Nymphaeaceae

Having spent the last year germinating from these Victoria amazonica seeds, Tropical Spice Garden has the pleasure of presenting the near adult species of this glorious lily. Kenny,  the Garden Curator, has earlier been in touch with Water Garden International after many failed attempts to germinate false, unviable seeds from other questionable sources.

Here’s a little info about these gorgeous lillies – a dynamic, sex changing, colour changing floatable giant lily pad!

It was introduced to the west by Sir Richard Schomburgk. He presented his findings to the London Botanical Society, generating both wonder and excitement. So much so that the plant was named Victoria regia in honor of the British Queen. Later it was changed to Victoria amazonica after its native location. Victoria amazonica comes from equatorial Brazil where it grows in calm waters along the mighty Amazon River.

Victoria's Beauty (pic courtesy of Canon Malaysia who visited April '10)

A notch in the middle of the leaf rim allows rainwater to drain from the surface of each pad. Numerous sharp spines cover the underside of the leaves, the stems, and the flower buds, protecting the leaves from animals and fish.

A web-like structure of hollow ribs are filled with air and provide for exceptional buoyancy. The most spectacular of all is that these pads can grow to about  seven feet in diameter.

Although the plant is mostly grown for its massive leaves, the robust flowers are just as intriguing. Similar in structure to other water lilies in the Nymphaeaceae family, Victoria flowers undergo an interesting “sex reassignment.”

The first evening, a blossom opens which is pure white, and through a thermochemical reaction it actually heats up to as much as 7degC! This assists the release of the flower’s sweet aroma and attracts a scarab beetle pollinator to stay for the night. The first night the flower is effectively female, receptive to pollen brought in by the beetle, but not yet releasing its own pollen. As the flower closes at daybreak, the beetle is trapped inside. Sometime the next day the anthers mature and a sex change occurs. As the confined beetle grazes it becomes covered in fresh pollen. The flower is no longer receptive, limiting the possibility of self-fertilization. The second evening the flower opens at dusk, releasing the powdered beetle to seek out a new receptive flower. A pleasing surprise is still in store for us.

The male flower magically turns a stunning shade of pink, almost magenta!

The first morning white Victoria (maybe we don't have the scarab beetle here in Malaysia?)

Spice & Flower bouquet for Dato

After having attended a ‘Gardens, Parks & Flowers in Malaysia’ meeting earlier this year in KL chaired by Dato’ Seri herself, I realized that we have now on our hands, a federal Minister committed and passionate about gardens and parks in Malaysia. Her vision for her time serving as Tourism Minister is to raise the standards and profiles of gardens and parks in Malaysia – believing that our rich and prolific natural heritage and biodiversity should be promoted to the world as a tourism asset as well.

So it was with great cheer that we welcomed Dato’ to Tropical Spice Garden yesterday when she requested a visit in hre usually busy schedule. Upon entering, I showed her the currently flowering Victoria amazonica (Amazon lily). She insisted our usually more shy Garden Curator, Kenny, follow her to give a running commentary of all the species that sparked her interest.

Dato looking at the Black Lily

The hordes of press and TV stations were having a field day with Dato’ stopping at every flower or plant of interest. She even climbed off the beaten trail to stand beneath the gorgeous Johannesteijsmania magnifica  (Silver Joey Palm) pretending to take shelter from the sun and rain as we explained that zinc roofing very possibly took its inspiration from this frond.

Dato insisted meeting all the tourists in the gardens

Having skirted through the Ornamental Trail, we headed for the Spice Terraces where I breathed a sigh of relief that we had just recently received our brand new aluminum signage – so all the trails were well sign posted. Along our walk, Dato’ was most pleased with the shadiness of the gardens emphasizing that gardens in Malaysia must take into consideration our climate when developing gardens, our in-house guides, whom she met 2 of that day – Raja and Uncle Lim and our signage.

The press conference was held at the Bamboo Garden and amongst the things she spoke about was bringing more ‘Music in the Gardens’ for all public gardens in Malaysia – small pockets events as she began to visualize string quartets being played at the Bamboo Garden.

Walking up to see the new restaurant

Her parting words were that she hoped Tropical Spice Garden would one day be in the ‘101 Must see Gardens of the World’ and that she would ensure that our gardens would be promoted throughout all her Tourism Malaysia offices in the world.

Thank you for your passion and encouoragement Dato’ and do come back to visit us again now that you will be making more trips to Penang! [note: she recently won the MCA seat for Penang] 

Dato's guestbook entry

The East Indies

Nutmeg, Buah Pala

Clove, Buah Cengkih

The importance of these 2 precious spice commodities could not be emphasized enough in the history of the spice trade. And the history of Penang.

Here’s some noteable facts on the origins of nutmeg & clove:

Nutmeg is found in large quantities on Isle of Run & Great Banda - Banda islands

Clove is found in large quantities on Tidore & Ternate Islands, Amboyna – Banda islands

The Dutch East India Company or VOC (in Dutch!) formed in 1602 was given a total monopoly of the Spice trade out of Holland for a total of 21 years. This was after years of itinerant sea captains and merchants all trying to set sail to the East Indies in search of spices.

The VOC would prove to be the most rugged, canon blasting and formidable force in the spice trade eventually ousting the Portugese and capitalizing over the weakning British East India Company (EIC) presence in the East Indies.

Spice Islands or Moluccas

Banda Islands

We are having a jumble sale selling mostly kitchen and household wares for cheap prices. We are also looking for buys for the slightly larger stuff too!

