Taman Bunga is a vast collection of flowers

Taman Bunga is a vast collection of flowers

CIPANAS, West Java (JP): It was 8:15 a.m on a public holiday.
The flower park had not opened for the day, but some visitors had
already arrived. They parked their cars and waited for the clock
to strike 9 a.m., when the gate would open.

They walked around the parking area, which was adorned with
neat flower beds. Some posed for pictures among the flowers,
while some took a rest and relaxed after the long drive to the
park.

Welcome to Taman Bunga Nusantara, the Nusantara Flower Park,
located in Kawung Luwuk village in Cipanas, West Java, about 90
kilometers south of the capital.

Home to nearly 1,000 flora species, the park is usually
crowded at weekends and on holidays, when the gate sometimes
opens 30 minutes early due to demands from impatient early birds.

The park's general manager, Russel Autrey, said the number of
visitors had increased rapidly since President Soeharto
officially opened the park on Sept. 10, 1995.

"We're still relatively unknown," Autrey said, "but the number
of visitors has continuously grown."

In the first year, the park attracted about 250,000 people.
Managed by Bunga Nusantara Foundation, the park expects about
400,000 visitors in the second year.

Most visitors come from Jakarta and Bandung, he said.
Expatriates and foreign tourists make up only 5 percent of the
visitors.

"The foreign visitors are mostly older Dutch tourists on bus
tours," Autrey said.

The main entrance of the park resembles the setting of a
country club. Upon entering through the main gate, one
immediately sees a colorful display of butterfly-shaped
Australian plant arrangements. The display is the latest addition
to the park.

Next to that is the elaborate kipas (fan) display.

"The kipas display is the most expensive and largest display
in the park. Its plants need to be changed once every two months,
costing us about Rp 4 million," said Autrey.

He and his wife Kim have been working at the park since its
opening.

The 23-hectare park, which is 750 meters above sea level, is
divided into 10 smaller parts with different themes.

The closest garden to the gate is the Rose Garden. It features
over 100 rose varieties from America and Australia which have won
top awards in national rose contests in the two countries. The
roses are named after famous people, such as Dolly Parton, Bing
Crosby and JFK. There are also the Disco rose, Temptations rose
and other roses with unique names.

Another part of the park is the Water Garden, where a newly
built amphitheater is located.

"The stage has yet to be used. We plan to stage live music
every Sunday," Autrey said.

The stage is located in the middle of a large pond, inhabited
by eight pairs of swans. There are two pairs of European white
swans, two pairs of Asian black necked swans and four pairs of
Australian black swans.

The park has an international theme. The French Garden has
geometric designs and low hedges of the 17th century; the
American Garden not only has typical American country garden
plants like roses and shrubs, but also many wild plants to
replicate the country's woodland meadows; the Japanese Garden
reflects the peacefulness of meditation, silence and simplicity
of the traditional Japanese garden.

Other parts of the park include the Mediterranean Garden with
about 200 types of cactuses and trees native to arid Spain,
Portugal, Greece and Italy.

The Balinese Garden was landscaped by Balinese artists using
local, African and Australian plants. Statues of Hindu gods such
as Vishnu and Shiva, and Dewi Sri stand at the gate and in the
small pond inside the garden.

Other special features are the Palm Garden, with nearly 100
species from around the world, and the Bougainvillea Garden which
houses over 100 species of bougainvillea imported from tropical
countries such as the Philippines and South America.

Facilities

Visitors with children can take their little ones to play in
the seven-hectare Alam Imajinasi amusement park. And those
wanting to avoid the scorching sun can relax in the park's
nursery or the Dutch Greenhouse. Visitors can also view the
colorful spread of the park from the 28-meter viewing tower.

Autrey said the number of species in the park had increased
greatly from the 300 species it had when it first opened.

With an investment of US$6.7 million, the park needs about Rp
120 million a month for operational costs, including its payroll
for 200 employees, he said. The park breaks even with the revenue
generated from entrance fees.

"Our income varies depending on the season. During school
holidays or Idul Fitri, we can earn about Rp 200 million a month.
In slow months we usually earn about Rp 100 million," he said.

Entrance per person is Rp 5,000.

About 90 percent of the plants are imported, mostly from
Australia and the United States. The remaining 10 percent are
native Indonesian plants, Autrey said.

The park has about 40 species in its nursery which it recently
imported from Australia.

"Australian plants are the most adaptable compared to plants
from other continents," he said.

Other plants such as palms come from African countries, he
said.

The parks' sister company, PT Bina Usaha Flora which is
located 200 meters away, supplies it with seeds imported from
America, Australia and other continents.

Some of the more exotic plants are imported directly from
abroad. (yan/das)