Growing a Malaysian Garden

A garden landscape designer’s passion for recapturing “carefree outdoor living” inspires this homegrown landscape design concept that knows no end.

Garden with Attitude

Our infatuation with all things foreign is an all too familiar fact. Well, not for long – if Desmond Ho of Terra Garden has his way – as far as gardens go. Not content to borrow from well-established garden themes such as the English, Mediterranean or Japanese gardens, Desmond and his team meticulously researched outdoor living spaces throughout the length and breath of Malaysia in search of the quintessential Malaysian garden. He was determined to rekindle the love of the great outdoors among Malaysians – urbanites especially.

Although the starting point of any garden design is the question of style, it is in the fleshing out of the substance of this concept that leaves its mark of distinction. Ho goes back to his early roots and speaks of long hours spent outdoors: catnapping in the dappled shade of trees, frolicking in the afternoon sun, sluicing off the heat with cold water from the village well, and feasting under the moonlit skies during the mid-autumn festival. The concept would not only be a showcase of our rich heritage of arts and crafts but would also embrace outdoor living as a lifestyle. Thus was birthed the Neo Nusantara garden. The felicitous term “Nusantara” is used in a cultural context to mean the “Malay Archipelago.”

Desmond was keen to point out at the very outset that he was not out to make a fashion statement with the Neo Nusantara garden because as with all style statements, they come and go. He wanted a garden that Malaysians can claim as their own, just as we have the Malaysian batik. In short, a classic garden that truly reflects Malay architectural culture, taking into account traditional design elements and craftsmanship, local materials and weather conditions.

The result is a garden that sets the stage for a veritable feast of the senses: rich hues of timber set off by verdant foliage that titillate the eye, soothing sound of gurgling water, fragrant whiff of flowers and herbs in the air, interesting interplay of textures, and the piquant flavor of edible of spices. The Neo Nusantara garden can serve as an enchanting extension to entertain alfresco, a peaceful retreat to shed the cares of the world, or even a boudoir to kick back in style.

Striking A Theme

Physical reminders are the thread that binds us to the past. In the case of the Neo Nusantara garden, the team preserves a slice of our rustic past by introducing a stunning range of traditional outdoor furnishings that are both practical and decorative, with each item bearing a whimsical Malay term. A garden dressed in these enchanting accoutrements harkens to a bygone era brimming with the allure of the exotic East.

The pangkin, or raised timber decking, takes pride of place as a resting spot. The dayang bunting is a terra cotta pot used as a water feature with elaborate carvings of tropical motifs of the bunga ketumbit or kerrawang on its frame. The kuda-kuda (kukur), a multi-purpose timber bench named after a traditional coconut scrapping device, doubles up as a bench or a display unit for potted plants. Lighting, provided by the ceramic lampu obor and mounted on a lattice screen patterned after the kain pelekat (traditional kilt), casts a dramatic silhouette in the stillness of night.

From Desmond’s point of view, it is national pride in our cultural identity that should form the basis in designing our outdoor space. “Although I refuse to accept that the Malaysian garden is made up of carpet grass lawn with a couple of fruit trees thrown in, there isn’t a right or wrong when it comes to interpreting our garden culture,” he admits. “A Malaysian garden must reflect a tropical theme that is a harmonious fusion of the Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures. Apart from that, it’s all up to you,” Ho asserts.

Nestled in Nostalgia

Uncovering ideas for designing a garden from ground zero can mean taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane. What emerges is a scent-filled sanctuary with a soothing sense of déjà vu.

For many homeowners, deciding on an appealing outdoor design can involve duplicating specific garden styles, going with the flow, or simply be the outcome of long drawn-out planning. But in the case of the lady of this custom-built house in a gentrified sprawling neighborhood of Shah Alam, childhood memories of the glorious outdoors provided valuable clues to her personal style.

At street level, a neat formal planting of ficus mopheads, with their base encircled by a border of white-flowered cuphea on a wide fringe of grass makes for a cheerful welcome at the entrance to the property. On entering the gates, a well-manicured lawn beside the gently graded driveway greets the eye. Despite not having the luxury of a sprawling space, the homeowner has not succumbed to the temptation of paved parking or patios under the scorching sun. The long, narrow side- and backyard lawns wrap around the house providing easy access from one section of the garden to another.

What is striking about this contemporary tropical garden is the absence of any trees along its perimeter to screen out the outside world, yet it is designed to provide plenty of space for shrubs, container plants, vines and specimen plants arranged within an attractive framework. This planting style hints at the wide open spaces of kampong homes where maintaining a friendly continuity with adjacent properties makes for a good neighbor policy.