Here are the details of the event:

Venue: Tropical Spice Garden, Front Entrance

Date: Wed, 24 March 2010

Time: 2 – 5pm

Tell your friends about it! thanks

Please be informed that starting today, Spice Cafe is closed for renovations. Yep, the wooden decking is being broken up to be re-laid even more beautifully than before. It’s all go go go here at the gardens!

We have some wonderful things in store come June for the Cafe but Ill drop you a hint now – the restaurant will be much upgraded with a whole new menu and will also be open for dinner!

We are excited and will feed you bite size bits of information over the ensuing weeks.

Watch out for some great changes on 1 June 2010 !

Goodbye decking - hello renovations!

They proposed for the gardens to undertake to develop and grow a herb and spice garden just outside of the newly renovated Sigi’s by the Beach Restaurant.

Kenny having met the amiable Chef proposed a list of some 30 herbs and spices which was ok-ed shortly after. And so our guys were down there working amidst nails and stripped roofs to condition the soil and get it all right for the planting which was completed just before Chinese New Year.

The designated space was rocky, covered and generally seemed ‘forgotten’

Black pepper bamboo poles

We have managed to erect teepee looking bamboo poles for the black pepper vines and look out also for cardamom in the Zingerberaceae (gingers) patch as well as several plants of the vanilla orchid.

Amongst the other harder to come by herbs are the sawtooth coriander, ‘daun salam’ and sweet leaf – stevia. Some of the larger spice trees in are cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

Kenny Khoo, Garden Curator, supervising the finished spice garden

Today the little garden promises great, nourishing life to spring forth and serves as a little reminder of good, wholesome food cooked well by John and his team no less.

The garden will be complete with signage, information courtesy of Tropical Spice Garden, so remember to take a stroll through. We welcome all green fingers and patrons alike to sing a song for the herbs to flourish and take off in their new home for years to come.

Ok let’s cut to the chase with common terminology used among gardeners!

Perennial

adjective

1. lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring

2. (of plants) having a life cycle lasting more than two years

Examples of perennials at Tropical Spice Garden

1) Orthosiphon aristatus/ Cats whiskers

2) Cananga odorata / Ylang ylang shrub

3) Clerodendrum paniculatum / Pagoda flower

4) Saraca cauliflora / Yellow saraca ( planted next to stream near ‘Strangling Fig’)

Yellow saraca - Currently in bloom Feb 2010 at TSG

5) Brunfelsia eximia / Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow flowers [at garden entrance]

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - Multi coloured fragrant flowers

6) Lagerstroemia speciosa / Giant -Crape Mrytle [behind putat on Heliconia/ ginger walk]

This perennial is a dessiduous plant which means it loses its leaves at certain times of the year – usually during its flowering time. [more on dessiduous vs. evergreen next week]

Biennial [not typical of tropical flowers]

A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots, then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming a rosette.

Annual [not typical of tropical flowers]

In gardening, annual often refers to a plant grown outdoors in the spring and summer and surviving just for one growing season. Many food plants are, or are grown as, annuals, including most domesticated grains. Some perennials and biennials are grown in gardens as annuals for convenience, particularly if they are not considered cold hardy for the local climate.

Many annual flowering plants can behave like perennials in the tropics as it drops its seeds in autumn before the frost of winter sets in.

Examples of annuals at Tropical Spice Garden:

1) Musa paradisiaca / Banana flower – annual plants that flower all year round!

Musa paradisiaca - flower a.k.a. banana heart

2) Cannas – can be grown as an annual in colder climates

Catch us next week when we look into dessiduous vs. evergreen shrubs

Anna was a full time sculptor back in the UK where she was commissioned to do work for a private childrens hospitals and private homes. This was before embarked on a teaching career abroad only to land not so far down the road from us. Speaking with Anna, she soons reveals an effervescent personality full of colour and life much like the lantern bug she has created for us entirely from recycled rubber tyres and paint.

Beautiful colours of the lantern bug

The gardens constantly have their beady eyes open for artists and sculptors who who like to exhibit their works in the gardens along our trail. There’s just so much excitement for the family to ‘bump’ into strange and beautiful works on the spice garden journey.

So when exploring ideas for Anna’s sculpture, we knew we wanted it to represent a living creature and more so life too be found in the Malaysian rainforest. Lantern Bugs fit the bill perfectly with their naturally bright occurring bodies spanning the whole colour chart of the rainbow. Anna’s currently in the process of creating another one for us and that of course will be strategically placed to creep up the slope.

Try and spot me!

So come on by and try to spot our new friend at the gardens which joins other glorious pieces including Hitori Nakayama’s ‘Sound of the Earth’ black scultpure and Wong Keng Fuan’s ‘Tree of Life’ mosaic.

And for all you budding artists out there…remember our feelers are out and our doors are open!

PERIWINKLE

Catharanthus roseus

Family: Apocynaceae

The scientific name catharanthus is derived from the Greek word katharos which means ‘pure’. And anthos which means ‘flower’. [Incidentally, my name Katharine also has the same Greek derivations meaning pure! - ed]

2 significant alkoloids or drugs known as vinblastine and vincristine are used in the treatment of Hodgkin’s disease and leukemia respectively. Hence the use of the periwinkle flower for MAKNA – the national cancer society of Malaysia.

PENANG BOOK LAUNCH:

Penang under the East India Company

by Andrew Barber

The Penang Heritage Trust, Gallery 29 China Street and Karamoja Books 
cordially invite you to the launch of ‘Penang Under the East India Company 1786-1858’ by Andrew Barber. The book will be introduced by Dato’ Anwar Fazal at 29 China Street
6.30-8.30p.m. on Saturday 6th February 2010.

Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP Janet Saw, Penang Heritage Trust, Tel: 604 2642631

 

 

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