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"....... After
arrival in darkness at The Orchid Retreat and the inspection by torchlight of a
few palms and cycads, a number of people of our group could not resist the
temptation to get up early and appreciate the garden with the rising sun. An
astonishingly beautiful scene was revealed. The Orchid Retreat is surrounded by
forest-covered hills and occupies a steep south-facing slope with the terraced
garden falling from the main villa at the top. Our bungalows, built in
traditional style with various products of bamboo, had balconies which looked
over the garden to the hills over the valley. The garden itself was well
maintained on the higher terraces, gradually becoming more natural until it
merged with the woodland in the valley.
The range and scope
of plants was immense indicating good growing conditions for everything from
familiar annual bedding plants such as marigolds and larkspur to
clumps of hippeastrum, large bushes of poinsettia,
bougainvillaea and cannas to agaves and euphorbias, an
amazing variety all growing extremely well. Most interesting, of course were the
palms and cycads of which there was a wide range of species. The garden was
framed by a number of very large Caryota 'himalaya' remaining from the
original woodland clearance but many other species have been planted including a
fine specimen of Trachycarpus sikkimensis, Cycas pectinata and a large
Wallichia densiflora........"
- Excerpt from an article by David Albon, U.K.
- CHAMAEROPS, No.26, Spring 1997. (The Journal of
the European Palm Society)
- .Reproduced with permission of The Editor
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