Orchid Legacies Kokedama Workshop : Crafting Singapore’s Living Heritage through Kokedama Art (Group Booking Only)
Orchid Legacies: Crafting Singapore’s Living Heritage through Kokedama Art
Programme Overview
Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours
Group Size: Up to 10-100 participants
Venue: City Sprouts Punggol Greenhouse – Plot A13, 21A Tebing Lane S828826 or client premises. Please note our greenhouse can only accommodate maximum 18 participants
Orchid Legacies celebrates Singapore’s national flower and botanical heritage through the Japanese art of Kokedama — the craft of creating living moss-ball planters.
This immersive two-hour experience weaves storytelling, cultural heritage, sustainability, and mindful hands-on creation, revealing how the orchid evolved from a native rainforest bloom into a symbol of Singapore’s identity, creativity, and resilience.
Participants journey through the story of Singapore’s orchids — from wild forest species such as the Tiger Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) to the beloved Vanda Miss Joaquim — before crafting their own Orchid Kokedama, blending local heritage with Japanese artistry in a serene greenhouse setting.
Objectives
- Share the historical and cultural development of orchids in Singapore, from native species to modern hybrids.
- Highlight how Singapore’s orchid heritage mirrors national values of resilience, diversity, and harmony.
- Connect participants with traditional Asian plant art through the Japanese Kokedama technique.
- Promote mindful crafting, sustainability, and wellness through engagement with living materials.
Programme Description
The session opens with a guided storytelling segment, “The Story of Singapore’s Orchids.”
Participants explore how orchids once thrived in our tropical forests, clinging to rain trees and granite cliffs from Bukit Timah to Pulau Ubin.
Early explorers such as Sir Stamford Raffles and botanists from the Singapore Botanic Gardens (est. 1859) documented more than 220 native orchid species, including the majestic Tiger Orchid, one of the world’s largest.
As Singapore developed into a hub for botanical research, orchid cultivation became a national passion.
By the early 20th century, local gardeners and scientists began hybridising orchids suited to our tropical climate — a tradition that continues today through the Botanic Gardens’ renowned Orchid Breeding and Hybridisation Programme.
In 1981, the Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as Singapore’s national flower, symbolising perseverance, multicultural unity, and resilience. Through “Orchid Diplomacy,” hybrid orchids named after world leaders and dignitaries have since carried Singapore’s friendship across the globe.
Today, NParks and the Singapore Botanic Gardens continue this legacy through conservation and reintroduction of native orchids across city parks as part of the City in Nature movement.
Hands-On Segment – Orchids Meet Kokedama
Following the storytelling, participants learn the Japanese art of Kokedama — literally “moss ball.”
Derived from bonsai and kusamono traditions, Kokedama teaches harmony, patience, and respect for natural beauty — principles that echo Singapore’s orchid heritage.
Through guided demonstration, participants will:
- Prepare and prune orchid roots.
- Form the soil base and wrap it with natural moss.
- Bind the Kokedama using cotton thread.
- Balance and style their finished moss sphere — a living sculpture symbolising grace and resilience.
Each participant creates an Orchid Kokedama featuring small orchids such as Dendrobium or Phalaenopsis — a lasting emblem of Singapore’s botanical spirit.
Cultural & Educational Value
This programme bridges two rich cultural lineages — Japanese Kokedama artistry and Singapore’s Orchid Heritage — illustrating shared Asian values of balance, beauty, and respect for nature.
Participants gain insight into the evolution of Singapore’s orchid cultivation, understand hybridisation as a metaphor for harmony, and experience the connection between craft, culture, and mindfulness.
Wellness & Sustainability Component
- Encourages slow, mindful crafting that fosters calm and focus.
- Uses natural, biodegradable materials (moss, soil, cotton thread).
- Reinforces sustainable values — participants nurture what they create, forming long-term bonds with living art.
- Promotes wellness through connection — with self, community, and nature.
Format & Facilitation
Type: Cultural Talk + Demonstration + Hands-On Workshop
Duration: 1.5-2 hours | Group Size: Up to 15-100 participants
Venue: City Sprouts Punggol Greenhouse – Plot A13, 21A Tebing Lane S828826
Materials Provided: Orchid plant, moss, soil base, cotton thread, biodegradable wrapping, story & care guide
Proposed Learning Outcomes
- Understand the historical and cultural journey of orchids in Singapore.
- Appreciate the symbolic meaning of Vanda Miss Joaquim and Singapore’s orchid legacy.
- Learn traditional Japanese Kokedama techniques adapted for local orchid species.
- Reflect on sustainability, mindfulness, and continuity in both craft and daily living.
Workshop Fee
$68-$98 per participant depending on type of orchids chosen and numbers of participants size (all materials included)
📞 Contact
Adrian Tan
Crafted Identity – Nature · Craft · Culture
Phone: 96520313 | Email: craftedidentity@gmail.com
Website: www.craftedidentity.com | IG/FB: @craftedidentity
Venue: City Sprouts Punggol Greenhouse – Plot A13, 21A Tebing Lane, Singapore 828826
Group Booking:
• Minimum 10 pax to start a private session (up to 16 pax at our Greenhouse Plot).
• 20–100 pax workshops available at client’s premises or designated venues (T&Cs apply).
• WhatsApp 📞 96520313 to book or enquire.