Garden Doctor

Bali House & Home GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR

Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs Indonesia lacks services and infrastructure for people made from bamboo sourced from the slopes of Mount Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from Lead Contamination in Soil / Improving Soil Protecting Plants From Pest Attacks Green Curtains A Herb Is What You Make It! Indonesia lacks services and infrastructure for people with disabilities. This means that many children and adults, and particularly those living in villages where the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali Bamboo Bikes, which falls under the East Bali Poverty Project that helps isolated communities, joined forces to make the very first all-terrain wheelchair in Southeast Asia. The prototype, which was ready in March this year, took around eight weeks to produce. As the parents of a disabled child, the issue of access has been dear to the hearts of the founders of Eco Living Bali, Brad and Twone Moreland. The inspiration for an all-terrain wheelchair came when the duo heard of the plight of a 12-year-old boy in North Lombok from Duncan Ward, the Founder of Classroom of Hope, an organization that helps to provide access to education for children in developing countries. “Nasrudin lost his standard wheelchair in the 2018 earthquake and had to drag himself through the dirt to get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair was born,” says Brad. made from bamboo sourced from the slopes of Mount Agung in Ben village. The wheelchair is protected with environmentally-friendly lacquer and sealant to ensure that it withstands rough weather conditions. The decision was also made to use mountain bike wheels suitable for steep or uneven terrain. “As there is already a short supply of metal wheelchair parts in Bali, we wanted to find an alternative solution, and as owners of an eco store, we wanted to find a sustainable solution. As bamboo is found in abundance in Bali and throughout Asia, a bamboo wheelchair could be easily repaired by a bamboo artisan in a village,” Brad says, adding that each wheelchair has to be custom made to fit the beneficiary’s requirements. Up to date, Eco Living Bali and East Bali Bamboo Bikes have funded and built three bamboo wheelchairs. The first wheelchair, or the prototype, is currently on display in the Eco Living Bali shop in Kerobokan. The two other wheelchairs have been handed over to those in need. Nasrudin, who was the inspiration behind the project, received the second wheelchair, while the third wheelchair was donated to 15-year-old Nengah Macika, the son of one of the East Bali Bamboo Bikes craftsmen from Ban Village. “We have a growing list of underprivileged children and adults in Bali and Lombok who require all-terrain wheelchairs, and we are currently seeking funding to make Lead in the soil presents a risk if it is either inhaled or ingested. Lead in the soil can also be absorbed by vegetables grown in it. Children who play in the garden are also at risk. If living near main roads, consider growing vegetables in raised garden beds filled with clean imported soil and compost. Limit potential exposure by avoiding plants known to be lead accumulators such as low-growing leafy vegetables like lettuce, as well as root vegetables including carrots, onions, turnips and radishes. As a general rule, the worst affected vegetables are either unwashed or unpeeled root vegetables. Leafy greens can be affected although much of this could possibly be surface borne dust. The least affected plants are those that produce fruiting parts - whether or not we consider them ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetables’. There’s very little danger of lead toxicity in anything from tomatoes to papayas and pumpkins and all fruit trees in general. Plants are fairly good at keeping lead out of themselves in most circumstances, but if the vegetables are covered in soil, or even Hi Dr Kris, What a good article on soil testing thank you. My problem is all the plants that I’ve planted whether from cuttings or seed start off fine and grow, but won’t flower or set fruit, and after a short while stop growing and become retarded. I have fertilised with cow poop and chemicals with no difference. I really am at a loss as what to do next. Any ideas please. I’m now going to try your testing suggestions. Many thanks, Andrew. Dear, Dr. Kris, I’ve read that living near heavy traffic and main roads increases the risk of lead contamination in the soil and is it bad for vegetable gardening? What are the risks or ways to make an edible garden in this situation? Thanks in advance, Jan. The soil is where a good garden starts, and if you have a poor soil you likely be limited in what you can grow. The main factors that affect soil quality for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables depend on whether it is sandy which will mean it tends to dry too quickly, or if it is clay which means there is less aeration and a tendency to waterlog. Lead Contamination in Soil / Improving Soil whereby the ants protect the sap sucking bugs and even transport them around to other sites to send the honeydew production