Vertical gardens at the park

Provinsi Lady Palm, Zone C

 There are lots of vertical gardens at the park. I mean the oil palm trees provide the best environment for many shade plants especially the ferns species, climbers and orchids to germinate on the damp, organic and fertile cut bases of the oil palm leaves that are left after successive harvesting. One advantage of keeping these vertical gardens is that you don't have to worry about watering or fertilising the plants.  The plants get their nutrition from  the rotting organic cut bases which are kept moist under shade.  The cut bases also contain dead insects as well as birds droppings which help fertilise the growing plants.  In order to take advantage of the available space, more suitable plants like orchids can be attached. Let the orchids then grow naturally with no maintenance whatsoever while enhancing the 'garden' with colour and a little fragrance.

Bird's nest fern ( Asplenium nidus)

Growing luxuriously are the Nephrolepsis  ferns 

Corsage fern (Davallia denticula) grows extremely well on the tree trunks

Pigeon orchids are a common species that adapt well to the oil palm trunks.

Heliconia Valley

Heliconia chartacea 'Sexy Pink'
Location: Heliconia Valley, Zone D.

Heliconia 'Lobster's claw'

The Heliconia variety 'Sexy Pink' is a unique and eye catching species to plant.  It is very easy to propagate and so are many others in the species.  It is to obtain the rare variety that becomes the main challenge.  The heliconia collection at the Heliconia Valley with its initial collection of about a dozen species have become somewhat an 'open nursery' acting as mother plants to produce rhizomes for propagation purposes.  Once removed these shoots can be planted elsewhere in the park.  Some heliconia species love full sun while others prefer filtered or dappled light.  Heliconias are exotic plants, tropical and colourful and a key element in the Kambatik garden.

Heliconia psittacorum

Heliconia Valley, Zone D

Sunset from Sawit Groove

Bintulu sunset rom Sawit Groove
Location : Provinsi Lady Palm
Zone C

Jarum tujuh (Malay) - in sunset colours
Pereskio bleo
Family : Cactaceae - Cactus family

There is a shady place, cool and peaceful at Provinsi Lady Palm which I call "Sawit Groove".  Shade is generously provided by the oil palm trees (Sawit - Malay) and other trees like Jackfruit, Durian, Ceylon Ironwood, Pong-Pong  and the Lumok trees.  Many times a day I would walk through the area to enjoy peaceful moments with nature.  It is located just a few yards behind my chalet.   It is also one of my favourite places to see the Bintulu sunset, besides two others that is the Cempedak Hill and the highest point at Licuala trail ( Zone I).  Today's sunset was majestic and reminds me of the colours of one of the flowers at the park called 'Jarum tujuh'( Pereskio bleo)in Malay.  Among the Berawans traditional medicine practitioners of Sarawak the leaves of this plant are boiled and when cooled is drunk as a prescription for curing cancer of the heart.  I guess I'll have  to put up more interesting furniture to the area, to make the place even more groovy like a simple shelter with stools or benches and tables.  That would be my next project for the Sawit Groove.   To see more sunset views from the park, check it out in my blog here .....>>>http://mybintuluclicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunset

Sawit Groove - shady, cool, peaceful place...looking north

Sawit Groove, looking west..(this gonna be an interesting and groovy place)

Jackfruit tree nearby the Sawit Groove, in late afternoon sun...

Sunset atmosphere at Provinsi Lady Palm...

Provinsi Lady Palm in sketch

Provinsi Lady Palm
Mixed Media, on sketch paper 18 x 25 cm

There is a certain airiness to the place.  Lots of shade and yet the diffused light cast many interesting bright spots on the lawn.  All around the lawn is mixed vegetation.  The main ornamental tree is the Pong-Pong (Cerbera odollam) and in the middle of the picture is a fruit of the Pong-Pong hanging like a green apple.  The heliconia shrubs add much needed colour in their orange bracts.  Two oil palm trees provide visual perspective.  It is nice to have a walk through the area for its diversity.   The steps behind the oil palm tree in the background leads to the Botanic Island One.

In Plain Sight - Provinsi Lady Palm (Part 5)

Provinsi Lady Palm, view looking west

Slender-stemmed palm -
Rhapis excelsa

 The Provinsi Lady Palm is named after the slender-stemmed palm with thick clustering habit.  The Rhapis excelsa grows naturally as an undergrowth palm but is now a popular palm for gardens and parks.  Its leaves are very useful for floral art.  Many nurseries sell them in big pots as ornamentals.  Today there are dwarf varieties of the Lady Palm. As part of the Kambatik garden concept it is advisable to plant the Lady Palm with heliconias.  Having them within arm's length and readily available in our garden will certainly assist us in creative floral art. Below are more pictures of the provinsi Lady Palm....

The heart of Heliconia Valley is located at Provinsi Lady Palm
Location : Zone C, looking north

View looking south

View looking south
Location : Zone D

View looking south