Alang-Alang and Atap Nipah

Alang-alang is made from dried leafs collected from the forest, mountains or island. ‘Alang-alang’ derived from Indonesia language which means weed , in Malay language is called ‘Lalang’. Alang-alang grows wild in some of the forest by nature and is above 3 meter height sometimes. When this ‘alang-alang’ is matured, it is cut off from the stem at bottom. The moist in the alang-alang will dry out under full sun exposure for few days. These dried leafs will be tied and stitch to a long bamboo(which has been wedged to small piece)  by using string (Ijok).

Alang-alang

Alang-alang come in a size of  300cm (L) x 60 cm (W). It is used to lay on top of the roof of a gazebo with the alang-alang overlap at a distance of between 3-6cm. It provide a cosy environment for relaxing under the gazebo.

Balinese Gazebo with the alang-alang roof

To build a gazebo in your garden is a great idea and certainly you will be excited as what design of the gazebo will have in your mind.  Are you thinking of constructing a customized gazebo or getting a ready-made gazebo?  Constructing a customized gazebo is more on a personal choice because it is designed in accordance to your personal requirement .

How do you decorate with a garden gazebo? There are many landscaping techniques and options that you can use for creating a beautiful backyard garden with a garden gazebo.

Alang-alang thatched roof done by skilled workers 

6 meter L x 6 meter W gazebo by the lake

Authenthic Balinese Gazebo

Gazebo built by the pool

Gazebo at the entrance of guard house

Alang-alang roof structure  in front of a restaurant 

Alang-alang roof provide a cooling effect at the restaurant

2meter L x 2 meter W mini gazebo at the beach side

Atap nipah

Atap nipah is another type of dried leave can be used to lay on the roof. 

Hanging Plants

Are we aware that the air we breath in everyday is actually produce from the living plants like trees, grass, green plants and flowers. It is like a factory supplying oxygen everyday to cater for our needs and to balance the eco system in our surrounding. Plants play an important role nowadays and we knew that decorating some plants indoor could provide a cooling effect at home, purify the air and filter the pollutant particles too. Hanging plants is one of the option to be considered especially for those who are living in the condominium with space constraint. There are varieties of hanging plant to choose from green leafs, flowers or creepers and is depend on how you want to decorate it.

Green leafs eg. money plant, fern, ficus variegated, spyder plant, peporomia, English ivy is certainly easy to maintain, you can consider this option if you don’t have much time to care for the plants. Choosing hanging flowers eg. Pertunia, vinca rosea, lipstick, torenia is more challenging as is need to care regularly like trimming, apply fertilizer and pesticide. Flowers tend to attract insects too. Hanging flowers will make so much different as it light up the atmosphere at home. Hanging creepers eg. mandivillea, morning glory, madagascar jasmine blends well if you have a mesh wire or a small pergola.

Mandevilla or also called Dipladenia

Morning glory

Morning glory belongs to vine category, it could climb faster (15-20cm overnight) than any other creeper. It climb towards the direction of  sunlight. It is known as 牵牛花 (Qiān niú huā) in Mandarin.The purple flowers glow when it bloom every morning and close in the afternoon. Flower all year long and grow wild in the tropical weather.When this plants become established over the fencing or pergola, you will notice it blooms almost every week in sequence. It is advisable to trim it when overgrown in order to be neat and tidy.

 English Ivy

The leafs look unique like maple leaf and is variegated. Need extra care for the roots can't take too much water and indirect sunlight is good enough. I have seen this plant growing healthily in high land like Cameroon Highland and it blends well in English garden .

 Common name: Monkey Cup

Tropical jungle plant and is eating insects from the top of the cup. Grow under the shade area with moisture  is most suitable. Need not apply any fertilizer as the instinct of the plant is to catch insect to feed itself. Recommended for using moss as growing medium.

Torenia fournieri

Common name as Bluewigs. Colors of the flower dark purple and pink. Can grow in full sunlight or half sunlight. Flowers all year and can display as hanging plant or grow on the ground.

Money plant

This is another evergreen plant known as 'Wan Nien Ching' in Mandarin. The leaf with a little yellow color patch is always misunderstood as insufficient nutrient but if fact I personally think it makes the plant more interesting rather than green leafs.

Fern

Leafs is dense and bushy. Suitable for indoor or with litte sunlight. Water this plant alternate days will be good and for re-potting recommended to use compost soil as to enhance the roots system.

Scientific name : Chlorophyton

Often called 'Spider plant' and it multiplies easily as the bottom of the leafs hanging with the offspring tiny leafs can be cut and re-pot for propagation. Easy to care for this plants with moderate water once to twice a day direct or indirect sunlight.

Peporomia

Looks standout from other peporomia species the leafs give a 'cooling effect' and grow at normal room temperature. Use this plant to brighten the office environment or at home. Water once a day and spray on leafs to look fresh.

