Garden progress on this Kuching July 2022 Escapade

FB Cover, 16 July'22.

 

Woke up early to a Kuching Kambatik garden. Admiring the freshness of green leaves is real therapy after a long drive from Bintulu.  There's some garden maintenance needing care that will keep me busy for a week or so.  Meanwhile let's enjoy some Cape Goosberry fruits plucked from the garden, the sweet scent of the White Cempaka flowers, pink flowers of the Poui tree and  blood red fruits of the Carpentaria palm tree. 

Happy weekend everyone.

Front Garden Surprises

The front garden at Kuching surprises me today with lovely flowers of the canna , ixora and the 'Drunken Sailor'.
I have now more or less achieved what I wanted for the front garden. The idea of multiple colours that can be enjoyed regularly has been achieved. Today's blossoms are testimony to my concept of the
'Laman Kambatik' or the Kambatik Garden= Malaysian Garden. In our tropical garden a riotous gaiety is I think a most welcome sign to our paradise. This is how it should be . Today you get to enjoy the reds, tomorrow yellows and perhaps a week's time pink and lavender colours.

( Note:  This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ....>>>>http://myussop.blogspot.my/2009/07/front-garden-surprises.html )

Kuching Garden Update

I have been staying in Kuching for slightly more than a month now. TheKuching garden is shaping up beautifully. For one thing our presence in Kuching enables us to water and carry out general maintenance of the plants on daily basis, the latter being critical in times of drought that Kuching faces in July and now continuing to August. On the left (inset) is a LS view of the side garden of which the planting has now obscured the fencing. Below is a medium shot picture of the side garden showing the many varieties of plant materials used to colour the garden. Generally I am quite pleased with the result thus far, though further improvements are possible.

The front garden at Kuching surprises me today with lovely flowers of the canna , ixora and the 'Drunken Sailor'.
I have now more or less achieved what I wanted for the front garden. The idea of multiple colours that can be enjoyed regularly has been achieved. Today's blossoms are testimony to my concept of the
'Laman Kambatik' or the Kambatik Garden= Malaysian Garden. In our tropical garden a riotous gaiety is I think a most welcome sign to our paradise. This is how it should be . Today you get to enjoy the reds, tomorrow yellows and perhaps a week's time pink and lavender colours.

(Note : This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link...>>>>http://myussop.blogspot.my/2009/08/kuching-garden-update.html )

The Rains Are Back

The last few days, the rains have started to return to Kuching after a prolonged absence since the middle of July to middle of August.This is good news especially to those working in the field and fasting. Above, is a picture I took on the 19th of August when the rains came in quite heavy

Morning breakfast of fruits from the garden

Selection of fruits from the garden for breakfast

Ripe Ciku fruit on a branch - Manilkara zapota

( Note:  This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/search/label/Ciku )

Back garden

Back garden, showing mixed planting of palm, wild banana, cassia alata, calathea lutea and ixora coccinea ...

Just the other day, I managed to dig out some tapioca tubers and cook them.  They tasted good because they are of a variety that is soft to be eaten.  At the back garden are many herbs and shrubs that produce fruits, tubers, flowers or leaves can can be consumed as salad, dessert, juiced drinks, condiments,medicine, and not forgetting added appeal for wildlife and garden beauty.  Here's more views of the back garden.

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full sory and images, please follow this link...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2013/11/back-garden.html )

December '08 Update

The orange ixoras are in their best blooms. I notice that the other plants in the background are taller .

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link...>>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2008/12/december-08-update.html )

Kuching garden progress

20 April'09

Our front garden in Kuching is now about 1 year 4 months old. The planting progress photographs are shown below. Up to this point my initial design concept is more or less achieved. Just this month I added one cordyline plant, variegated yellow in colour for that golden sparkle to the garden. Now every morning I'll take a brief excercise at the front porch and then go for a bicycle ride around the neighbourhood. It's good for the health.

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ....>>>>http://mykambatikworld.blogspot.my/2009/04/kuching-garden-progress.html )

Colourful hearts

View of side garden with coleus planted as cover in border planting.

I am pleasantly surprised to see the coleus plants parading their best colours today. It must have been the manure that I generously applied before I left for Bintulu two weeks ago that did the magic. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellariodes ) are known here as 'Ati- Ati ' derived from the Malay root word 'Hati- Hati' meaning hearts. I plant them for their gorgeously bright multi- coloured foliage. In our tropical evergreen environment where the green wash is an everyday occurrence, splashes of colours can be obtained by planting the coleus plants. Being herbaceous perennials ( i.e. they don't have woody stems above the ground) they are rather short-lived,maybe surviving for 1-3 years at the most. However they grow very fast and thus useful for 'instant' garden results. It is important to prune them head back after every flowering season for renewed growth and fresh new foliage thus creating showy masses of colours in the garden daily.

(Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ....>>>http://mykambatikworld.blogspot.my/2009/04/colourful-hearts.html )

Garden progress in 2015

Garden progress - 2015

For all the stories and pictures taken in 2015, to show the garden progress, please follow this link...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/search/label/Garden%20Progress%202015

Looking beyond the Kambatik garden

Bringing nature outside the bedroom
View from main garden, looking west.  Note the mountin range in the far horizon.

