Hidden Beauty at the South Coast Botanic Garden

I’ve always wondered why people bother with having an annual membership at a garden but here, at the South Coast Botanic Garden, it makes sense. You have the place to yourself when it’s not busy. And even when it’s busy, there’s ample space around as well as the option to come back another time for “free”. You don’t have to rush and each time you visit, you can easily catch sight of things you hadn’t noticed before.

OVO eggs and topiaries aside, I managed to see the garden for what it truly is.

I finally noticed the fuchsia and the tiny Japanese garden aesthetic they had to the side of it. I didn’t spend as much time as I could have there since I was worried that mosquitoes might be lurking about but thankfully, I didn’t get bit at the South Coast Botanic Garden!

The fuchsia are so whimsical that I kind of want to own one or two for myself.

I also came across other plants and flowers that enticed me with their looks. I unfortunately don’t know their names but perhaps you can help me to identify them based on their photos.

My most favorite yet not so favorite part of the South Coast Botanic Garden would have to be the banyan trees. They’re huge. They’re majestic. And if you hang out amongst these trees long enough, you’ll hear them “talk”. Yes, they make creaking noises when there’s enough wind coming through. The interesting thing is that sometimes these noises give you the illusion that a branch (heavy, mind you) will topple down. As hardy trees, that’s unlikely to happen but it can still make you feel a bit uneasy.

The banyan trees also offer great respite from the harsh sun. It’s guaranteed to be shady and much cooler here. It’s like you’re in a completely different world here and it doesn’t help that there are strange thin pink sticks in the area which resemble incense sticks… Very bizarre, although I’m sure there’s a valid reason behind it.

I may not have a membership here but I can see the benefits of getting one. You can easily treat the garden as your own exclusive exercise ground. I’ve seen a few people jog here and have a feeling they prefer the South Coast Botanic Garden to their local park, which is probably crowded with people from who knows where. It also helps that the bulk of staff here are nice, a rarity in this day and age.

I don’t know when I’ll visit the South Coast Botanic Garden again but I’m looking forward to the next event they hold on site.