Epiphytic aroid suitable as shade plant

 Scindapsus perakensis

Family : Araceae - Aroid family

There are many old tall jungle trees at the park, mostly located at the Botanic Islands.  In their natural habitat the Scindapsus perakensis will climb tall trees to become lovely epiphytes that can be transplanted and made into house or shade plants.  Its spadix is creamish.  Among the Bidayuh people in Sarawak, a paste of the fresh leaves is used as poultice to treat swollen joints that are associated with rheumatism.  I have been collecting and transplanting many of them to be used as landscaping plants, especially for areas under heavy shade.

Reman Pasok (Bidayuh) - Scindapsus perakensis

Location : Botanic Island Two

Note the the epiphytic nature of this climbing aroid

( Re-post fro my blog "The Kambatik Park, Bintulu" - https://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/06/epiphytic-aroid-suitable-as-shade-plant.html )

Uprooting a beauty

t the  base of the clump into a root ball

Close up of Sandak or chisel

How do you uproot a beautiful palm and find home for it elsewhere, successfully?  At the park it done by simple manual method of trenching and  making the base of the palm like a ball.  By this method the root system is intact and the clump can be transplanted to its new home.  The main tool is the 'sandak' or chisel used for cutting the base of oil palm branches.  When the root ball is free it is a little effort to wedge it out of the trench.  The Sealing Wax Palm has been previously known as Cyrtostachys lakka but now it is called  Cyrtostachys renda.  It is native to Borneo, thus Sarawak, thus Bintulu.  The one that I removed today will be made as instant planting material for the Provinsi Lakka.  Today I saved RM 500, being the price of the palm this size at the current market value.

At this height , the palm will fetch RM 500 at any local nursery in Bintulu.

( Re-post from my blog "The Kambatik Park, Bintulu" - https://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/06/uprooting-beauty.html )

Planting the 'Golden Torch' in beds

Heliconia 'Golden Torch' planted in beds

Location : Heliconia Valley, Zone D

  Try planting the Heliconia 'Golden Torch' in beds.  The pleasure is when they start to produce their colourful bracts.  Once established they will provide unlimited supply for daily cut flowers.  They add striking yellow colour to the landscape everyday.  It is necessary to remove or cut the aerial shoots that have flowered to encourage new shoots.  This gardening practice will result in healthy looking and clean beds.  The 'Golden Torch' have vigorous rhizomes and is easily propagated by division.  They love semi-shade or partial sun conditions.  Many birds are attracted to its inflorescences especially the sunbirds and spiderhunters.  To see how I use the Heliconia 'Golden Torch' in floral art Kambatik style , follow this link ...>>>http://dailycutflowers.blogspot.com/2009/06/hail-to-heliconias.html

Heliconias when grown in beds provide flowering shoots daily througout the year.

Location : Heliconia Valley, Zone D

( Re-post from my blog "The Kambatik Park, Bintulu" - https://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/07/planting-golden-torch-in-beds.html )

Roundabout 3 in 1990

Roundabout 3 - view looking towards Bintulu- Miri Road

Location : The R 3 is located 3 miles ( 5 km)  from Bintulu town centre

Date taken : 14 August,1990

In 1990 there were four roundabouts in Bintulu.  The picture above shows the Roundabout 3, located at Km 5, Bintulu- Miri Road.  It was the biggest roundabout in Bintulu in the 1990's.  Over time all the four roundabouts were replaced with traffic lights junctions.  The building on top of the hill to the right is located within the Bintulu Police Divisional complex.  The yellow cover at the foreground are the yellow variety leaves of the Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) which was a popular ground cover for landscaping in the 1990's.  In the 1990's the landscaping and beautification of Bintulu were a cooperative effort involving three major agencies..i.e. the JKR (Public Works), SESCO and BDA. 

Traffic Lights junction replaced the roundabout

Picture taken : 28 January, 2014.

Aerial view of Roundabout 3 showing the landscaping works at the roundabout and traffic islands surrounding it.

Date taken : circa 1990

Note the striking yellow colours of the Sweet potato cover plant at the traffic islands surrounding the roundabout.

The roadside planting and roundabouts landscaping during this time were  mainly advised by Arthur George Alphonso, Bintulu's first horticultural consultant....go here to see some other projects George was involved in Bintulu ..>>http://mybintuluhistory.blogspot.com/2007/09/bintulus-first-horticultural-consultant.html

Landscaping of SMDS Administrative area

Overall view of SMDS Administrative area (foreground with green roof). 

 In the background at left are the storage tanks of BCOT ( Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal) and on the right of the picture at the top is partly seen the MLNG Sdn Bhd Office Complex (white buildings) and the LNG plant complex towards right of the picture.

Date taken : 22 December, 2014.

The Shell SMDS plant located at Bintulu is the first of its kind in the world to convert natural gas into synthetic oil products.  The products include high quality middle distillates such gasoil (diesel) and kerosene, as well as naptha, paraffins and wax.  To undertake this project in Bintulu, a joint-venture company was incorporated in 1989 with the equity structure as follow :- Shell Gas BV (60%), Mitsubishi Corporation (20%), Petronas (10%) and Sarawak State Government (10%).

In 1992, I was involved with the landscaping of the administrative area of the SMDS plant (see inset).  This job was one of the major landscaping works done by my company, Exxoplus Corporation Sdn Bhd. when it started operations in Bintulu in 1992.  I was fortunate to have met Mr. H W Van der Woerdt who was the Construction Manager for the SMDS plant in Bintulu then.  Pleased with my landscaping design proposal he later gave my company the job of actual planting the proposed design, besides just the design consultancy.  This job kept me busy for the first few months since I started the company.  Later in 1993, I did more landscaping jobs for the SMDS company especially in their housing area at Taman Matahari, Kidurong township.  Below are some views of the administrative area taken on 30th July,1992 while on a site visit to the area.

View of SMDS Administrative Area, taken on 30th July. 1992

View of the landscaping works around the Administrative area, taken on 22nd December,2014

View of the proposed landscaping area, taken on 30.7.1992

The buildings in green roofing belongs to SMDS, while the buildings in red in the background belongs to MLNG Sdn Bhd.

View of the planting, according to design proposal.

Image taken on 22 December,2014.

View of entrance to SMDS plant and office site.  The SMDS car parking area is at right.

Photo taken on 28 July'92 while on site visit to the proposed area for landscaping.

View of entrance to SMDS office and plant site  today, 28 January,2015.

( Re-post from my blog "Images of Bintulu - Before and Now" - https://bintulub4now.blogspot.com/2015/01/landscaping-of-smds-adminstraive-area.html