Coastal Hibiscus

Bintulu is near the sea and its coastline faces the open South China Sea. Indeed if you are to sail straight north you would have beached at the coasts of Vietnam. The sea sprays, distinct dry weather, sandy soils and lots of monsoon rains have made the hibiscus plants here high performers. Two species that are native here are the Sea Hibiscus ( Hibiscus tiliaceus) and the Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus mutabilis). While the Sea Hibiscus need to be planted closest to the sea or even in waters, the rose of Sharon prefers a well-drained soil. One peculiar habit common to both is the changing nature of its flowers as the day progresses. In the case of the Rose of Sharon,it starts white early in the morning and gradually develops into a dark pink as the day progresses. In like manner, the Sea Hibiscus starts the day in strong yellow and changes to orange when evening sets.

CU of Sea Hibiscus

Sea Hibiscus near the beach at Kidurong township

CU of Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon shrub

P.S. For many other colours of the Hibiscus flowers, click here.

Delicious local fruits

The month of June is special for the abundance of the local Malay Apple fruits called " Jambu Bol". I love these fruits for two reasons. First when half-ripe they are best taken with soy sauce or shrimp paste ( the famed Bintulu 'Belacan') as salad. Secondly when sufficiently ripe they are sweet tasting and soft to eat. When eating them do not remove the red skin covering, just like eating normal apples. But remember there is a sizable seed inside that gets removed easily. From the ripe seeds you can propagate the tree easily.

A bowl of Jambu Bol like above fetches for RM 5.

This is my special favourite in Bintulu. Being close to the coast, you can get any amount of fresh coconuts at Bintulu's tamu or jungle produce market which is located somewhere in the center of Bintulu town. After drinking the juice I would normally eat the flesh which is very soft and sweet too. Here you eat it with a 'spoon' made out a wedge from the coconut skin. Hmm... does the job of scooping the flesh splendidly. A piece of coconut like above fetches for Rm1.50 .

A Hard Day's Work

Yesterday I spent the day harvesting some ripe oil palm fruits at my eco-farm. Most fruit bunches are still small because the trees are barely two the half years old. At the picture ( inset) the cross section of the fruit shows a thick yellowish pulp, a thin shell containing a white fleshy core . Presently the average diameter of the fruit is 2.5-3.0 cm. which is considered still small. High quality oils are derived from the fruit pulp and the kernel of the seed.

Notice how close to the ground the fruiting heads are. The variety of oil palm planted here are of the Elaeis guineensis, GH 500 series. In Malaysia the oil palm parents here originated from Africa. Thus sometimes the oil palm Elaies guineensis is called African Oil Palm. Oil palm trees thrives in Bintulu due due its tropical climate,ideal soil type and hilly topography. Once established oil palm trees are hardy and will bear fruit for the next 20 - 25 years. I would say my pension lies in the trees.

Yesterday's harvest totalled 120 kilos. The present market price for fresh fruit bunches is RM 350 per tonne. By the trend of things, next month I would be able to harvest about 200 kilos. Such is oil palm farming, you need to have patience to accumulate enough quantities to sell the to the millers.

A Tree Much Wanting in Bintulu

It surprises me why this lovely tree is not planted all over Bintulu. I saw this stand at Medan Raya shopping area today. The Coral Tree ( Erythrina) has brilliant scarlet flowers that stay long on the tree. As such it is a useful tree to grow in areas where you want to see colours everyday. Having not seen one for a while now especially one that is flowering, I took a lot of close up shots of its flowers. A few are shown here. Notice the bean-like pods that contain ripe seeds below.

If you are to visit most hotels and resorts this tree is usually seen in their landscaping design. I guess most landscapers love its red bunchy flowers that envelop the tree. Further I think choice is determined by its growth characteristics. It is slow growing and suitable for places near water bodies where you can watch the dark green leaves and flowers touch the water surface and reflecting its brilliant colours. We need more such trees in Bintulu.

Bintulu Fishes

Soon I'll be missing all the fresh fishes of Bintulu. That's because I'll be on my way to Kuching this coming Monday. Bintulu is a haven for fresh seafood. There's hardly any good fish market in Kuching City that is even 50% of what Bintulu is. Anyway this afternoon I dropped by at the fish market along the Sebiew River which is greatly patronised by fish lovers here.

What have we got here? I bought a reasonable sized tuna fish for RM 10. Back at the farm I barbecued it with a dressing of salt and crushed black pepper. It's all about the little things we enjoy in Bintulu......fresh fishes of all types and sizes for diverse menus and likings.

Grasshopper in Emperor's Clothes

I had an excellent half-morning workout at the farm just now. Top on the agenda was to thin the Lengkuas shrub for propagation purpose. Indeed from two big shrubs I managed to plant another 5 very well established clumps. Lengkuas ( Alpinia galanga) are useful plant to grow for its rhizomes. In traditional medicine the rhizomes are considered a aphrodisiac. However I take it as an appetiser and the young shoots can be taken as salad. And goes without saying, you need to eat it with the famed Bintulu belacan!. There are also grown commercially for the rhizomes that are processed into capsules to counter sea sickness.

Then while I was thinning a section of the vegetation island of the Heliconia Valley I came across a unique phenomena. My eyes were caught by a slight movement among the leaves of the Cempedak ( Artocarpus integer). A grasshopper in camouflage. Yes this is the first time I came across at the farm a grasshopper that has its wings resembling the Cempedak leaves. Thus I had a field day photographing this unique natural phenomena. Below is the grasshopper posing for today's show.

Well, what you see is what you get. No tricks. It's a grasshopper in the Emperor's clothes. Note the rhizomes of the Lengkuas ( inset).

Sunset at the Farm

Though the closest beach is about 25 km away from the farm, we do have the chance to enjoy the beautiful sunset from the farm looking west. Over the distant hills and about 25 km straight on is the Tg.Batu Beach where the best sunset can be watched in Bintulu. Well today I'm blessed with a Bintulu sunset as I finished the day at the farm.