The Flower Dome at Gardens By the Bay is the largest glass greenhouse in the world, and its ever-changing display of flowers never fails to impress.

The latest exhibit at the Flower Dome is called “Pocket Gardens Surprise.” While I could rave about the flowers for hours, I have no idea how these “pocket gardens” are supposed to hang together. A “plant library” features epiphytes and orchids …

… but no books (not real ones, anyway):

“A bit of England” features a few bibs and bobs of topiary, tiny boxwood hedges, a most un-English looking archway…

… and heaps of romantic statuary.

Then there’s a large “village” area that looks like it might be Dutch, or English, or neither, complete with thatched cottages …

… chickens on a bridge …

… and a castle …

… complete with a surprising kissing couple:

Oh, and there were these cows, which were not at all in keeping with the aesthetic theme and which were definitely my favorite part:

I’m not sure what the plant library, the English garden, and the castle vignette have to do with one another, but “Pocket Garden” theme aside, the flowers in the Flower Dome remain a sight to behold. They have dizzying arrays of dahlias …

… fuchsias …

… and all sorts of other flowers:

Other highlights in the Flower Dome include random animal statuary …

… and a fascinating selection of plants from Australia.

It’s a great place to take pictures — and some people come here exactly for that purpose:

A trip through the Flower Dome will take about an hour (a little more if you’re really excited about plants). Most people will also visit the dome that houses the Cloud Forest …

… where you can see hundreds of plants of the tropical highlands:

There’s more animal statuary here, too:

Plants and fake animals aside, the Cloud Forest is an amazing space in and of itself…

… with great views:

If it’s hot out, I strongly recommend ending a visit here with a brief stroll along the river …

… followed by a visit to the Children’s Garden — what a great place to cool off!