By Johnni Wong | Aug 4, 2010
Master of the Fusion Garden, Dr Frank Ow
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| Frank takes meticulous care of his own garden |
Former surgeon turned landscape designer Dr Frank Ow garden projects with the same precision as dictated by his medical training. Together with his wife, Liana, 41, who is an interior decorator, the good doctor realise their dream of a gorgeous garden that seems to defy the rules of light and shade.
"The more I do landscaping projects the more I learn about precision as well as flexibility Frank, 46, who finds creating venture and a lucrative business.
United Kingdom
Having studied in the UK in the Cotswolds and practised as a surgeon in Dublin and Belfast, he later found out that he was more passionate about handling trowels than scalpels. Subsequently, after returning to Malaysia more than 10 years ago, he set up his PondScapes company offering landscaping services.
“Obviously, being involved in landscaping is not a ‘clinical’ affair,” he jested, “I get a buzz out of taking plants and earth and creating something beautiful and living. It offers a three-dimensional effect to any space. In a sense, it is static yet dynamic.”
But it is not just any common garden. Frank combines the layered and structured look of summer gardens of England with tropical plants for a fusion style very much of his own making. Thus, what ordinarily won’t do well in the shade, thrives in all its variegated glory.
And the best example of Frank’s work is his own garden in Mutiara Damansara in Selangor, where he shares a 6,000sq ft, double-storey detached house with his wife and their three children, a couple of maids and myriad pets such as Wandering Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata) in his garden.
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| Calling his landscape design as a fusion style garden, Frank combines the layered and structured concept of English summer gardens with specific tropical plants for a romantic layout |
RM2.7mil
What attracted the couple to the buy the freehold property in 2006 for RM2.7mil, was the size of the land with the possibility of a large garden as well as the way the land was proportioned. Plus, the opportunity to renovate the house creatively.
“We didn’t know much about the area. The other options we looked into was Jalan Gasing (Petaling Jaya) and Country Heights (Kajang) but we found this place to be central enough and we can work from here,” confessed Frank.
The wedge-shaped lot spans a total of 10,600sq ft, with the front boundary at 28 feet, parallel sides of 120 feet and the backyard stretching 180 feet wide. The couple paid about RM150 per square foot at the time of purchase. But now, neighbouring lots are priced at over RM400 per square foot.
While the front garden offers a nice lawn of Manila Grass (Zoysia matranella) matched with a koi pond that reaches almost to the front doors, the side garden to the left of the house, is one long axis of stepped lawn that opens out to a huge expanse of space, fringed with colourful plants and trees. The right side of the house is the driveway leading to the garage.
With his concept of “living close to nature”, Frank literally, left no stone unturned in creating his own garden paradise.
The garden comprises some 30 species of trees and 50 varieties of shrubs and a dozen ground covers. From old-time favourites such as colourful Crotons to contemporary darlings of the gardening world, like the fern-like Tower Tree (Schizolobium parahybum) and the layered branches of the Madagascar Almond (Terminalia mantaly), known locally as the Bushido Tree. As for fragrant flowers, visitors will not fail to detect the distinctive scent of the Batai Laut (Copper Pod) and the White Plumeria (Frangipani) blooms.
And for the perfect night ambience, the garden is strategically lit with 45 accent lights to bring out the sheer magic of the landscaped grounds.
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| The custom-made dining table seats 12 people. The portal at the end opens to the expansive garden |
Interncontinental style
While the garden is the domain of the husband, the interior decor of the entire house is the work of Liana. Naturally, as an extension of her innate talent, this Chinese lady operates her own interior decorating business.
“I prefer the intercontinental look or what I call the Modern Rennaisance concept when it comes to home interiors. I also love the English cottage style but the concept has evolved into a tropical look especially in the back of my home,” said Liana who was a former stewardess before turning her hand to interior decorating. She charges between RM100 to RM150 per square foot for her services.
Fireplace
The remarkable thing about the living room is the presence of a serviceable heater in the form of a fireplace. Besides serving as a design device, both husband and wife - who lived in the US and UK for many years - missed the Western environment and wanted a nostalgic accent.
Said Frank: “It can be cold during the monsoon months due to a constant cool breeze blowing through the house.”
Sturdy grilles in the living room, offer a sense of security for the family while satin drapes and sheer curtains allow the choice of a garden view or drawing them for greater privacy.
The three-seater and singleseater sofas as well as stool and chaise lounge offer guests comfortable seating. The Tabriz carpet adds a bright accent to the design concept. Dominating the living room is a huge print depicting a scene from Mozart’s 1786 comic opera, The Marriage of Figaro.
Up a few short steps, is the dining hall which has French windows that open to the side garden, allowing yet another opportunity for the interior to embrace the garden. The custom-made 12-seater Indonesian teak dining table comes with matching chairs and a gilt-edge sideboard. A pair of ornate candlesticks complete the picture.
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| Liana favours European style furniture to achieve her design concept. Note the serviceable fireplace. |
Next to the dining hall is the European style kitchen, decorated with lots of figurines and bric a brac. Yet it is obviously functional and well looked after by the maids.The home office at the back serves as another great space for the couple to talk business which includes miraculous health supplements that keep them young and energetic.
The bedrooms upstairs also follow the European design theme with a huge and ornate wardrobe for the master bedroom. The guest room is painted in vibrant red for a bold look while soft furnishings come in floral prints, reminiscent of the heyday of Laura Ashley motifs. A family lounge here opens out to a balcony overlooking the tree canopy outside. The balcony is planted with grass for a “rustic” and “open ground” feel.
“And to prove to critics of roof gardens that it can be done,” said Frank, who has just been engaged to re-design a roof-top garden in Hong Kong.
And the audio-visual room has all the necessary gadgets for home entertainment plus a niche with a massage bed for any therapeutic kneading required.
Feng Shui garden
Having spent nearly RM700,000 to do up the garden and interior, the Ow Yang family certainly don’t need to venture far for sheer bliss. And for those who must know, Frank charges “from as low as” RM60,000 to RM250,000 for a tropical garden on a typical bungalow lot. The price includes all the plants and “hardware” plus labour cost. Besides thematic landscaping, his services include designing water features, filtration and servicing as well as landscape modification, lighting and garden maintenance.
Frank’s award-winning projects include the Best Landscaping Award 2000/2001 for a bungalow project in the Tropicana Golf & Country Resort in Selangor. By the way, he also creates Feng Shui garden concepts.
Dr Frank Ow Yang and Liana Abdullah can be contacted at 012- 8783122. E-mail the writer if you know of other inspirational homes.
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