror Maze, a Floral Infinity Mirror, a Floral Vortex, a spectacular 8m Floral Roller Coaster and an interactive light installation designed by renowned Chinese landscape designer Hu Shiyang. A bustling bazaar attracted hordes of green-fingered enthusiasts who scoured the stalls for new plants for the home, artisanal crafts and all manner of tools. There were also carnival-inspired displays created by more than 300 community gardeners for the Singapore Gardeners’ Cup.
In a bid to foster greater interest and to provide gardeners and those in the landscape and horticulture sectors in Singapore with more resources, the National Parks Board’s popular publication, 1001 Garden Plants in Singapore: A New Compendium, was also made available for download as a free digital book. First published in 2003, the fourth edition features over 2,700 plants commonly found in Singapore, complete with care requirements and plant characteristics. It may be downloaded from the Gardening SG website.
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But what gave SGF 2026 a special sheen was the special Show Gardens Competition: All Stars Edition, where eight award-winning designers, all former “Best of Show” winners, presented their designs. World-renowned garden designer Pascal Garbe served as Head Judge over an all-star roster of award-winning past participants who included Kazuyuki Ishihara (Japan), John Tan Chee Hian (Singapore), Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam (UK), Stefano Passerotti (Italy), Leon Kluge (South Africa), Eliam and Andy Eng (Singapore), Emily and Mark Cook (US) and Inch Lim (Malaysia).
It was Lim who took home the top Pinnacle Award for his “Origami Paper Boat” garden, followed by Kluge of South Africa, who won the Inch Lim from Malaysia took home the top Pinnacle Award for his “Origami Paper Boat” garden. As a collaborator, Lim chose Zenjiro Hashimoto of Suquru Inc, known for his rock work and Japanese aesthetics Diamond as well as the Best Planting Awards for his creation, titled “Dreamer’s Retreat”. Also tied for the Diamond Award were Emily and Mark Cook of the US for “The Enchanted Forest”. Meanwhile, Germany’s Anja Ersing was named Grand Champion of the Floral Windows to the World championship.
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As the Pinnacle Award winner, Lim explained how his Origami Paper Boat garden was designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia, while celebrating movement, light and shadow, and the flora that thrives in and around bodies of water. “I wanted to recall tropical rains and to bring to mind the aquatic cycle whereby rain falls onto the ground, collects and flows into a stream, which would then make its way to a river or pond,” he says. “So I am trying to bring you back to that point in childhood… the joy you felt in the simple things. Although it is curated, it has to look like the garden has been there forever.”
As a collaborator, Lim chose Zenjiro Hashimoto of Suquru Inc, a veritable sensei when it comes to rock work and infusing the space with a subtle sense of Japanese aesthetics. The key tree, which anchored the space, was Ploiarium alternifolium, commonly found near rivers or in areas of flood inundation. Locally, the tree is called Riang Riang, which could mean “cicada” or, more fittingly, “to be happy and cheerful”.
This article first appeared on July 13, 2026 in The Edge Singapore.
