By Melisa Ng | Sep 10, 2009
The Soul Of A Malaysian Garden
A garden brings different meanings to different people.
Liberty Bailey, a horticulturist who lived in the early 1800's once said: “One plant in a tin can may be a more helpful and inspiring garden to some than a whole acre of lawn and flowers.”
To many, gardens are lands set aside for the cultivation of flowers, herbs, vegetables, or fruits, for either utility or ornament. However, to Desmond Ho, the creator of Malaysian Garden concept and founder of Terra Garden Sdn Bhd, he believes that a garden, no matter how small, is an important area for releasing stress and a source of enjoyment.
Desmond said “When someone mentions a Japanese Garden, immediately the image of Koi ponds and bonsai plants come to mind. Can you imagine a garden style that is aesthetically pleasing, highly functional and adaptable, and instantly recognisable as truly Malaysian? That is what we at Terra Garden want to create.”
What inspired Desmond to come up with a Malaysian garden concept was his inspiration and strong desire to tell his life story coming from a Baba descent. This gives him the privilege to see and experience a mixture of cultures and races in one.
His vision is to see this concept accepted by the majority of Malaysians and to forge a truly distinctive and instantly recognisable Malaysian garden. This will cultivate a sense of identity among us; having a common garden we can consider our own, one we would be proud to showcase to our foreign friends.
So what makes a Malaysian garden?
The interpretation of a Malaysian garden is one built by Malaysians for Malaysians. All the designs, components and style are developed in Malaysia by our very own Malaysian craftsmen. A Malaysian garden not only captivates visually but is also a sanctuary where you can rejuvenate your senses.
Malaysian art and craft is a distinctly unique blend of multiple cultures. What Desmond did to create our very own Malaysian garden was to borrow a few elements of our traditional culture and local plants and combined them in a modern representation.
Continue Your Reading: The Soul Of A Malaysian Garden
See Related Articles:
|