What is a maze? In simple terms, it is a creation on the landscape that is partly or wholly for beautification, structural or artistic attraction or just for recreational purposes using living plant materials.
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There are multiple ways to set up a simple maze. It may be circular or square in shape. It may also be in block, odd shapes or in number forms. The easiest way is the irregular or amoeboid form where convenience to the cultivator is of priority.
Accordingly, these plants may be cultivated on areas as small as 10-100 square metres or larger ones that range from 500 square metres or more such as in parks or public open spaces.
Method to create a maze
A maze may be set up using the mono varietal system. Alternatively, a multi varietal version is also possible to provide some colour such as in the foliage or flowering ability of the plants used.
Sabah is well blessed with plenty of suitable varieties of plants that can be used in the setting up of a maze. The more common ones, among others, that are also freely available or easily produced in the backyard may include species such as Ixora dwarf, Ficus benjamina, Eugenia oleina, dwarf duranta and Ehretia microphylla.
These plants produce a lot of foliage that are densely packed around the stems and branches which creates not only a very good screen but a virtual wall that makes breaking through difficult.
Home grown planting materials are the cheapest method to go about creating a maze. They may be quickly started as polybagged plantlets from cuttings taken from existing parent plants.
Within 3-6 months, these plants may be ready for planting out according to the plan of the maze. With regular pruning and trimming at 3 or 6 monthly intervals, the structure of the maze may be clearly visible by the 15th to 20th month.
For practical purposes, the height of a maze may be maintained at 1.8-2.0 metres. Although shorter heights are acceptable, such low structures make it difficult to play games of ‘hide-and-seek’ or ‘police-and-thief’.
While the thickness may be kept at about 0.6 m, it is possible to grow a thinner maze but then it sometimes become a ‘see-through’ structure which defeats the purpose as an entertainment and fun location.
Suitable sites in Kota Kinabalu city
There are no hard and fast rules that determine the suitability of locations to set up a maze garden. In fact, any unutilised open space, with permission though, from the land owner, may be used for the purpose.
As mentioned earlier, small plots of 10-100 square metres, spacious backyards, or large plots of 500 square metres or more, are perfect for the creation of a maze recreational garden. In this respect, it is not impossible to squeeze such a project into the city’s parks such as Taman Tropika, Taman Tun Fuad or Taman Botani.
Squeezing in does not mean having to elbow out the existing tamans.
It is just a matter of adjusting and fitting in a small plot at a very, very low cost to benefit park goers in particular, and city folks in general. For this, DBKK needs to have some foresight, guts and perhaps, brains too.
Benefits of a maze recreational garden
A maze garden may be set up without problem in the same way that ordinary plants are cultivated in the garden. It may be quickly developed, cultivated and nurtured with the same tools, techniques and other necessary inputs such as application of composts, plant nutrients or watering during extremely dry periods.
From polybagged plantlets, a maze may attain maturity in 15-20 months, and by the 24th month, a very dense maze structure may be clearly visible.
This is the time when interested folks may be happy to wriggle and waggle through the channels and alleys the maze provide to enjoy age-old traditional games such as ‘hide-and-seek’, ‘police-and-thief’, ‘boy-and-girl’ or ‘rogues-and-angels’.
A maze may also be used to entertain friends, family and visitors from elsewhere. Apart from that, it is also perfect for supporting the achievement of health goals by especially senior citizens where they can stroll peacefully while exercising limb, body and mind.
However, the most interesting is that a maze may be used to create businesses to generate income especially if it is set up in the outskirts of the city or even in remote villages.
Imagine if a faraway village has plenty of vegetables and fruit trees but find difficulty in monetizing the rural agricultural products.
This is where it is possible for a maze to bring the business to distant villages. If this is coupled with expertise from the Agricultural Ministry or Department of Agriculture, the results may be very incredibly profitable.
The very hard working officers of the Agricultural Department may guide the rural folks to produce and process the harvests into storable edible products.
This means there shall be more incentives for visitors to visit the location not only to enjoy the maze but also to buy the products. In due course, the poor villagers may be lifted out of poverty, all due to the brilliant guidance and hard work rendered by the people-centric officers.
Three cheers to the win-win results.
The above writer may be reached at: onggrow@yahoo.com
