AS I walked into the garden for the very first time, I was completely mesmerized by what I saw..Surrounded by tall trees this garden stood like an oasis less that 100 feet away from the main street of Tanah Rata..Tucked away, behind a block of apartments with only a nondescript sign to suggest its presence..No grand billboards and long lines of cars or buses to announce its arrival..Its just there making its presence felt quietly and profoundly to the occasional trekker or tourist who visits it..

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Tans Camellia Garden was registered in 1993, by Mr.Tan..He is a landscape architect..He was involved in a thriving flower vegetable and seed business when he decided to give it all up and took his hobby and passion for gardening a step further by setting up this garden..Eventhough Mr. Tans favourite flower is rose he opted for Camellias as the central floral theme for his garden. Today there are more than 1000 plants of different species of CAMELLIAS like Camellia Sasanque, Camellia Reticulata and Camellia Japonica .Tea is also from the Camellia Sinensis family making it a relative of the camellia plant.. Mr. Tans inspiration behind the Camellias was the fact that they were cultivated in the gardens of China and Japan for centuries..He also found some very old specimens of Camellias growing around the golf course the old Merlin Hotel and other old buildings..This was an indication of the fact that they were hardy and had thrived very well in Camerons…Today all the Camellias in his garden are growing at eye level making them the focus of the garden and a visual treat as we walk through it..Other than Camellias there are several varieties of endemic flowering plants and orchids growing here..Some of the rare species of orchids are growing on logs covered by moss replicating a sight on a jungle trail..

According to Mr. Tan while landscaping a garden one must keep in mind the living and non living features..In Camerons we are blessed with the non living features like the the tall mountains that form the backdrop of Mr. TANS garden..There is also a pond , stone pathways, gazebos,and sitting areas all placed aesthetically in the garden..

Then we have the living features, and as Mr.Tan tells me trees are the most important living feature of his garden..Taking more that a hundred years to grow and only a few seconds to cut, he emphasizes on the importance our conserving our forests in these cruel times..In his eight layered garden Mr. Tan has found a harmony in his landscape of mountains, big trees, small trees, shrubs, creepers, flowers, grass and even the moss ..form the multiple layers of green giving this garden an element of depth, mystery and magic..

There is an abundance of fruit trees like persimoms, apple guavas, tree tomatoes etc..In a living garden like Mr.Tans there are birds flitting around the trees making it popular with bird watchers..I have been lucky to participate in a bird watching programme in this garden having an opportunity to see different species of birds like the black throated sunbird, mountain bulbul, silver eared mesia among others.

A small section of the garden is the healing garden ,dedicated to medicinal plants and herbs which have anti cancer properties and strengthen the immune system ..there are also plants that are really good for diabetes, high blood pressure .. the list of remedies hidden in these herbs is endless. Mrs Tan is an encyclopaedia of the healing properties of plants as she enlightens me on some.. There is no entrance ticket charged and one can buy plants from the garden .

I DO hope that this natural sanctuary will be recognized by the district and can be preserved and nurtured for all Malaysians to come…