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for the coming Chinese New Year: “You
can deck all areas of a room with plants
such as the lime plant, lucky bamboo or
Licuala Grandis (Fan Palm), aiming for
maximum display effect, but remember
to return the plants to more suitable
locations after the party. Another thing to
remember is not to short change yourself
when you buy plants. Go to a reputable
garden centre or nursery instead of look-
ing for bargain plants that are normally
force-fed artificial growth stimulants. Talk
to gardeners or growers who know about
plants and who are willing to share with
you invaluable tips.”
interacting with nature as they completed
that treehouse using simple tools and
whatever materials they could find in
the forest.
Bright lights
The teenaged Ho moved to the big
city, pursuing the bright lights and the
unknown. He soon found a job and
in no time was caught up in the rat
race that sucks all of us in. As time
passed, he found himself getting more
and more disillusioned. He knew that he
wanted to do something different. His
thoughts took him back to the time that
he had spent in the United Kingdom,
where he had experimented with bottled
garden terrariums. His tenacity saw him
spending a good six months gathering
the information that he needed about
terrariums. These were the days before
Google and the Internet, so he hit every
library he could find to get information.
“In retrospect, I realised that learning how
to learn is the quality that defines success
and it is a process that never ends. Even
today I am learning from the very concept
I helped create. A concept might have a
father, but how it grows forth is entirely
its own and I am now learning from the
Malaysian garden and it will be an asset
to all Malaysians.”
After much hard work and research,
he started his first workshop in a friend’s
living room. The living room was his
workshop and the small, garden plot was
his nursery. He would work until 5pm
then take his tools and make his way to
The Bangsar Shopping Complex, where
he rented a small kiosk. Business grew,
with many of his customers asking about
bespoked gardens.
“I started to realise the importance of
incorporating culture into my designs and
Neo Nusantara was the seed with which
I built my outdoor living concept around.
I wanted to recreate a functional garden
with a strong Malaysian touch in people’s
homes. The passion of designing such
gardens consumed me as I saw so many
beautiful houses and somany people who
wanted to maximise their garden spaces
but did not know how to go about it.”
This seed soon grew into the amazing
business that it is today and I person-
ally continue to be in awe when a job
is completed. Turning a bare space or
a bedraggled garden plot into a thing of
beauty... now, that is magic!
Ho has these few tips for anyone who
is thinking of sprucing up their garden
Email:
info@terragarden.com.my
Tel: +6o3 7880 8018
A stunning creation from
Ho’s fertile mind
“Gardening is my passion,
landscaping is my profession
and Mother Nature is my love.”
Desmond Ho