The Landscape Architect's Garden Tour | 18 TIPS to CREATE your own TROPICAL PARADISE

Hi everyone, welcome to my channel LivingAround. My name is Irene and today I am in a private garden that is located in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. This is in North Borneo. And this is a very special garden because it is the garden of a landscaper. I have never ever visited a garden that is like of the landscaper and I am really really excited to get started. Keith! Irene! Hello! Face bump! Nice to meet you Irene, finally. Nice to meet you at last. So overwhelmed with this papyrus you call it? Papyrus Avenue. Wow, okay. We'll get to that later. First, Keith, a little bit because this is kind of actually the first time we have met. Thank you very much for letting me tour your garden. Oh, you're most welcome. Thank you for visiting me. Yeah. Could you tell me a little bit about what you do? I know you are a landscaper. I'm a landscape architect by profession and yeah, I actually am a freelancer now. So I just moved in here last year and been doing up the garden ever since. Oh, last year? Oh my god, this looks like a really really established garden. Oh, thank you so much. I think we have to get started because there's quite a bit. So, Keith, take me through your front yard. So this front area is just a mixture of a few banana plants, some heliconias and a lot of bromeliads as you can see because they can actually withstand the heat. One of the very few, you know, plants that can actually withstand the heat. And these all grew naturally. Are these like, can I say, like kind of the roadside ferns? Wild ferns, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, I see them lots in Malaysia and they seem to do well on the road outside, right? And this is, you know, it can stand the full sun. Ah. It's not always watered and they don't actually burn which I'm quite surprised about. Okay. So ferns that grow naturally, you know, don't disturb them because they will just do their thing. Yeah. Good ground cover too. Absolutely. The colocasia, this is the white lava? This is the white lava but I just reported it recently so it's taking its time to adjust to the variegation. I noticed you have your white lava in water, growing in a pot of water. That's true, yes. I'm actually growing them in, I make mixes for each type of plant. Okay. So for the colocasia, it's a little bit rocky and I also grow them in full water. Ah. Because I think that's the best way they grow. Okay. Yeah, I think that works really well for them so far. How about the mosquitoes, are you not worried? Not at all because every day I top up the water. Okay. They drain it like almost like every day. Mmm. So when I top it up, I always check anyway. Okay. There's nothing there. Okay. I do know they like a lot of water but I didn't know you can grow them actually in water. Yeah. And then my eyes are drawn like to things that are like hanging off, making your garden look really whimsical. Thank you. I've always loved the art of hanging anything in kokedoma bowls or... But this orchid seems to have nothing at all and it can... Yeah, it's been like this for a year. This one, this banda over here. They've actually, they have a lot of aerial roots. Yeah. So they don't really need anything as such and this has been putting out new growth. Okay. This bit over here has been putting out tons of new growth from last year. So that's it. Literally, I just spray it with water every few days. Wow. Not even every day now. Wow. Yeah. Guys, so you can just hang your orchids on nothing. On a recycled chopstick, you know, when they give you the takeaways. Okay. So I painted a chopstick and after that, I just tied it to it. Twirl. Yeah, to give it a bit of support. Wow, this is a nice whimsical decor and it can bounce too. It can bounce, yeah. This is actually fishing wire so it's a very good, how do you say, a good tip. Tip, yeah, yeah. You can just put two screws on each end. Yes. And you can actually pull a fishing wire and hang multiple plants along that. Oh. And it's quite, you know, sturdy. Yeah. I'm gonna do something like that for my garden. Awesome. And maybe like add fake butterflies and stuff. If you like. This is a spectacular, giant bird nest. Yeah, this is one of my favourite plants since I was a kid. Oh. My parents used to grow these in the garden. Okay. They're actually just up the road over there. So when I moved here, I took a few from the garden but also some baby ones. But they've really kind of done their thing, you know, in the past year. Yeah. And I always throw my biodegradable rubbish here. Okay. I'm sure you do it as well at your place. Yeah, yeah. It's become like a rubbish collector. Oh, this one is creeping up the wall by itself. Yeah. Oh. It wasn't intended to. Obviously, I just shoved it here and it started doing its thing. This is the Lacerum, Philodendron Lacerum. Okay. So