Jungle garden in Seminyak Bali

Welcome to the jungle, when you come to my house in Seminyak Bali. The flora out here grows like plants on steroids, extra big and super fast. Yesterday Fery, husband of pembantu Ana, came over with his chopper. He was here a few days ago, and spent an hour getting one side of the garden nice and tidy. Ika said he stood there proudly looking at his work, and said he was going to haul the debris outside, and go home. He then turned, and realized there was another whole side of the garden he forgot to do. I don’t pay him anything for doing it, so he can take as long as he likes. I’ve given Ana a pay rise or 2, since she has worked for us, and she tries to please.

Fery cuts out bushes back down to about 3ft high. In a month they’ll be back to 5-6ft. The huge white flowering trees that caused my hay fever, have to be cut back regularly too. Right now one is just a 5ft stump. Come back in 6 months, and its will be a 12ft high tree with branches of flowering blossoms. A while back Ika pulled over a papaya tree. That 3ft high stump refused to die, and is now a 10 ft high tree, producing more fruit. Ika picked one off yesterday, and said proudly “From Ika’s farm.”

Three weeks ago I came home after a few Bintangs, and went nuts in the garden, chopping giants leaves and going at the trees with my jigsaw. I can hardly believe it, the leaves I left standing have grown to replace the ones chopped. Its a never ending battle, and shows me the incredible growing power, that plant and animal life have in Bali has. One incentive to keep the bush trimmed, is it is a major mozzie hangout. Yesterday Ika picked about 100 small cabe (chilis), from a fast growing tree, next ot the papaya tree. She gave them to Ana, who likes pedas (hot) food. Maybe I should plant some potatoes!