What this garden design lacks in vertical height provided by trees is more than offset by the charm from the rich diversity of plants that has been woven into its design fabric. Foliage and flowering plants either planted into the ground or nurtured from ornamental containers border the perimeter of the garden grounds not only provided the bones of this garden but fill this garden with bright, cheerful colors, interesting textures and a myriad of forms. A number of shrubs and creepers add both color and fragrance such as the cananga odorata, agardenia carinata, murraya paniculata, rangoon creeper and the vallaris glabra. Clearly, favorite plants have not only dictated the selection of plants. The landscape designer has also chosen plants that fit in with the garden theme and plants that complement the framework such as those that repeat the colors, textures and forms of other plants, which is ideal for connecting the spaces in the garden.

This ornamental garden with its rich assortment of native plants is not only alluring to the human eye but is an ideal habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife with seeds, fruit and edible flower buds providing abundant sources of food. It is also an example of a garden that celebrates the colors and textures of our native landscape with a simple approach to design that requires relatively low maintenance.

The juxtaposing of two or more plants has a pleasing visual effect and is a repetitive element in the planting style of this garden; a lively mix of blooms such as the showy clusters of heliconia rostrata and the cheery drifts of tumera provides an interesting blend of tone and texture and softens the edges of the hardscape.

While the masses of plants around the garden may provide a sense of flow, it is the distinctive countryside charm of the stilted cengal gazebo installed above a pool located at the north-facing sideyard that brings this garden into focus. A straight pathway of timber slabs helps guide the eye from the front lawn to a raised cengal decking bordering the gazebo. The decking doubles as an effective way to deal with the sloping ground on which the house is sited. In addition, the raised structure forms a vantage point not only for taking in attractive views within the property but those beyond its boundaries.

The timber-floored gazebo, which takes inspiration from the anjung of traditional Malay houses, has been given a modern twist; a square slab of tempered transparent glass in the centre of the timber flooring creates a sensation of being afloat. This airy shingle-roofed structure is a pleasant getaway from everyday existence for the family to lose themselves among the sounds of rustling foliage, cascading water and birdsong, evoking a romantic atmosphere of the exotic tropical East. The occasional splashes of colour of birds flitting from plant to plant add an element of surprise to the garden setting.

A two-tier wall fountain, powered by a recirculating pump forms the backdrop to the raised decking and gazebo. The yellow, timber-grained palimanan stone walls interspersed with granite panels give textural interest and lend contrast to the dark tones of the gazebo and decking. Cascades of water gush invitingly from three niches into a trough, which then plunge loudly in a broad shimmery curtain into a rectangular pond installed below the gazebo.

A cosy terrace sited opposite this compelling scene is outfitted with a roof of tinted polycarbonate which guarantees reprieve from the pelting rain. Furnished with stylish, comfortable teak furniture, this extension of the house provides the family with an inviting setting for eating fresh-air meals on a balmy evening, relaxing with friends and drinking in the fragrance that wafts in the night breeze. This outdoor room built at the same level as the decking and the interiors also serves as the main crossroads between the house and the garden, and makes for a comfortable transition between the indoors and out.

A herb patch is strategically located at the far end of the backyard. Inter-planted with other edibles such as the cilli padi and pandan, the herbs thrive in full sun and in well-drained soil. Heading for the herb patch placed right outside the kitchen is like visiting the pantry for culinary ingredients. One can imagine the delight of the lady of the house nipping out of the kitchen and snipping a few curry or kesum leaves for that extra zing to a traditional family recipe.

A meandering path of leaf imprinted concrete pavers leads from the service access gate and ends at the bottom of a short flight of steps leading to the raised level of the sideyard directly opposite the decked area around the pool. The flight of steps provides a welcome vertical dimension to the garden as well as tempts the visitor to explore the garden beyond the path.

The ornamental terracotta and sandstone urns that are placed sporadically around the garden introduce accent and balance to the garden design. They also pull double duty as garden lighting, and together with the wayang lights lend a rustic and romantic charm once the sun has gone down.

Movable furniture such as the wrought iron dining set with a bronze finish as opposed to the timber bench built-into the deck rails helps make the visitors feel at home in the garden as guests feel more at ease in individual chairs. Placed just outside the pergola, its delicate details and curves blend nicely with the surrounding plants. Finished with a powdered coat ensures it lasts longer and is rust-free.

