A Million Flowers for “Tuin van Java”

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Flowers bloom in an orchid garden in Tidar Campur village, South Tidar subdistrict, South Magelang district, Magelang city, Central Java, last week. The orchid garden is being developed on private land belonging to the residents in collaboration with the University of Muhammadiyah Magelang (UMM), where the residents can carry out intercropping activities with a variety of other flower plants.

In the colonial era, Magelang in Central Java was nicknamed “Tuin van Java” due to its beautiful parks sandwiched by mountains and hills. In the spirit of preserving local beauty, flower parks are nowadays established in many corners of the city.

Hundreds of orchids blossomed along the road in Jambon Gesikan hamlet, Cacaban subdistrict, Central Magelang district, Magelang. Locals installed three CCTV cameras to monitor the surroundings and preserve the flowers.

“These orchids are quite expensive and we want to preserve them as they beautify our hamlet,” said Tri Yanto, a waste and environment management volunteer in community unit (RW) 004, Cacaban subdistrict, on Tuesday (12/11/2019).

The orchids and various other decorative plants are planted along the hamlet’s main road and in house yards. Many residents of Jambon Gesikan hamlet have been cultivating the orchids in their house yards since 2012.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Orchid flowers bloom along the road in Kampung Jambon Gesikan in Cacaban village, Central Magelang district, Magelang city, Central Java, last week. The orchids, which are cultivated by the residents, are monitored with three CCTV cameras installed in three locations.

Tri said that locals had been cultivating various decorative plants since dozens of years ago. A small triangular park has existed by the hamlet’s main road since 1988.

The spirit of beautifying Magelang continues to blossom. Locals decorate every piece of empty land with various plants. Munadi, 48, of RW 001 in Tidar Campur, South Tidar subdistrict, South Magelang district, has been redecorating his 1,890-square-meter land with decorative plants since 2018 after previously neglecting it for 15 years.

The land then grabbed the attention of a team from Magelang Muhammadiyah University that wished to turn it into an orchid nursery. Despite obtaining training and a development fund, Munadi chose to expand the garden independently.

From selling seeds, I get an additional income of more than Rp 1 million (US$71.07) a month.

Other than providing a refreshing sight, the flower cultivation also has an economic impact. Sekar Sari group in Kedungsari subdistrict, North Magelang, which has been cultivating decorative plants since 2015, is one example. Fifteen women in the group routinely send decorative plants to a kiosk in the Magelang administration’s Senopati Plant Nursery.

“From selling seeds, I get an additional income of more than Rp 1 million (US$71.07) a month,” Sekar Sari group member Wijaya Bodro Wardani said. Each week, he sells 15-20 decorative plants at between Rp 10,000 and Rp 100,000 a pot.

City of a Million Flowers

Magelang Environment Agency’s park and street lighting management section head Teguh Ariyanto said that cultivating plants was part of Magelang’s effort to brand itself as the City of a Million Flowers, in line with Regional Regulation No. 11/2014.

We want to make sure that there are no withering or poor-looking plants on the streets.

This “City of a Million Flowers” concept is being implemented by establishing more city parks and flower spots along the roads. Plant rejuvenation is conducted regularly. “We want to make sure that there are no withering or poor-looking plants on the streets,” Teguh said.

Magelang Development Planning Agency head Soeparno said that the city administration would improve the city park concept in 2020, in order to strengthen the image of a City of a Million Flowers. The plan is to establish flower parks with specific types and colors of flowers at every entry point to the city.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Orchid flowers bloom along an alley in Kampung Jambon Gesikan in Cacaban village, Central Magelang district, Magelang city, Central Java, last week. The orchids were cultivated by residents.

Kota Toea Magelang old town preservation community coordinator Bagus Priyana said that Magelang had been famed for its beauty since the colonial era. Dutch and other European communities visiting and residing in Magelang had several nicknames for the town.

Magelang’s Burgesmeester or Stadgemeente mayor Ir Nessel Van Lissa in 1936 published the book De Bergstad van Midden-Java Middelpunt van de Tuin van Java. The book cites Magelang as “Tuin van Java” or the park of Java.

In 1920, a Dutch-language article titled in En Om Magelang was published. It referred to Magelang as “Paradijs van Java” or the paradise of Java. The book said that Magelang sat on a beautiful and joy-inspiring landscape of mountains and valleys.

They had a habit of planting flowers in huge pots. It is believed that this behavior was later adopted by locals.

Citing several writings by Gadjah Mada University (UGM) historians, Bagus said that 4,189 Europeans resided in Magelang in 1920-1942. Apart from Dutch people, there were also Belgians and Germans. They had a habit of planting flowers in huge pots. It is believed that this behavior was later adopted by locals.

UGM Faculty of Literature student Bondan Eri Christanto in his 1998 undergraduate thesis wrote that the colonial-era Magelang city administration organized the city cleanly, neatly and with various flowers and plants. The Badaan Park is among the parks that still exist today.

The park used to be where Europeans enjoyed relaxing moments under the morning or afternoon sun while sipping tea. Martha Gosal, 91, of Central Magelang reminisced that the Badaan Park was a favorite among locals in the 1940s. From there, people can see Mt. Sumbing, the Giyanti mountains and the Progo River.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

A resident takes care of cactus plants and various other ornamental plants, which sit in many pots in front of her house in Kedungsari subdisrict, South Magelang district, Magelang city, Central Java, last week. In addition to decorating the house, residents get other benefits from the plants, namely additional income from selling plant seedlings.

People like Martha still have strong memories of this serene and beautiful atmosphere with millions of flowers. The spirit of beautifying the local environment must be kept alive, so that Magelang City can be beautiful once again.