Wildlife in the garden

Back garden

Red Dragonfly

 It has been about a week since we arrived Kuching.  The garden looked pretty tidy and little urgent works seemed necessary.  My focus  thus changed to detecting the various wildlife that make their way to the garden.  Two species of dragonflies were seen, bulbuls as usual, a grasshopper and the multi-coloured Brown-throated Sunbird dropped by at the flowering coconut tree.  

A dragonfly species

Carpenter bee balancing itself at the tip of the terminal shoot of the Foxtail palm.

Yellow-vented Bulbul resting on the Poui branch.

Brown-throated Sunbird  perchingat the coconut terminal inflorescences

A grasshopper.

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 )

View looking outside the garden

View looking outside the garden

Oriental Magpie Robin 

Above is the view looking outside the garden from the main gate.  The greenery outside has been achieved by planting trees.  The list of trees I planted outside at the open space area are as follows:-
1) Coconut trees 2) Ceylon Ironwood trees 2) Poui trees 3) Great Frangipani trees 4) Carpentaria palms

Reds in the garden

Red Cat's tails against Red sheaths of the Pinang Lakka in the background

Hibiscus

Red Ti

Ripe fruits of the Carpentaria palm

Ixora coccinea

Hibiscus at the back garden

The Kambatik garden in Pink Deluxe

Front gardenThe Kambatik garden in pink deluxe

 It is indeed a pleasure and beauty to the eyes to watch theIxora coccinea  bush flowering  well at the front garden.  There are many varieties or cultivars of this species.  There are hardy flowering plants for the Laman Kambatik or the Malaysian garden.  The ixoras belong to the Coffee family (Rubiaceae) and they produce lots of berries.  The best thing a gardener could do is to just let the plant grow naturally without too much pruning or 'shaping' or 'boxing' it.  One species that should be grown in the Kambatik garden is the Ixora javanica because this species like the open sun, grows to a moderate human height and having brilliant orange as well as red flowers.  It is also easy to propagate from cuttings.  Check out more plants for the Kambatik garden belonging to the Coffee family here.

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/search/label/Kuching%20escapade%20-%20Mar%202016 )

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!

Outside looking in

Poui tree starting to flower - view towards house, looking north
Kambatik garden, Kuching

 It was magic when I stepped into the garden this morning.  Looking south from the car porch I saw columns of light mauve and pink washes.  The Poui tree (Tabebuia rosea or previously known as Tecoma pentaphylla ) has began to flower.  I am always excited to see this tree everywhere I travel around Sarawak.  This is because of an envelope I received from Singapore that contained the seeds of this tree and from which thousands more trees originated in Sarawak.  The link to the story is here   .  At this stage the tree is not yet in full flowering, probably in a day or so it will.  The large bell-shaped flowers may be white or pink  depending on the form.  'Tabebuaia rosea' when it is pink and 'Tabebuia alba' when white.  In any form the colours are pastel and impressionistic and touching to the soul because underneath the tree you can have party (picnic) and consume the beauty of nature and its enriching qualities. Try.

( Note: This is a re-posting.  For full story and images, please follow this link ...>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2014/08/outside-looking-in.html )

Colours in the limelight - Feb'14

Colours in the limelight...Red Ti (Cordyline terminalis)

On this trip to Kch, we found that the garden is gradually maturing.  The abundance of colours are a real treat to the eyes.  Here's a few views that showcase some of the great colours into the limelight. 

( Note:  This is a re-posting.  For the full story and images, please follow this link ...>>>>http://mygardeningprojects.blogspot.my/2014/02/colours-in-limelight-feb14.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 )