it kind of just started creeping up. That's like doing it by itself. Did you have to water the wall very often? Just right at the bottom. Oh, I do like this. This is just what my parents used to do at home because we had a lot of trees in the garden. So we used to just tie a lot of things onto there. But moving in here, the whole garden was pretty bare. And I just needed things to support my plants. Okay. And of course, like bromeliads and all, they don't really need any soil. So, you know, it literally just comes right off. Oh, you really have them in the nothing. Yeah, literally. This is how it's been growing for the past year. And it's actually put out a baby on the side. Oh, wow. Yeah. I always thought maybe they needed some kind of something. I think it would grow more in soil, grow faster. Not soil though. They tell me it really likes chunky stuff. Coconut chips. Yeah, chips. Coconut chips and coconut husk. Yes. Actually, all of those over there are all in husk. Husk, okay. Yeah, but a fiber. Coconut fiber. But be careful though because these husks, if they're subject to water every day, they can rot quite fast. True, true. So do check them in 6 to 12 months. Yeah, I learned that. And I also learned from a big bromeliad grower, he uses charcoal. Yeah. That works too. Because it's antibacterial as well. Yeah. Which is pretty good. And it doesn't degrade. Yes, it doesn't degrade. So a tip for you guys who wants to take care of your bromeliad. Okay, I do want to move along because there's so many things to see. Oh, and then this is some cluster of pitcher plants. Yeah, Nepenthes. Yeah, some pitcher plants. I just tied it onto this. This is a tree fern bark. Uh-huh. So they have a lot of these in Sabah. Yeah. And they literally sell these at the market for like maybe five ringgit. Oh, wow. Which is one something USD. Yeah, okay. And literally they just do their thing, you know. They find their way. I've never seen pitcher plant mounted on a fern bark or like that. So that's something new. It is something different, yeah. Yeah. I mean, you use what you have. Yes. Like this piece of wood over here. Oh, it's like. This was actually just found next to my mom's house. Uh-huh. So, you know, we brought it over. I tied it up here and just mounted plants onto it. Just using string and after a while, they will naturally hold onto it. This is a great idea because I live in a neighborhood where there are people cutting down the trees or chopping off their branches. So I have been collecting these things. That's awesome. But I haven't used them entirely. Did you have to treat these things before? No, I usually. I usually am so lazy because there's so many things to do. So I'm like, it's going up. I'm putting things on. Even if it rots, it rots. Okay. And just replace it with another piece of wood because I believe a garden is ever-changing. Yeah. That's what I've always believed. You know, this garden has actually transformed in the past year, maybe six, seven times. I can't even keep up. The avenue has moved, you know, multiple times. So it just, you know it. In your garden, it's an ever-going process. Yes, it is. But I really like how this looks. Thank you. And then we have this. Alocasia amaracrisos verigata. Yeah. And it actually put out two new leaves in the expense of less than a month just for your visit. And it's putting out a new one now as well. Oh my god. It doesn't usually do that that fast though. It just knew you were coming. It wants to impress me. Exactly. So this one, you said you had it for how long? Mid last year or towards, yeah. Mid last year, towards the end of last year. Okay. So it hasn't been a year yet. And what was the size when you first got it? Oh my god. Something. Oh, it's not here now. It's over there. But literally, you know, one, two leaves. Oh my god. And that time it was really pricey, you know, for that size. Yes, yes. I got it for a hundred ringgit. Okay. Just like maybe twenty-something USD, I think. And now it, look at that size. Yeah, but this has been confined a lot. So it could, in a year's time, it could definitely have, you know, reached this size. But because I confined it to a pot. To a pot, yeah. So of course, you always have to make sure the nutrients, it's like, it's ample in the pot. Yeah. And that's why it'll keep on producing new leaves with the variegation. Good amount of light. Absolutely. Yeah. If not, it will not produce that much. Yes. And you don't have problems of it burning, I see. I'm surprised. Yeah. That it didn't burn. Because I think it gets like 50-50. Yes. And the sun changes throughout the year. I think in every garden, it kind of does that. Yeah. You know. Yes. Okay. Oh, this fern is very unusual. Like, it's hard. This is actually one of a very unique fern. But it's a giant tree fern. And it's not easy to find. But you know. Yeah. This is very different from the common ferns that we have, which is very soft. Do you have the name for this? I do. It's Scythia Contaminans. Scythia Contaminans. Oh, impressed. Thank you. So actually, Irene. Yeah. I have something to show you. Okay, what? Don't laugh. I'm going to show you my secret garden. Oh. Yes. Let's go. Show me. You lead the way. You enter here. And this is it. So the willow trees have naturally done their thing. Where they've just grown and kind of had this. Obviously, it's a weeping willow. So it has this whimsical feeling again. Yes. So you don't really need to tie anything to this tree. Because it kind of just has this beautiful sweeping effect. It's like very poetic. Poetic. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, my God. Okay, it's a bit of a journey. Okay, yes. I don't have my machete with me. But we'll manage. Wow, these are like curtains. Weeping willows are so romantic. They are. Oh, look at the size of these. Black magic. Colocasia black magic. Oh, my God. I mean, I can't believe this. You've done this in just like a year. Yeah. Oh, my God. It does feel like a secret garden. Yeah. You wouldn't know all the caladiums are hiding here. Yeah. So these have been back to the front, to the back, to the front about six times. Oh, poor caladiums. Yeah, because when you move into a new place, you don't know where they would like, you know, which spot is the best. But because things keep growing, then finally I have the shade. And these Calathea luteus are the... These are just amazing. It's one of my favorite. And I got them like just as a baby. It was literally like this. And it's like... And they are so huge. They are. It gives that tropical feeling, right? One of my favorite plants. And it has a silver kind of powdery back. Yes. So when you see them from afar, they kind of have this glisten in the sun effect. Oh, nice. So it kind of adds to that whimsical theme, you know, going throughout the garden. And this is like a really... It feels like a secret enclosure, guys. Sure. And down here, I don't know if you could see it, but there are a lot of caladiums. Yeah, so we have multiple species here. Some are very common, but just because I wanted, you know, I don't want to throw anything out. So we have the Florida clown here, if I'm not mistaken. The caladium butterfly. I think that is Miss Muffet, if I'm not mistaken. Miss Muffet, okay. This is kaladi daging, or meat. Like a piece of steak. Yeah. We have the Thai beauty over there. Angel wings. Oh, these are angel wings. Yeah, these are angel wings. This is sexy pink, and this is pink beauty, I think, if I'm not mistaken. You know how they have so many names nowadays. This one is very unusual. Is this the same plant? It is, but I just noticed it the other day. Yeah. Because when they were really small, you know, you didn't really look twice. Yeah. But now that they've grown, it's really beautiful. I forgot the name of this one. Okay. This is heart and soul. Before, it was quite rare. I'm not sure about now. You're getting me excited about caladiums again. Oh, I'm glad, I'm glad. I aim to inspire, so I'm happy if you got a little bit of inspiration. And now coming out of the secret garden. Now my allocation is actually doing really well under this dappled light here. So this is the Lhasa bachiana. Yeah. The stingray. Oh, yes. And then... Oh, no, I forgot this one. It starts with a C. Chia pansy? No, that's another one. Let's not go near my thing. I think I have the names like written down usually, but... So I'm ready to take you through our papyrus avenue. My papyrus avenue. Papyrus, yes, yes. My papyrus avenue. I don't mind to have this papyrus avenue. I love it. Wait, before we walk through it, I just want to see how it's done. Is it like in a lot of water? Because I thought they live in water. They usually do live in water, and they'll do best in water. If you don't give them enough water, they will dry out and start to just break one by one. So obviously, because it's not in the wild, what I have to do is I have to tape the pots shut at the bottom. Okay. And it doesn't always work, but most of the time it does. I fill it up with a mixture of things, and then I just grow it. So they kind of grow by rhizome. They do. Okay. And they keep spreading, and when they reach the point here, they'll just keep pushing themselves upwards. Like this one needs a new pot for you to cut it. I only repotted them about three, four months ago, and I did all of them, which took me about a couple of days. It's like a full-time job. Just the papyrus avenue alone is a full-time job. I want to show here. You can really see that it's in water, and then no mosquitoes. Because they drink so much water every day, when I first moved in and I did the avenue, I actually had to top up the water three times a day. So I don't worry about larvae at all. It's good that you have a home office. I do. Okay, now for the grand walk up.