into overdrive - it’s an ant farm of a different type that you won’t like! If you ever see ants crawling up and down stems and across leaves alarm bells should be ringing as it’s the first sign that you have a problem. Ants are typically found on the ground and will only inhabit plants if there is a honeydew source, which means either aphids or other types of scale insects have moved in. A quick check of the growing tips and the undersides of foliage will likely reveal the bugs. They say where there’s smoke there’s fire, well where there’s ants on your plants you probably have a sap sucking insect problem. ‘Hello Garden Doctor! Two weeks ago, a couple of our little white flower bushes by our swimming pool which are in raised circular potters started yellowing and slowly wilting/dying. We fertilized thinking it would help but instead they appear dead. We noticed ants going to and from forming a highway between two potters in front of our big bale. This afternoon I removed a small bromeliad looking plant growing underneath one of the flower bushes thinking the ants could be attracted to the sap of the non-flower bush. To our surprise we revealed a HEAP of little mini 1.5cm snails with a long skinny yellowish-brown cone shell! I think perhaps the ants are loving the snail poo because I found that the only 2 planters that had ants going in them had the snails in. One planter more than the other. Being unfamiliar with Indonesia’s little critters and land compositions I need some guidance for the best step forward to keep my garden thriving. The issue has just Protecting Plants From Pest Attacks with disabilities. This means that many children and adults, and particularly those living in villages where the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali Bamboo Bikes, which falls under the East Bali Poverty Project that helps isolated communities, joined forces to make the very first all-terrain wheelchair in Southeast Asia. The prototype, which was ready in March this year, took around eight weeks to produce. As the parents of a disabled child, the issue of access has been dear to the hearts of the founders of Eco Living Bali, Brad and Twone Moreland. The inspiration for an all-terrain wheelchair came when the duo heard of the plight of a 12-year-old boy in North Lombok from Duncan Ward, the Founder of Classroom of Hope, an organization that helps to provide access to education for children in developing countries. “Nasrudin lost his standard wheelchair in the 2018 earthquake and had to drag himself through the dirt to get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair was born,” says Brad. After numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided Agung in Ben village. The wheelchair is protected with environmentally-friendly lacquer and sealant to ensure that it withstands rough weather conditions. The decision was also made to use mountain bike wheels suitable for steep or uneven terrain. “As there is already a short supply of metal wheelchair parts in Bali, we wanted to find an alternative solution, and as owners of an eco store, we wanted to find a sustainable solution. As bamboo is found in abundance in Bali and throughout Asia, a bamboo wheelchair could be easily repaired by a bamboo artisan in a village,” Brad says, adding that each wheelchair has to be custom made to fit the beneficiary’s requirements. Up to date, Eco Living Bali and East Bali Bamboo Bikes have funded and built three bamboo wheelchairs. The first wheelchair, or the prototype, is currently on display in the Eco Living Bali shop in Kerobokan. The two other wheelchairs have been handed over to those in need. Nasrudin, who was the inspiration behind the project, received the second wheelchair, while the third wheelchair was donated to 15-year-old Nengah Macika, the son of one of the East Bali Bamboo Bikes craftsmen from Ban Village. “We have a growing list of underprivileged children and adults in Bali and Lombok who require all-terrain wheelchairs, and we are currently seeking funding to make them,” says Brad. “We are initially only targeting Bali and Lombok, however, we plan to expand to other islands soon Lead in the soil presents a risk if it is either inhaled or ingested. Lead in the soil can also be absorbed by vegetables grown in it. Children who play in the garden are also at risk. If living near main roads, consider growing vegetables in raised garden beds filled with clean imported soil and compost. Limit potential exposure by avoiding plants known to be lead accumulators such as low-growing leafy vegetables like lettuce, as well as root vegetables including carrots, onions, turnips and radishes. As a general rule, the worst affected vegetables are either unwashed or unpeeled root vegetables. Leafy greens can be affected although much of this could possibly be surface borne dust. The least affected plants are those that produce fruiting parts - whether or not we consider them ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetables’. There’s very little danger of lead toxicity in anything from tomatoes to papayas and pumpkins and all fruit trees in general. Plants are fairly good at keeping lead out of themselves in most circumstances, but if the vegetables are