SINGAPORE, July 8 — It’s a place favoured by nature lovers, families looking for a spot of outdoor fun, and couples seeking a green sanctuary to roam and relax. The 156-year-old Singapore Botanic Gardens, freshly inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site last Saturday, is an icon that many Singaporeans hold dear.

Boasting an astounding variety of trees, plants and flowers, the 74-hectare tropical garden is the place to be if you want to enjoy nature. But there’s also lots more that you can do here. We highlight some of the things you can do and events you can attend at Singapore’s first Unesco site.

Botanical Inspirations: Orchids of Singapore Botanic Gardens & Its Heritage

July 10 (Fri) – Auguat 10 (Mon), 9am – 6pm

Botany Centre

Did you know that orchid seeds are dust-like and take at least two years to grow from seed to first bloom?

With more than 2,000 varieties of orchid hybrids and 1,000 varieties of orchid species, the Botanic Gardens has the largest tropical orchid display in Asia.

Learn all about orchids at this exhibition showcasing the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ rich heritage of more than 150 years.

Botanical Inspirations: Tropical Splendour — Plant Portraits from Shirley Sherwood Contemporary Collection

July 10 (Fri) – November 1 (Sun), 9am – 6pm (except every last Tuesday of the month)

CDL Green Gallery

Curated by Dr Shirley Sherwood (her family sponsored the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art in Kew Gardens, United Kingdom), this exhibition is Singapore Botanic Gardens’ first showcase of botanical paintings from various international artists.

Botanical painting is a complex art form blending scientific accuracy and artistic sensibility. It also serves to convey the message of conservation by highlighting the beauty and diversity of the plant world through images of rare and endangered plants.

Dr Sherwood has one of the most extensive collections of botanical art, having begun collecting in 1990. Her collection boasts more than 800 paintings and drawings, representing works of more than 240 contemporary artists from 30 countries.

Chang Kuda is the name of a popular game children played in the 1950s and 1960s. This sculpture is by 2014 Cultural Medallion recipient Chong Fah Cheong. — TODAY pic

Rainforest Tour

July 11, 9am, 10am, 11am, 4pm

Visitor Centre, Nassim Entrance

Registration is required 15 minutes before the tour starts. Mandarin tours are only available at the 10am and 4pm slots.

Embark on a fascinating and educational journey with volunteer guides in this one-hour tour of our tropical rainforest. More than 300 species of plants can be found in this six-hectare forest, forming a multi-layered ecosystem of herbs, ferns, shrubs and trees. Some trees are taller than 50m, and were here even before the founding of modern Singapore in 1819.

Movie Screening @ Singapore Botanic Gardens: Taxi! Taxi!

July 11 (Sat), 730pm – 930pm

Swan Lake

Lay a mat on the grass and catch a movie under the stars at Swan Lake at the Gardens. Taxi! Taxi! is a 2013 local comedy inspired by blogger Cai Mingjie’s book Diary of a Taxi Driver. Directed by Kelvin Sng, the movie stars Mark Lee, Gurmit Singh and Chua Jin Sen. The film follows the trials and tribulations of two taxi drivers in their quest for self-discovery. English subtitles are provided.

Chang Kuda is the name of a popular game children played in the 1950s and 1960s. This sculpture is by 2014 Cultural Medallion recipient Chong Fah Cheong. — TODAY pic

Nature Sketching in the Gardens

July 18 (Sat), 9am – 11am

Visitor Services Counter, Tanglin Gate

Registration is required 15mins before the activity on a first-come-first-served basis. Limited to maximum 20 adults per session.

Love drawing? Love nature? Join this fun and therapeutic activity and enjoy nature creatively. Volunteer artist Tham Pui San will guide you in sharpening your observation skills and improving your drawing techniques.

You’ll need to bring along sketching materials, such as an A3/A4 drawing block, pencils and erasers.

Orchid Garden Tour

July 18, 9am, 10am, 11am, 4pm

Visitor Centre, Nassim Entrance

Registration is required 15 minutes before the tour starts.

Admission into the National Orchid Garden applies:

Adults: S$5

Students: S$1

Senior citizens (above 60 years old): S$1

Children (below 12 years old): Free

Orchids have long been associated with the Botanic Gardens, which started its orchid breeding programme back in 1928. At the National Orchid Garden, you can view more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of the beautiful blooms. Explore the diversity of orchids with volunteer guides in this one-hour tour.

‘Passing of Knowledge’ was created by local sculptor Victor Tan Wee Tar in 2003. — TODAY pic

Jubilee Weekend @ Singapore Botanic Gardens

August 7 (Fri) – August 9 (Sun), 10am – 10pm

Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage, Palm Valley, Orchid Plaza, Bandstand, Swan Lake

Free admission

Celebrate the Jubilee weekend at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and indulge in a raft of nostalgic activities. Relive the days where “policemen wore shorts”, check out knick-knacks from the 1980s and 1990s, and savour traditional snacks like “kachang puteh”. There will be a carnival, star-studded concerts, band performances, movie screenings as well as a live screening of Singapore’s National Day Parade.

What’s more, Singapore residents can enjoy free entry to the National Orchid Garden from August 7 to 10.

Sculpture hunt

This is not a planned tour, but something everyone — young and old — can partake in. Go on a sculpture hunt — there are more than 20 sculptures scattered in in the picturesque Gardens. Check out the whimsical Chang Kuda by 2014 Cultural Medallion recipient Chong Fah Cheong at Lawn E, and Passing of Knowledge by local sculptor Victor Tan Wee Tar at the Sun Garden. Kids will love the revolving globe at the Swiss Granite Fountain. The granite ball took Swiss sculptor Ueli Fausch three months to sculpt and weighs 700kg. — TODAY

The Bandstand at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. — TODAY pic