Add color to life with a flower garden

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When well-planned and properly-maintained, flower gardens can provide an attractive profusion of colors that has never been out of fashion.

The beauty of flower garden often invites beautiful creatures like birds an butterflies to visit and has been a source of inspiration for painters and poets alike.

For many fans of flower gardens the relaxing views are also considered as a wonderful setting for a sip of coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon.

And though such a garden have flourished in European countries, flower gardens do have their fans in tropical countries like Indonesia.

"The concept may be adopted but the types of flowers have to be carefully selected to ensure that they can thrive after the planting," said landscape designer Muzia Evalisa, director of PT Bougenvillea Cipta.

She added that it is important to know what kinds of flower garden to be established, soil condition and the house's exposure to the sun.

"Most flowering plants requires full or partial sun. This is why people whose garden receives partial or limited sun exposure, may have to combine other plants to create a desirable effect," Muzia explained.

After analyzing the location, it is also important to improve the soil condition to make it more favorable for the plants to grow.

Usually, soil in Jakarta needs to be mixed with compost not only to enable penetration of the plants' roots but also to give them the nutrients they need.

House owners also need to carefully choose the flowering plants for their gardens.

Muzia differentiated the plants into tall plants or trees (Largerstroemia speciosa, bauhinia, casia) medium-height plants (pagoda flower, hibiscus, gardenia, bougenville, kumis kucing or Orthosiphon Singapore, roses, orange jasmine, oleander, canna, heliconia), shrubs (vinca, rhododendron, phlox, begonia, lantana, plumbago, ixora, pentas) and ground cover (protulaca). The types of herbaceous flowering plants is further divided into perennials (that has a life cycle of more than two years) and annuals (that provide bright colored flowers which will die out shortly after the first bloom).

"High altitude areas, like in Puncak has a favorable climate for flowering plants to grow, while low altitude areas like Jakarta, is better for perennials flowers," she added.

This is why, flower lovers who are attracted to the intense- colored, bigger-blossomed flowers that grow in Puncak, should not be tempted to bring the plants to their Jakarta homes as the plants would not grow as they would in Puncak.

Same flowering plants can be planted in an individual cluster that can be shaped into a neat form but they can be arranged in layers of different heights to expose their colorful blossoms.

"Family with children are not advised to plant oleander as it is poisonous and piercing plants like agave as accompanying plants," Muzia said.

There are also flowering water plants, like lotus, nymphea, water poppy and water jasmine, that can provide an interesting touch to the garden landscape.

As for maintenance, flowering plants like other plants need daily watering and monthly fertilizing.

Some plants, like rose, need to be pruned regularly, especially after flowering period. This is done to maintain its desirable shapes and to enable it to blossom again.

Periodic cutting is also required for plants that are planted in cluster to keep the cluster in a neat shape.

Muzia said that you can also establish a quick flower garden for special occasions. All you have to do is arrange several groups of flowering plants, in polybags and put them in huge decorative pots or containers in the garden.

You can also arrange the plants on the floor and cover the polybags with grass or natural stones. With proper maintenance, these kinds of arrangements can last for up to a week.