covered in soil, or even an invisible layer of dust settles on fruit or leafy greens, you may be consuming lead from the soil in that way. All fruit and Hi Dr Kris, What a good article on soil testing thank you. My problem is all the plants that I’ve planted whether from cuttings or seed start off fine and grow, but won’t flower or set fruit, and after a short while stop growing and become retarded. I have fertilised with cow poop and chemicals with no difference. I really am at a loss as what to do next. Any ideas please. I’m now going to try your testing suggestions. Many thanks, Andrew. Dear, Dr. Kris, I’ve read that living near heavy traffic and main roads increases the risk of lead contamination in the soil and is it bad for vegetable gardening? What are the risks or ways to make an edible garden in this situation? Thanks in advance, Jan. The soil is where a good garden starts, and if you have a poor soil you likely be limited in what you can grow. The main factors that affect soil quality for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables depend on whether it is sandy which will mean it tends to dry too quickly, or if it is clay which means there is less aeration and a tendency to waterlog. Rejuvenating a poor soil is more involved then pouring fertiliser whereby the ants protect the sap sucking bugs and even transport them around to other sites to send the honeydew production into overdrive - it’s an ant farm of a different type that you won’t like! If you ever see ants crawling up and down stems and across leaves alarm bells should be ringing as it’s the first sign that you have a problem. Ants are typically found on the ground and will only inhabit plants if there is a honeydew source, which means either aphids or other types of scale insects have moved in. A quick check of the growing tips and the undersides of foliage will likely reveal the bugs. They say where there’s smoke there’s fire, well where there’s ants on your plants you probably have a sap sucking insect problem. ‘Hello Garden Doctor! Two weeks ago, a couple of our little white flower bushes by our swimming pool which are in raised circular potters started yellowing and slowly wilting/dying. We fertilized thinking it would help but instead they appear dead. We noticed ants going to and from forming a highway between two potters in front of our big bale. This afternoon I removed a small bromeliad looking plant growing underneath one of the flower bushes thinking the ants could be attracted to the sap of the non-flower bush. To our surprise we revealed a HEAP of little mini 1.5cm snails with a long skinny yellowish-brown cone shell! I think perhaps the ants are loving the snail poo because I found that the only 2 planters that had ants going in them had the snails in. One planter more than the other. Being unfamiliar with Indonesia’s little critters and land compositions I need some guidance for the best step forward to keep my garden thriving. The issue has just begun to show itself to be severe and deadly to our plant family! HOW DO WE GET RID OF THESE SNAILS/ANTS ‘Dear Dr. Kris, I read your reply to a query in the Bali Advertiser. I’m also wanting to know the name of this vine which hangs down. I attach two photos. I don’t think it is any of your suggestions. I’ve never seen it flower. I live in Thailand and want to plant it so that it will hang down and screen some rooms from the sun. Would be grateful for a reply if you know what it is. Thanks Julia’ Vines, climbers and creepers are versatile plants great for screening unsightly areas of the garden, beautifying bare walls, covering fences and even for shading windows and cooling the home. I love the photo that you sent in, it’s a beautiful plant for growing vertically or hanging over structures. You were so so close to identifying the common name yourself without even knowing it! It really must have been right on the tip of your tongue. You say that you would like to grow the plant so that it will hang down and screen rooms from the sun, in effect a ‘green curtain’ of sorts yes..? Well it just so happens that the exact plant you have identified is....(drum roll please) The Curtain Creeper Let’s just say a herb is in the eye of the beholder, a herb is what you make it, for me it is an easy to grow aromatic plant, that attracts bees, can have attractive and aromatic flowers, can be made into a tea, can be used medicinally internally or externally, is good for health, assists with illness/ailments, and adds flavour and aroma to cuisine. ‘Dear Garden Doctor, I’ve finally relented and got this idea to join in with those hipsters types and grow some herbs. Just wondering if there is any real difference between a herb and a vegetable? I want to grow a simple herb garden to use in the kitchen mainly for convenience and a bit of fun. I live in two storey townhouse/apartment on a small block, we have a small patch of lawn but not any substantial space for a large scale vegetable or herb garden. Wondering what is best to grow for herbs in pots on the upstairs balcony, maybe in the entrance patio too or even on the windowsill if possible. Many thanks in advance. Timo’ What is a Herb? I’m still trying to figure out the answer to that question after Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo placed on the chair. Nengah Macika’s Story Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate ingestion. Please be careful when renovating your home. Have a professional remove flaking exterior lead-based paint to prevent future contamination. Anywhere you have ant problems get some chalk and start drawing barriers to the ants. Draw a circle around an ant and watch what happens! I’m suggestion that you draw chalk lines around your pots to stop the ants migrating back and forth, draw chalk barriers wherever you don’t want them. Of course, after rain or every few days you may need to re-apply. It’s kind of amusing when you first start experimenting with this. The chalk deterrent is also useful in the home as a good way to stop them entering the house for example through a crack in the wall. Just draw a circle around the crack or a barrier line wherever they are entering. As for the snails, well it makes sense that they would be hiding around bromeliads or strappy type leafed plants. Snails are molluscs and like a dark moist environment for protection and to avoid drying out. They will hide under leaf litter, dark places and cover that keeps them moist. The snails in the pictures you have sent look like decollate this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo placed on the chair. Nengah Macika’s Story Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in ingestion. Please be careful when renovating your home. Have a professional remove flaking exterior lead-based paint to prevent future contamination. Anywhere you have ant problems get some chalk and start drawing barriers to the ants. Draw a circle around an ant and watch what happens! I’m suggestion that you draw chalk lines around your pots to stop the ants migrating back and forth, draw chalk barriers wherever you don’t want them. Of course, after rain or every few days you may need to re-apply. It’s kind of amusing when you first start experimenting with this. The chalk deterrent is also useful in the home as a good way to stop them entering the house for example through a crack in the wall. Just draw a circle around the crack or a barrier line wherever they are entering. As for the snails, well it makes sense that they would be hiding around bromeliads or strappy type leafed plants. Snails are molluscs and like a dark moist environment for protection and to avoid drying out. They will hide under leaf litter, dark places and cover that keeps them moist. The snails in the pictures you have sent look like decollate snail (Rumina decollata) with the conical shell. They are omnivores, so they will eat plants and other snails. If there Radishes are easy to grow in planters, pots or direct into the garden. Very rewarding to grow as they germinate quickly and the bulbs grow rapidly, smaller varieties such as cherry radishes being ready for picking within a month from sowing to harvest. Seeds will germinate in a matter of days, a very rewarding plant to grow, one of the best to start with for a novice that thinks they’re more likely to have a brown thumb as opposed to a green one. The radish tops or leaves can also be added to salads and soups for their subtle peppery flavour, and nothing beats the juicy crunch of a fresh radish straight out of the garden. Parsley is so versatile that I couldn’t have a garden without it. It’s a low maintenance herb, with many culinary uses, looks attractive in a pot and readily self-seeds so that you can have a constant supply. I have seen parsley growing in rock crevices and cracks in the pavement where it found its own way against the odds – its commonly known in some places as ‘rock celery’ for good reason. The advantage of most herbs is that you can have a perpetual C/Bm/I-29 Jan 20 C/Bm/I-6 Nov 19 After numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided to build their prototype from materials that are easy to source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all them,” says Brad. “We are initially only targeting Bali and Lombok, however, we plan to expand to other islands soon and then hopefully the rest of Asia.” As the issue of access for people with disabilities is close to with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com By Anita Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz an invisible layer of dust settles on fruit or leafy greens, you may be consuming lead from the soil in that way. All fruit and vegetables taken from the garden should be washed to remove all traces of soil before consumption. A good diet with adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorous has been shown to reduce absorption of dietary lead. Similarly, those same two nutrients help reduce lead uptake in plants. Seaweed and spirulina when eaten have also been demonstrated to bind heavy metals and remove them from the body. It’s not clear from the studies whether you have to eat them concurrently with the potentially contaminated foods or just every now and then - so to be safe just put spirulina on everything. Any good soil will be ‘living’ filled with organic matter. Organic matter also helps bind the lead up in the soil, rendering it less available to plants. So, get composting, and