Opened on
27 November 2003, TROPICAL SPICE GARDEN is an agrotourism project
showcasing over 500 varieties of exotic and endemic tropical flora,
particularly spices, spread over eight acres of secondary jungle. This
project is endorsed by the Penang State Government and privately
funded by Bertam Consolidated Rubber Co. Ltd., a company involved in
palm oil estates in Malaysia. The main focus of the Garden is to
create awareness of the natural environment and the importance of
plants through its vital programmes of conservation, education and
research.
The Garden, conceptualised by David and Rebecca Wilkinson, was started
by assembling a team that included landscape designer, Lim In Chong,
and Frederick Walker, as Project Manager. With
conservation and education rooted into the design concept, the team
took on the challenge of harmonising over 500 species of tropical
flora with the natural valley fronting the Strait of Malacca.
Preservation of the indigenous flora and fauna together with
maintaining the original topography of the site was crucial to
achieving this objective. Water was to be a prominent feature. Natural
and recycled building materials salvaged from pre-war shop houses or
sourced from antique stores locally were used extensively in the
construction of the built structures. Our Garden uses organic compost
and biological pest control in its quest for biological diversity and
environmental awareness.
