Give your passion your everything

Stream near Zone F

It is a pleasant walk,
Past mature trees,
Of forest old and and new planting,
With every step I stride,
The strength in me says,
You have got it right,
Give your passion  your everything.                                                      

Note: All pictures above show some very old native trees at Zone F, mixed with new planting of oil palm and other ornamental/fruit trees.

Leaves, Leaves everywhere

Mesua ferrea (Ceylon Ironwood) - front of picture
Eugenia oleina - background
Zone C

Bauhinia semibifida (front)
Family: Leguminosae - Bean family
Botanic Island One , Zone D

Litsea cubeba (Pawas - Malay), center of picture
Family : Lauraceae - Laurel family
Zone B

Keruak wetlands
Between Zone B & C

Averrhoa bilimbi (Belimbing - Malay)
Family : Oxalidaceae - Oxalis family
Zone I

Highlights today at the park - 29 Sept'15

Paku Kelindang (Iban) - Blechnum orientale
Zone E

Young leaves of the Pawas (Malay) - Litsea cubeba
Zone D

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi
Zone C

Flowers of a jungle tree, species unknown.
Zone B

Thank you for the video

Here's a nice video clip showing some images from The Kambatik Park.  Salute to Lodewijk from Netherlands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajfsNJpb1gw

Parts of the oil palm fruit

Densely packed fruits of the oil palm, Elaeis quineensis

I have in this picture split the oil palm fruit bunch in half.   From this cross-section view it is clear how closely packed are the fruits.  At the bottom of the picture is a cross section of a fruit.  Starting from the outermost layer of the fruit (skin) is the epicarp which is variously coloured orange to yellow and overlain with deep violet or black in exposed parts.  The middle layer of the fruit is called the mesocarp and in the picture is thick, oily, fleshy, fibrous, and  coloured deep orange.   The black ring is the endocarp, or innermost layer of the fruit wall, also referred to as shell.  Finally the white center is the endosperm, which is the nutritive body of the seed, sometimes called the kernel.

The Cassia javanica is doing fine

Cassia javanica growing well at Zone F

Pink flowers of the
Cassia javanica

 I have planted the Cassia javanica, grown from seeds, at Zone F a few years ago.    Today, I noticed the tree is growing well.  I am looking forward to this tree bearing flowers and fruits so that I can propagate it and more of these beautiful trees adorn the park.  The pictures of the flowers here have been taken from another location, along Sarawak trunk road where many times I dropped by to collect some of its pods.  The germination rate is very low and so far this is the only tree that managed to survive from the many seedlings I planted.

A Cassia javanica tree in heavy flowering along Sarawak trunk road.
Taken in 2011.

Views of the park today

View of Zone C
Zone C

View of Provinsi  Carpentaria, looking east from Zone F
Location : Zone F

View towards Zone E, looking south, from Botanic Island Two

Location : Botanic Island Two

Inside Botanic Island Two
Location : Botanic Island Two

Three purple flowers

Bignonia magnifica
26 Sept'15, Zone C

Dendrobium species orchid
26 Sept'15, Zone C

Melastoma malabathricum
26 Sept'15, Zone F

View inside out from Botanic Island Two

Oil palm integration with Botanic Island

Tropical plants

Fresh fruit  bunches of the oil palm(Elaeis guineensis)

Oil palm fruit

Both the oil palm tree and the Cempedak tree are chiefly tropical plants.  The oil palm belongs to the Palmae family and though majority are tree-like there are others in the family that are climbing, a characteristic common in the rattan or 'Rotan' in Malay .    The  Cempedak is a species of woody plant and placed under the Fig family (Moraceae).  Members of the  fig family that are planted for their fruits here are the Artocarpus - Cempedak (Artocarpus integer), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and the Ong Lumok or Terap (Artocarpus odiratissimus).

 Cempedak tree (Artocarpus integer)

The Jering tree and fruits

The Jering tree is partly seen at middle ground of picture
Location : Zone G

Jering fruit (seed)

The Jering (Pithelobium lobatum) tree that is located beside the road at Zone G is a large tree.  Today I started to clear the undergrowth around the tree in order to make way for convenient access to the tree. I have not checked this tree earlier and to my surprise it is bearing fruits.  In Bintulu, the Melanau elders love to boil the Jering fruit, which is this case is actually the seed (see inset) and eat it together with fresh grated coconut in palm sugar.   I love Jering for 'Ulam' (Malay) which is akin to eating it as salad.  To make the Jering more palatable as a salad, it is better to eat it with a prepared paste of Bintulu 'belacan' pounded with anchovies, a bit of red chilies and ginger.

The Jering fruit is believed to be able to cure high blood pressure.

Clearing work around the Jering tree.

Fritters from a 70 years old tree

Serve the fritters hot for afternoon tea.

Today I have great respect to a 70 years old Cempedak tree.  The tree has been standing here before I was born.  The beauty about this tree is that it is still bearing fruits that are exceedingly sweet.  It is indeed a privilege for me to enjoy its fruits taken fresh or as fritters.  Here's a guide on cooking  Cempedak fritters.  First prepare a batter comprising of wheat flour and water (see inset) .  Heat up the oil palm cooking oil in the frying pan in medium flame.   Throw in the Cempedak fruits covered in batter into the frying pan and wait till the colour turns brownish, to indicate that it is sufficiently cooked.  This would take between 10 - 15 minutes.  Serve hot.  Cempedak fritters are great for afternoon tea.

When the fritters appear brown it's an indication that they are sufficiently cooked.

Fresh Cempedak fruits from a 70 year old tree

Fresh photography

Cempedak and Rambutan freshly plucked for the fun of photography.

Delcious Cempedak fruits

It is only when you live in a fruit garden that you are able to pluck the fruits fresh from the trees and take your time having the shots of your life.  This I call fresh photography.  I enjoy photographing the fresh fruits in the garden this year.  This year the seasonal fruits that do well are the Rambutan and Jering.  Other fruit trees  that produce low harvest are the Cempedak and Lumok.  Anyway, from the photography angle all of the fruits were marvellous.

Juicy and sweet Rambutan fruits

Mouth watering Cempedak fruits

Tidying the footpath at Botanic Island One

Botanic Island One - view towards north-west.
Note the thick layer of leaves needing sweeping and a little burning.

Mid-hill footpath
looking west

Took a whole Sunday to do some clearing and tidying works to Botanic Island One footpath.  The weather was just ideal, windy and cloudy.  Thus the burning of dried leaves and other debris went out well.  It has been a while since I have not done the necessary upkeep to the island.  Today is a start and will continue the works whenever time permit.  Pruning of trees included the Traveler's palm, Oil palm, and jungle shrubbery.

View of lower hill footpath
Botanic Island One

Highlights today at the park - 5 Sept'15