adding it to the garden beds. Besides reducing lead uptake, it is also the key solution to a poor soil, producing healthier and more productive plants. Otherwise import a clean soil for an instant fix and a fresh start. I don’t think that there is a need to worry excessively about lead in the soil - just be cautious, be alert not alarmed! Wash your edible plants, mulch your soil, and work in compost and organic matter which will help to bind any lead, reducing the bioavailability but also improving the overall soil health at the same time. On a final note – Old-school paints were up to 50% lead and even with newer layers painted over the top, the levels of lead left contained on the interior and exterior walls of old buildings are still likely to be high. The safe level of lead in food is measured in parts per million so it’s easy to see how disturbed, crumbling, scraped, sanded or flaking paint can be a major source of direct contamination – whether from inhalation or Rejuvenating a poor soil is more involved then pouring fertiliser over the ground. Natural fertiisers such as cow dung and chicken manure need to be worked in along with compost over time to gradually improve the soil, otherwise try raised garden beds with a whole new ‘imported’ soil for an instant solution. As for lead contaminated soil which is sometimes an issue in urban areas, replacing the soil or amending it is also the solution. If you live near main roads, industrial areas or old buildings you would expect an elevated level of lead in your soil. A recent Australian study led by RMIT University, Melbourne, found that 20% of edible home gardens are contaminated with levels of lead exceeding the safety guidelines of 300 mg/kg - whereas natural background levels are usually in the range of 15-40mg/kg. The figure is worse in Sydney, where a similar study found 40 per cent of vegetable patches had levels of lead that exceeded the safety guidelines. I can imagine that a similar statistic plays out across gardens in most cities and crowded urban areas the world over. High levels of lead remain in the soil in urban areas - the result from adding the toxic metal to paint and petrol for decades. Living close to main roads is an issue due to lead accumulation in soils from traffic pollution. Vegetable gardens should be established away from busy roads - at least 20 to 80 metres away, lead levels are usually elevated directly next to main roads. In addition - generally the older the house, or any other building for that matter containing lead-based paint, then the more lead found in the surrounding garden beds. Most often areas most affected are under the dripline of the eaves due to the weathering and runoff of leaded paints throughout the seasons. Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz So first, to get to the aphids and scales you will need to check the undersides of the leaves. In the initial stages hosing with a fast jet of water underneath the leaves could be enough to rid a small infestation, but as your plants are dying and the infestation is severe its probably best to spray with an organic pesticide such as white oil or neem oil that is available at hardware and garden centres. As the ants may be in on the deal, protecting, transporting and farming the bugs around you should probably deter them also. Ants generally don’t like moist conditions, keep the soil around your plants well-watered directly to the root-zone so you don’t wash off the pesticide. Here’s another tip. Plain old chalk used to write on chalkboards is all that’s needed to keep the ants away. Ants will not walk through a line of powdery material such as chalk dust or talcum powder. Test it and see! begun to show itself to be severe and deadly to our plant family! HOW DO WE GET RID OF THESE SNAILS/ANTS AND SAVE OUR GARDEN FROM A MASS INFESTATION!? Attached is some evidence of the suspects and the crime scene. Thank you so much for your time! Looking forward to your reply! Jet from Seminyak’ Thanks for the interesting question - I think you have two separate unrelated issues going on with the ants and the snails. Ants go after anything sweet. Whenever you see a large population of ants in and around your plants its usually an indication that you have an aphid or scale insect infestation. So whilst it’s not the ants that are causing the initial problem, they can exacerbate it, which I will get to a bit later. Aphids and scale insects are tiny bugs usually only a few mm in size. Aphids are commonly green to brown and camouflage themselves very well, whereas scale insects generally will show up as white, beige to brown in colour. These bugs cleverly reside on the undersides of the leaves so they can go about their business of sucking out the fresh sap from the leaves in secret, placing the plant under severe stress - essentially they are stealing the plants nutrition. By the time that you’ve realised this, the plants could be dead and the bugs already moved onto the next victim. Aphids and scales can rapidly decimate plants and their populations can explode into plague like proportions in just a matter of a few days. As the bugs consume the sap, the excrete a sweet ‘honeydew’ waste by-product, and ants absolutely love