The Al-Bukhary Foundation Gardens

The Islamic museum, situated at the fringe of the Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, noted for its numerous domes beautifully crafted by craftsmen from Iran and Uzbekistan, was built and managed by the Albukhary foundation. Up north in the peninsula in the state of Kedah we were told of the Albukhary complex, that is to become a development for the muslim community.Curious to see the garden design for a large Islamic concept complex in tropical surroundings, we took the trip up north.

Rivers

The water cascades over the small rocks by the bank. Making soothing sounds for its inhabitants. It gently glides pass the overgrown blades of grass that dips into the transparent refreshing glass. Insects of all kinds either smoothly skate on its thin skin while others dive to the mushy land below in search of food and shelter. Golden leaves drop into it with ease and follow the current like a sheep following its herd

A thin blanket of green moss lazily sits on the rocks beside it, as if watching life passing it by. The sunlight glitters on the surface, some braking through, making a dappled effect on the bed below, but most obvious is the starry effect that the light makes on the surface of the water, like millions of tiny diamonds spread out all shining at once. The setting is a peaceful place, bursting with secret little lives either at the side of the river or in it itself. Looking at this paradise from afar one can feel such envy for the little pond skater or the mighty bull frog that are able to live in this Eden.

Edible Flowers

To many an onlooker, flowers have always been considered sensuous. Yet many of us have failed to realize that their beauty and colors have not only been admired but immortalized in pictures, poems and songs by man since centuries past. Their textures, tender to the touch and their scent exciting thoughts of love and endearment have long made man’s life less stressful, more pleasant and tolerable. 

However, how many of us are aware that some flowers we consume are not only pleasing to our taste but can even alleviate bodily aches or discomforts in addition to improving our health.  Whether we are feasting our eyes on their beauty, sensing their tenderness or getting a tantalizing whiff of their fragrance, flowers have a way of whetting our appetite in more ways than one can imagine.

Dressing up the carpark

The porch or car-park in most houses can be quite a bare space. At most, we tend to place potted plants as the space is usually tiled or cemented. It need not be so; we can visualize with our illustration. Recommended plants are creepers such as Passiflora coccinea, Quisqualis indica, Odontaderia speciosa or the Thunbergia grandiflora.