Outdoor Plants

If you have an outdoor garden and ready to start a landscape from scratch, you can get ideas from magazines about gardening, sources from internet or visit to any landscape nursery in vicinity to get advice. After collecting all the information, you could decide how is the design of the landscape and to choose the type of plants you want to blend into your garden, stepping stones, pebbles, water fountains, garden lights and others garden decoration items such animal character, figurine can be considered. It is entirely up to you and can add on progressively to enhance your garden. 

To make your garden beautiful, it is not an overnight work. Patience is important and effort to beautify it from time to time, regular maintenance like watering, trimming, fertilizers, pesticides to repel insects, bugs is a must. Each type of plant has its own character in terms of taking volume of water, sunlight, soil condition and nutrient. The more time you spend on gardening, you will be able to study the character of each plant. This is important as careful nurture of each plant will produce amazing result. When the flowers bloom, lush of healthy green leafs will make your garden looks beautiful.

Loropetalum chin. var. rubrum

The color of the leave turn red under full sunlight, pink color flower throughout the year and need to trim the leave regularly in order to bloom. It can be cultured into a bonsai from early stage and it looks great.Native to China, Japan and South-eastern Asia. Wikipedia

Christmas tree

The most sought after tree during the Christmas season and the size range from 30 cm - 3 meter available. During festive season this tree might be slightly costly as shopping centre, commercial shops and residence use as a decoration.

Synonym : Eugenia oleina

Scientific name : Syzygium Campanulatum origin from Indo-China. The leaf color is reddish and yellow as regular trimming will  promote new leafs turn to those colors. It can be trimmed into any shapes from hedges to triangles shape like christmas tree or bonsai type.

Alocasia Black

Leafs look like elephant ear and can grow up to at least 2 meter from the ground. Takes on full sunlight and moderate water will do once a day.

Ficus variegated

Imported from China and the leafs is variegated. This three is grafted with trunk height 3 meter. Full sunlight and it can survive without water for many days.

Jasmine dwarf bonsai

Regular trimming needed to maintain its shape, blooms all year and size of this bonsai 80 cm. Recommended for bonsai enthusiasts beginer. Though the flower is not scented but it looks nice like a 'star' shape and it blooms over the plant.

Plants suitable for office

Money Plant

The scientific name is called Epipremnum aureum. Is it aslo known as 'Wan Nien Ching' or 'Wang Jin Ger' in mandarin. The dark green leave will creep upwards at the center of the stick. This tropical plant could be easily propagated by just cutting the stem of the plant then transfer to another pot fill with soil, place it under a shaded area for few weeks and water it alternate days before the roots start growing again.

Dieffenbachia 'Exotica'

Origin from Costa Rica with the variegated green leaves on the surface and it can grow above 1 meter. It is a common indoor plant which is easy to maintain, water 2-3 times a week.

Ficus Lyrata

Known as filddle-leaf fig and native to West Africa. Looks nice in pot and commonly seen in hotels, shopping malls, office and inhouse. Easy to maintain and water 4-5 times a week.

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Iron tree

Also known as Dracaena fragans and this is a popular feng shui plant for office. The plants is upright and unbranched stem is best choice for office with limited space.

Pachira or common name known as 'US Dollar'

The unique of this plant is twisted trunk look like 'pony tail' can be placed indoor or outdoor. This plant is tough in nature with low maintenance. Water 2-3 times a week as long as the soil is wet.

Raphis Excelsa or common name Monkey Palm

The plant is bushy if it is well taken care and it can adapt easily either indoor or outdoor area. The stem is multiplied  that can grow up to 3 meter. It is belongs to fan palm family and origin from Southern China and Taiwan.

Calathea Species

There are lots of Calathea species and the unique of this plants is the leafs marking on the surface with array of colours which in a ‘zebra’ pattern. Calathea  is one of the most beautiful and reputation greenhouse tropical plants. It prefers warm and humid conditions with well drained mix soil to enhance roots growth. Moderate sunlight is the best condition for this plants. Moderate watering once to twice a day to keep the soil moist will be good . Feed the plants with liquid foliage or granules fertilizer once a week. If the plants have outgrown the pot after some time, You can either to transplant to a bigger pot or propagation is possible by division.

Calathea Makoyana

Calathea Insignis

Calathea plants can adapt well indoor provided there is good ventilation. If the plants is not healthy after a period of time, what I can suggest is to move the plants to outdoor where there is morning dew, fresh air and a little sunlight to recover, perhaps it takes between 2-3 weeks to nurture, remember to apply fertilizer once a week until the plant become nice and healthy. Humus fertilizer N (Nitrogen) 8 : P (Phosphorus ) 8:  K (Pottasium) 8 is recommended. N:P:Kdefinition  is as followed:

N - Nitrogen is required  for the size and amount of new growth and it make the leafs greener. Nitrogen is also responsible for cell multiplication and protein manufacturing.

 P - Phosphorus is also important  for cell division and is associated with promoting root growth and flowering.
  K - Potassium will activate cell enzymes and is monitoring overall cell activity to be healthy.

Calathea Zebrina

Calathea Medallion

Calathea sp