The Malaysian Tourism Board wrapped up a nine-day outdoor garden and flower showcase, Floria, last month that attracted thousands of locals and transiting tourists from around the world.

The festival excited naturists and floral enthusiasts with a colorful display of the best from local and international landscape and horticulture industry.

Putrajaya, a planned and integrated city that also serves as the federal administrative center of Malaysia, around 25 kilometers from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, played host to the festive extravaganza for a third time since its inception in 2009.

The city is established on the theme of “City in a Garden,”with 38 percent of its total land area developed into parks, lakes and wetlands. The central attraction of the city is the 600 hectares man-made Putrajaya Lake that serves as a climate moderator while offering tourists and locals various adventurous activities like boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

This year’s theme, Tropical Treasure, centered around the orchid. More than 200 cultivators, hybrids and species of orchids were used to landscape indoor and outdoor gardens of the widely anticipated event.

The floral spectacle was set around the premises of the Putrajaya Lake, which transformed the waterfront area into electrifying shades of colors, featuring over 5,000 orchids from various species.

Ever since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars, with more than 100 genus and 800 species of orchids found in Malaysia.

Last year, the show attracted over 1 million visitors over a nine-day period, featuring 16 international participants and showcasing over 100,000 bougainvillea plant species in 82 landscaped garden plots.

This year, the exhibition featured 23 international participants from over 18 countries, which included garden designers, growers as well as the presence of the International Orchid Society.

There were indoor and outdoor garden displays from Australia, Chile, China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

Green and garden ideas were galore for serious and amateur backyard gardeners. Five landscape architects from the Institute of Landscape Architects, Malaysia, showed off their creativity and talent in the ‘Designer Gardens’ exhibition, including corporate garden displays by some leading companies in Malaysia.

Growers exhibited their finest floral products such as orchids, heliconia, rose, bonsai, hibiscus and bougainvillea flower species at their respective garden exhibition spaces.

Some of the premier attractions included ‘The Flowers Galore’ flower bed that has become an annual draw for visitors with its spectacular display of color and flowers in full bloom. ‘The Royal Garden’ incorporated designs of the Royal Palace in celebration of the nation’s 14th King, His Majesty Yang Di Pertuan Agong into the tropical garden, creatively designed with geometrical and symmetrical motifs of English and French royal gardens and decorated with various plants including the Bunga Puteri, a rare native epiphytic orchid, which is the world’s largest orchid.

Flower bazaars, art sites, souvenirs and handicraft shops kept visitors busy and booked.

Tea Party Garden — a themed café in a garden setting offered visitors various flavors of tea on menu served with scones, cupcakes, muffins, cookies and fried bananas called ‘pisang goreng’- a local delicacy.

The Floral Pavilion — a temperature controlled indoor marquee highlighted cut flowers in various assortments and colors by international and local exhibitors, providing attendees much needed relief from the heat.

The Petting Zoo was a hit with parents and kids, allowing children the chance to pet and get photographed with interesting animals that included rabbits, snakes, birds, iguanas, hamsters and other garden animals.

The Garden Bazaar put up for sale a variety of plants, garden products, outdoor furniture, play equipment, biotech products, landscaping services and more.

An interesting retail art square called ‘Laman Seni’ stocked arts and crafts inspired by plants, landscape and nature.

Daytime entertainment was accorded by street entertainers, brass bands, cheerleader squads, circus performers and local bands that kept children and music enthusiasts occupied.

An interesting concept on offer was the “Therapy Garden” that provided foot, hand and shoulder massages and reflexology for those looking for some personal, relaxing indulgence.

Other attractions at the Floria festival included the longest landscaped vertical wall — an astounding 300 meters landscaped wall and the Wild Orchid Collection- displaying an array of wild, fragrant and rare orchids.

Over 200 activities and daily programs were available throughout the festival including gardening workshops, talks, flower arranging demonstrations, photography competitions, cooking workshops, nature-themed photography competitions and other activities.

Visitors to the festival were treated to a stunning evening boat parade, “Magic of the Night” — an innovative home-grown tourism production held in conjunction with Floria 2013, and developed by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in a bid to attract more tourists to Malaysia and Putrajaya specifically.

A total of 14 boats, lighted and decorated with a massive display of flowers and cultural mascots, sailed and floated across the Putrajaya Lake to represent popular tourist icons for nine consecutive nights, sprucing up the evening panorama of Putrajaya with fireworks, music and cultural performances.

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