Occasionally we need to re-focus our sight.  Beyond the Kambatik garden (Malaysian garden defined) I see the distant hills, with bluish green cover.  Further still the mountain range seemed a formidable soft barrier of blue.  The expanse of sky and open air beyond reminds me of nature's kindness, giving life and hope in an encompassing universe that needs to be conserved for the future generation.  It prompts to ask 'What have you done to your country, if you say you love your country?'  Closer to home, I see the football fields and the green open spaces of the neighbourhood.  There are trees that adorn the streets and the fields.  It is a connected world.  The Kambatik home garden is but a tiny sanctuary in urban green lung.  The prime idea however is its role in the passageway of nature's big corridor of wildlife and the plant kingdoms we needed most to be alive and kicking.  We need to build home gardens to provide transit and temporary home to some of nature's wildlife species as they travel and forage for food.  Without plants and wildlife human will naturally die.  With nature humans prosper.  Do a Kambatik garden if you are a Sarawakian, and soon.  Very immediately you'll partake in nature's power and glory.  Look beyond the Kambatik garden!

Tidying up the garden

View of main side garden, looking west.

It has been a very healthy morning.  Been doing the grass cutting of the lawn.  One of the benefits of a good lawn when cut low is the by-product of the cutting operation  called clippings.  Here I re-cycle the clippings as mulch.  Nothing should go to waste.  It took me a good 30 minutes job to cut the grass with the mechanical bush cutter.  The clippings are swept with a rake and then placed around the bases of plants.  Only when I have excess clippings do I use them as burning material for burnt earth.  I am showing below the list of basic  equipments for this morning's grass cutting operation and garden maintenance works.  The list includes the bush cutter, rake, hoe, hand pruner, 'parang' (Malay to mean matchet),  basket, saw, ground chisel and safety spectacles or goggles.
( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ...>>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2014/11/tidying-up-garden.html )

How the years have gone by

Front garden - 2014, 16th August.

( Note:  For full story and images of the garden from 2008 - 2014, please follow this link...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2014/08/how-years-have-gone-by.html )

Gardening workout

View of front side garden, looking south-west.
Taken on 6 August'14

One of the great fun of gardening is the exercise you get from doing some physical workout like cutting the grass, pruning leaves and branches, digging, sweeping the garden floor and burning the debris.  On this 49th trip to Kuching, we managed to clear a considerable portion of the garden.  One activity that is helpful in the clean-up is the burning of garden waste and debris for the preparation of burnt earth.  Burnt earth is a natural way to re-cycle garden waste to good use. A minimum two hours workout a day would be splendid for maintaining one's good health, something I treasure as we progress in life.

Belimbing fruits are starring

The Belimbing fruits are giving us the best surprise.  There were many ripe ones to be juiced or blended.  However, we prefer to eat them raw, freshly plucked from the garden.  The Kedondong tree is also bearing some fruits but not as plenty as the starfruit tree.  The Pinang palm (Areca catechu) is bearing its first batch of fruits.  This tree was brought over from Bintulu.  There were many flowers that paraded themselves in the garden and a few were brought in to the house for a simple floral arrangement.Ripe starfruit a plenty

( Note: This is a re-posting from my gardening blog.  For full story and images please follow this link ...>>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2014/08/the-belimbing-fruits-are-starring.html )

The Mango tree is fully harvested

At the side garden, the mango tree that bears hundreds of fruits are ready to be harvested.  I stripped the whole tree of fruits using a pole and a ladder.  I would bring most of them to Bintulu to be shared with family members and friends there.  Friends and relatives in Kuching have been given the fruits today.   It is the joy of sharing the mangoes that makes today meaningful and gratifying.  It is one of those moments in life when giving is done freely and heartily.

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2014/06/the-mango-tree-is-fully-harvested.html )

The garden plant grows and birds sings

Fruits of the 'Kedondong' - Malay (Spondias dulcis) ..these can be juiced

 Back in Kuchng on this 45th trip, we found the garden plants growing well and here's some early morning takes, the morning after we arrived Kuching from Bintulu last night.  Three birds have made their early morning calls.  The garden have produced a few fruits that can be consumed immediately.  More views of the garden and close-ups below.....
There will be more birds pictures that can be added here.  But suffice to catch a glimpse of these three early birds at the garden.  They add music to the place with their persistant calls throughout the day.  We will continue to watch them as the day progresses.....

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and pictures, please follow this link ....>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2013/10/the-garden-plants-grows-and-birds-sing.html )

Birds free at the Kuching garden

View of back garden, showing the bamboo clump in the background.

 One of the criteria for the success of the Kambatik garden (Malaysian garden) is the prevalence of birds and other wildlife.  My recent visit to Kuching in July 2013 has prompted me to blog again about the garden after a lapse of writing in 2010,2011 and 2012.  The garden is maturing now and most of the trees are showing their best.  The bamboo clump has attracted the 'Tekukur' (Spotted Dove) to build its nest there.  Perched high on top of the bamboo clump I saw the red -eyed Perling or Glossy Philippine Starling.

I was extremely delighted and thrilled to hold the young chick of the Bulbul just the other day.  Apparently it has flown from its nest and being still infant it didn't manage to fly well.  I held her in my palm to take some snap shots and after that let it free.  Other birds seen frequenting the garden now are the sunbirds.

( Note:  This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ....>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2013/07/birds-free-at-kuching-garden.html ) 

South garden details - South Fence area

Beautiful long red cat's tails ( Acalypha hispida )

About two months ago I planted a short cat's tail plant at the side garden. It has grown beautifully. Now the long cat's tails are showing. There are also many changes to the south garden area especially the area along the south fence. Below are some of the details.

( Note:  This is a re-posting.  For full story and pictures, please follow this link...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2009/07/side-garden-deatils-south-fence-area.html )

Front garden update - July '09

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At the front garden , a species of our local orchid seemed to be doing very well after being planted in early June just before we left for Bintulu.

To the right of the front garden, the Drunken Sailor ( Quisqualis indica) meets the Blood Banana ( Musa zebrina). It appears now that the Drunken Sailor vine has twined itself to the banana stem. Interesting move.

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2009/07/front-garden-update-july09.html )