Fifteen varieties of sunflowers are used, and seeds are sourced from all over the world, from Taiwan, Thailand, Amsterdam, USA and UK. The sunflower plants are watered twice a day, and the soil mix used is made of one part each of topsoil, compost, coco peat and washed sand. The compost provides nutrients to the plants, while the sand allows for water to drain through the soil quickly to prevent it from getting waterlogged. 

The seeds are planted in seed starter trays along with a slow-release fertiliser. After one week, the seedlings are transplanted to the large bags of soil, and are grown until they flower at 55 days old. The sunflower plants are watered twice a day. 

For the flowering plants supplied by the Nursery, seed propagation is the primary way for new plants to be grown. The Nursery obtains these seeds from various suppliers overseas. These seeds are coloured by the suppliers to differentiate between the various breeds of the same plant species. Seeds are seeded into soil pots to germinate and grow to display quality  These soil pots are made of one part topsoil, one part compost, one part sand, and one part coconut husk. This soil composition is a standard composition utilised by the Nursery, found to be effective by trial and error. The bottom of the pot also contains a layer of slow-releasing fertilizer, able to release the nutrients contained within at a manageable rate, to prevent damage from fertilizer burn, while saving the effort of manual fertilization. Seed germination and seedling growth is only done in soil medium, and not water medium, due to seeds only being able to germinate in soil, as well as soil being the better medium to encourage the growth of saplings. Water mediums are better for keeping the plants alive with minimal maintenance.

In this picture, the plants are divided, as well as converted from soil medium to hydroculture. 

Strange foliage of Bougainvillea “Changi Airport”

More common Bougainvillea, its leaves are wide, rounded and with smooth edges. 

Changi nursery also grows plants specifically for indoors, and acclimatize the plants by growing them in low light before displaying them in the airport itself! Normal nurseries do not have to grow plants specifically for indoors and need not acclimatize plants. 

Changi nursery has a seasonal plant rotation and rejuvenates plants that have been on indoor display, instead of throwing away old plants.  Normal nurseries do not do this as they sell new plants to customers.

Team of horticulturists in changi nursery plan landscape and plants used in displays, which isn’t found in a conventional nursery!

We also thought nurseries were only for growing new plants, but at the Changi Airport Nursery, plants are taken out if they're not healthy and nurtured back to display conditions as well. Furthermore, there are grown and mature plants kept ready (especially the trees) as well as new plants being grown such that the displays can be done and plants of correct height can be chosen. 

All of this does its job though - the airport is so beautifully done up it's able to leave both a good first impression and an amazing last impression on the people who visit the airport, be it those taking flights to/from Singapore or those that are merely stopping by, or even people who just visit the airport for reasons other than travelling.