With all the design elements to make this garden as comfortable as it is alluring, it is no small wonder that guests to this spacious home never have to be invited outdoors. With its scintillating combination of sights, sounds and smells, who needs to?

Minimalist Magic

Minimalism is hitting the high C’s with its crisp contemporary lines, and clutter-free concept. And why not in this day and age?

We may have just breezed into the month of August but already landscape designer YK Tang of Nature Décor, a local garden landscape company, is witnessing a noticeable trend emerging in the suburban garden landscape - minimalism.

What’s Minimalism?
The mantra of “less is more” couldn’t be more appropriate in defining the minimalist garden: simple forms and a restrained palette of natural materials and plants drawn into a unified whole through repetition and geometry. The minimalist garden can probably trace its roots to the Zen gardens of the classical Japanese era. These were gardens of harmoniously arranged rocks and white raked gravel cultivated by Japanese Zen monks as a quiet haven for peaceful contemplation. Unlike the stark minimalism of Zen rock gardens, the contemporary minimalist garden has a simple, pared-down elegance, occasionally with a hint of flamboyant self-expression.

With fewer components used in the minimalist garden, the viewer is able to appreciate and enjoy the spaces between the elements such as stone, wood or plant as individual showpieces in their own right.

Why Minimalism?
And is it any surprise at all that with so much of our lives in overdrive that this understated garden style is currently enjoying its demographic moment, and ideally expressing the mood of the times. “While garden landscape trends can be swayed by designer’s influence, homeowners are to a larger extent inspired by lifestyle and economics. Just as clutter-free indoor spaces are the trend these days, so it is for the garden and landscape,” reveals Tang.

With land prices going at a premium, the suburban garden is shrinking in size. Whether it is brand new construction, generous extensions or total makeover, hulking homes or multiple-car porches are surely swallowing up the outdoor space. “Certainly, today’s tight-spaced gardens bode well for the minimalist garden,” adds Tang

It is the very essence of restrained simplicity of the minimalist garden that allows a spectator to unwind from the clutter, noise and frantic activity of modern life, making it an oasis of serenity. Its combination of clean lines, clearly-defined hard landscaping and unmistakable sense of space is especially appropriate alongside contemporary architecture. With a restricted palette of plants and building materials, this particular style can also be decidedly low-maintenance and is ideal for the suburbanite stretched for time.

Piecing the Minimalist Mosaic

So when it comes to nailing the minimalist mood for the outdoors, what are some of the defining features?

Harmony Rules The combination of natural materials such as wood, bricks, gravel and stone laid out in a configuration of bold, simple lines or in geometrical patterns appears united and cohesive.
Strong design Striking hardscaping is used to great effect, providing drama and character.
Limited plant palette A restricted number of plant varieties with one plant dominant and any others minor achieves a sense of order and balance. Architectural plants with a fuss-free nature such as sanseviera, dracaena margarita, bamboo or the cycad against stark neutral colored walls can make strong statements. Ornamental grasses make for softer planting and are wonderful as ground covers and accent plants. Alternatively, dwarf trees and shrubs in containers are also ideal.
Pathway panache Stone walkways or stepping stones add pattern and a sense of destination. They are usually curved or meandering.
Water Wonder Formal, geometrical, raised or flush, it can be single level or several, the water feature takes on the important role as focal point and as a source of white noise. Aquatic plants or ornamental fish enhances further its visual interest.
Neutral colours set the tone for a soothing colour scheme, sometimes with a touch of accent colour.
Strong inside-outside relationship An extension of the living space is seamlessly created by a restrained geometric layout and a unifying colour scheme. The use of a pared-down style of outdoor lighting, garden accessories and furniture also adds to this effect, allowing the space to feel larger than it is.
Simple, earthy and organic accessories Containers with clean, sleek lines such as a tall narrow planter with a height higher than its diameter or those with vertical sides or sculptures and ornamentation bearing a stripped-down appearance or are inspired by Zen or Oriental influences.
Focal point in its own right Every feature and plant has its own sense of place and has been carefully chosen and sited.
Functional furniture Comfortable outdoor furniture with simple planes allows the spectator the luxury of simply sitting back and enjoying the all-pervading ambiance of calm and serenity. Hardwood, concrete, or granite products are not only weather-resistant but blend well within the minimalist milieu.

If there’s one thing we can learn from the rising popularity of the minimalist-inspired outdoors is that a garden design need not always be complex to be successful.

Thinking of a minimalist makeover for the garden but still mystified on how to proceed? Now might just be as good a time as any to consult the professionals.