My place of refuge and reflection

            

Great for gazing: the red palms that adorn the garden

  

Someone once told me; “if you want to be happy for a day, you drink; if you want to be happy for a year, you get married; if you want to be happy for life, have a garden.”  How very true: my garden gives me immense pleasure.

            My garden is rectangular, just beside my home.  When we bought our house, our first priority was a garden and we are happy with our choice. This garden has changed from year to year in tandem with our changing lifestyles.

            A five feet wall now surrounds my garden. A big lawn in the centre is a pleasant sight. Trees and shrubs surround the lawn.  Every corner of it is memorable: the site where my son fractured his arm, happy laughter of children chasing each other, trials of kite-flying and cheers and tears during badminton matches. 

Canna plants brighten up my concrete wall

I enjoy gazing at my red Palms standing tall and majestic against the blue sky.  Sometimes the fragrance of Chinese jasmines makes me ponder on the intricacies of life.  A purple Bougainvillea flowering above the white wall always catches my eye when I arrive home. When I need exercise, I would prune my Duranta and Ixora hedges and after that, I feel invigorated and accomplished.

Red palms with ferns for flower arrangement

For flower arrangement, I usually go to various corners of my garden for my source. Flowers that have graced many homes include Anthurium, Canna, Hydrangea, Sunflower, Strelitzia, Lagerstroemia, Wild Ginger, Golden Shower and other orchids.  These are often accompanied by foliage grown under the shade of my Christmas trees like Cordyline, Diffenbachia, Dracaena and ferns.

 

My favourite corner: :lagerstroemia with other plants

My garden is not only aesthetic but practical too. Two mature mango trees fruit regularly and have made many of my friends drool with happiness. We often have guava, banana, papaya and boiled groundnuts for dessert.  Vegetables enjoyed throughout the years include brinjal, ladies’ finger, sweet potato leaves, cucumber, bitter gourd, long beans and chives.  Green leafy ones like spinach, lettuce, choy sam, pak choy and kale, harvested at a moment’s notice are warmly appreciated by guests.  

Brinjal: ready for harvesting

Ginger: freshly harvested

Bird's eye chilli

Turmeric

Mint

Kale

Basil: great for garnishing

Chives

Spinach

Sweet potato leaves

 I have a new hobby, topiary.   A row of potted Duranta awaits my eager hands.  It is fun to create animals from plants!  However, since they are still in the infant stage, they do not resemble any animals on earth yet.                        

                                                                   

The environment of my home reflects my love for greens.  In front of my house, an Ixora shrub, a red palm and Cordyline, both with Duranta border are unmistakable landmarks. Behind my house is a compost heap.  This organic recycling nourishes my vegetables and plants.  Very often, beautiful coloured birds feed on my lawn; they know it is chemical-free! 

   Everyone likes to have a place for quiet relaxation, inspiration or meditation or just a place to stand and stare. For me, it is my garden, my Little Eden.   

...............................................................................................................................

This article was published in The Straits Times (Malaysian newspaper) on 20th November 1999. More photos (taken in 2015) are added here. My garden has changed and evolved through the years. Now in 2015, I have a practical vegetable and herb garden and less aesthetic flowering plants.