Message from the director -- A very happy place - Jacob Ballas Children's Garden -- From poison to food -- Begonias of Sumatra -- Birds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens -- Botanical research fellows in the gardens -- Around the gardens. Events ; Celebration of the 300th birth anniversary of Carl Linnaeus ; "Stars" of Singapore Garden Festival unveiled 2008 -- Notes from the economic garden. The grand old rubber tree and a sketch to stretch Ridley's imagination -- New & exciting. Duabanga grandiflora Beremban Bukit, Lampati -- What's blooming. A sight to behold... -- From the education outreach. Enticing children to the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden ; Mandarin tour for primary schools - a first for the gardens' education -- From the taxonomy comer. Linnaeus' sexual system -- From the orchid species collection. Dendrobium x usitae -- Ginger and its allies. The genus plagiostachys -- Book review. The genus roscoea -- Key visitors to the gardens (July to December 2007) -- From the archives. Species and genera plantarum.