HortPark sits within the scenic Southern Ridges Walk that links Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Park. HortPark is themed as a garden within a park setting; it combines gardening with recreation, education, research and retail. Open daily from 6am to 10pm, there is much to explore and discover amidst the flora and fauna.

Bring along an umbrella, or a cap and some sunscreen if you wish to visit the themed gardens along the park trails as the afternoons get really hot. Your children will be enthralled with the beauty surrounding them and enriched with learning about the origins of these plants. If it gets too hot, peek into the garden's greenhouses which are climatically controlled and where to your amazement, you will be able to glimpse beautiful cool weather plants growing well despite our tropical climate. 

Visit the Butterfly Garden

Other than the themed gardens and interspaced playgrounds, you may want to visit the Butterfly Garden which opens every last Saturday of the month from 9am to 2pm. There, you will discover butterflies soaking in the sun, something that actually enables them to prolong flight activity!

More Than Just a Garden

HortPark is a one-stop gardening resource center. In addition to organising monthly gardening events, HortPark also plays host to several initiatives. One such little known "secret" is that on every first Saturday of the month, free plant cuttings are distributed at the Visitor Services Centre on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is also an engaging exhibition at the Visitor's Centre which showcases imaginative ways in which plants can become a part of your home. 

Adapted from an article first published on 5 May 2013 on Dads for Life Toolbox