Belgium is wowing visitors to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek with an elegant garden of northern European blooms that aren't being singed by Chiang Mai's hot sun.

Jeroen Cooreman, counsellor and deputy head of mission at the Belgian embassy, says the hot climate was the main factor considered by well-known Belgian floral artist Daniel Ost in coming up with a design solution using bromeliads as the main feature.

Ost, who created floral arrangements for some of the world's grandest events, including the 1999 wedding of his country's Crown Prince Philippe, was asked by the government to create a garden that reflected novelty and creativity with a clear reference to the relationship between Thailand and Belgium.

Ost came up with the idea of creating a giant cone-shaped art piece, five metres high and ten metres long, that offers the visitor a special impression.

The flowers inside the cone are yellow and red bromeliad, a major Belgian horticultural export product. Though not native to Belgium, bromeliads have been grown and developed in there for centuries. More importantly they're resistant to hot weather, though they can't really withstand the hot sun.

They are arranged inside the cone with black charcoal to form the colours of the Belgian flag. At the same time, the black hole refers to the unknown future, a reference to Eastern philosophy.

From the outside, the cone may evoke thoughts of a fallen tree that has been in the forest for decades and is now completely overgrown with flowers. Others may liken it to a giant shell.

Some may even think of it as a mysterious object from outer space, which has started to live its own life on earth.

The terrace is made of Belgian blue stone, one of the hardest stones on earth. It's been used for centuries in some of Europe's most magnificent cathedrals and public buildings. The stones are alternated with Thai wood, in a pattern that is reminiscent of a Belgian North Sea beach at low tide.

The cone is slightly buried in the wave-shaped grass - referring to the hilly Belgian countryside.

The grass itself has special features: This is the newest generation of artificial grass, of which some Belgian companies are the world's leading developers and producers. It is a real hi-tech product, giving the same visual impression as traditional grass, but doesn't need watering or pesticides to flourish.

The tent, too, is an exclusive Belgian design, matching the red flowers and providing welcome shade to visitors wishing take a rest and admire Ost's magnificent piece of art.

In practice, the garden is easy to maintain. The caretaker waters it twice a day and a sprinkler is active all day inside the cone.

"While the flowers inside are secure from the sun, some of bromeliads at the front of the cone may need replanting as a result of the strong sunlight," says Cooreman.

The counsellor, who has followed the entire construction process since the beginning, says just staring into the cone is a fascinating experience.

This blend between East and West is what the Belgian floral artist delivers best, he adds.

"Some say Ost's work is like a bridge between these two cultures.

"The best time to visit the garden is in the afternoon, around 5pm when the sunlight brings a glow to the inside of the cone" says Cooreman.

He suggests staying until just after sunset when the light inside the cone turns the colours into a truly magnificent vista.

So feast your eyes at Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006, and discover the colours of life in Ost's black hole.