it. So of course, they move in to consume it - for them it’s like the sugar pot has been left out in the garden. From here a symbiotic relationship develops between the bugs and the ants, Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz snail (Rumina decollata) with the conical shell. They are omnivores, so they will eat plants and other snails. If there are no brown garden snails to eat or other alternatives this snail is going to eat your plants and they can cause serious damage quickly. The easy fix is snail pellets, though not my preferred choice, especially if you have children and pets to consider. Laying down a dry rough mulch such as jagged bark mulch is one way to deter snails or even crushed eggshells or shell grit mulch, as they don’t like to crawl across the sharp jagged edges which probably feels like razor blades to them and their delicate slimy exterior. Snails prefer cool, dark, moist places to hide out, so by creating these locations in the garden you can locate the snails and dispose of them. Upturned terracotta pots are a good snail trap, check every few days and you’ll find them congregating inside. Orange or any other citrus halves with the pulp scooped out is another known trap method. Leave them face down in the garden bed slightly propped up with a small gap for the snails to enter. Finally, the snail beer trap is the easiest way to take them out. A container, jar or a plastic bottle cut in half and then placed in the garden filled with a cup of beer is irresistible to snails and slugs. Dig it in level with the soil so they can easily enter – they love the yeast. Snails can easily be removed using the combination of methods - hand picking, trapping, barriers, and bait/pellets. Modifying habitats can help prevent snail plagues by removal of hiding places such as thick clumps of vegetation, empty pots lying around and by using a rough dry mulch. We now install 3M Safety & Security Window Films C/Bm/I-29 Jan 20 C/Bm/I-6 Nov 19 to build their prototype from materials that are easy to source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all and then hopefully the rest of Asia.” As the issue of access for people with disabilities is close to neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com By Anita Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz vegetables taken from the garden should be washed to remove all traces of soil before consumption. A good diet with adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorous has been shown to reduce absorption of dietary lead. Similarly, those same two nutrients help reduce lead uptake in plants. Seaweed and spirulina when eaten have also been demonstrated to bind heavy metals and remove them from the body. It’s not clear from the studies whether you have to eat them concurrently with the potentially contaminated foods or just every now and then - so to be safe just put spirulina on everything. Any good soil will be ‘living’ filled with organic matter. Organic matter also helps bind the lead up in the soil, rendering it less available to plants. So, get composting, and adding it to the garden beds. Besides reducing lead uptake, it is also the key solution to a poor soil, producing healthier and more productive plants. Otherwise import a clean soil for an instant fix and a fresh start. I don’t think that there is a need to worry excessively about lead in the soil - just be cautious, be alert not alarmed! Wash your edible plants, mulch your soil, and work in compost and organic matter which will help to bind any lead, reducing the bioavailability but also improving the overall soil health at the same time. On a final note – Old-school paints were up to 50% lead and even with newer layers painted over the top, the levels of lead left contained on the interior and exterior walls of old buildings are still likely to be high. The safe level of lead in food is measured in parts per million so it’s easy to see how disturbed, crumbling, scraped, sanded or flaking paint can be a major source of direct contamination – whether from inhalation or over the ground. Natural fertiisers such as cow dung and chicken manure need to be worked in along with compost over time to gradually improve the soil, otherwise try raised garden beds with a whole new ‘imported’ soil for an instant solution. As for lead contaminated soil which is sometimes an issue in urban areas, replacing the soil or amending it is also the solution. If you live near main roads, industrial areas or old buildings you would expect an elevated level of lead in your soil. A recent Australian study led by RMIT University, Melbourne, found that 20% of edible home gardens are contaminated with levels of lead exceeding the safety guidelines of 300 mg/kg - whereas natural background levels are usually in the range of 15-40mg/kg. The figure is worse in Sydney, where a similar study found 40 per cent of vegetable patches had levels of lead that exceeded the safety guidelines. I can imagine that a similar statistic plays out across gardens in most cities and crowded urban areas the world over. High levels of lead remain in the soil in urban areas - the result from adding the toxic metal to paint and petrol for decades. Living close to main roads is an issue due to lead accumulation in soils from traffic pollution. Vegetable gardens should be established away from busy roads - at least 20 to 80 metres away, lead levels are usually elevated directly next to main roads. In addition - generally the older the house, or any other building for that matter containing lead-based paint, then the more lead found in the surrounding garden beds. Most often areas most affected are under the dripline of the eaves due to the weathering and runoff of leaded paints throughout the seasons. Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz So first, to get to the aphids and scales you will need to check the undersides of the leaves. In the initial stages hosing with a fast jet of water underneath the leaves could be enough to rid a small infestation, but as your plants are dying and the infestation is severe its probably best to spray with an organic pesticide such as white oil or neem oil that is available at hardware and garden centres. As the ants may be in on the deal, protecting, transporting and farming the bugs around you should probably deter them also. Ants generally don’t like moist conditions, keep the soil around your plants well-watered directly to the root-zone so you don’t wash off the pesticide. Here’s another tip. Plain old chalk used to write on chalkboards is all that’s needed to keep the ants away. Ants will not walk through a line of powdery material such as chalk dust or talcum powder. Test it and see! AND SAVE OUR GARDEN FROM A MASS INFESTATION!? Attached is some evidence of the suspects and the crime scene. Thank you so much for your time! Looking forward to your reply! Jet from Seminyak’ Thanks for the interesting question - I think you have two separate unrelated issues going on with the ants and the snails. Ants go after anything sweet. Whenever you see a large population of ants in and around your plants its usually an indication that you have an aphid or scale insect infestation. So whilst it’s not the ants that are causing the initial problem, they can exacerbate it, which I will get to a bit later. Aphids and scale insects are tiny bugs usually only a few mm in size. Aphids are commonly green to brown and camouflage themselves very well, whereas scale insects generally will show up as white, beige to brown in colour. These bugs cleverly reside on the undersides of the leaves so they can go about their business of sucking out the fresh sap from the leaves in secret, placing the plant under severe stress - essentially they are stealing the plants nutrition. By the time that you’ve realised this, the plants could be dead and the bugs already moved onto the next victim. Aphids and scales can rapidly decimate plants and their populations can explode into plague like proportions in just a matter of a few days. As the bugs consume the sap, the excrete a sweet ‘honeydew’ waste by-product, and ants absolutely love it. So of course, they move in to consume it - for them it’s like the sugar pot has been left out in the garden. From here a symbiotic relationship develops between the bugs and the ants, Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz are no brown garden snails to eat or other alternatives this snail is going to eat your plants and they can cause serious damage quickly. The easy fix is snail pellets, though not my preferred choice, especially if you have children and pets to consider. Laying down a dry rough mulch such as jagged bark mulch is one way to deter snails or even crushed eggshells or shell grit mulch, as they don’t like to crawl across the sharp jagged edges which probably feels like razor blades to them and their delicate slimy exterior. Snails prefer cool, dark, moist places to hide out, so by creating these locations in the garden you can locate the snails and dispose of them. Upturned terracotta pots are a good snail trap, check every few days and you’ll find them congregating inside. Orange or any other citrus halves with the pulp scooped out is another known trap method. Leave them face down in the garden bed slightly propped up with a small gap for the snails to enter. Finally, the snail beer trap is the easiest way to take them out. A container, jar or a plastic bottle cut in half and then placed in the garden filled with a cup of beer is irresistible to snails and slugs. Dig it in level with the soil so they can easily enter – they love the yeast. Snails can easily be removed using the combination of methods - hand picking, trapping, barriers, and bait/pellets. Modifying habitats can help prevent snail plagues by removal of hiding places such as thick clumps of vegetation, empty pots lying around and by using a rough dry mulch. Creative gardeners use vines, climbers and creepers to enhance the beauty of their garden and surrounding structures, enclosing spaces, enhancing privacy or simply just grown over walls to enhance the external look of a property. They can also be used as features and focal points planted in individual hanging baskets with foliage overflowing, cascading down to ground level. They are very attractive when grown from above or free falling rendering a waterfall effect or green curtain, and make a great addition to an internal courtyard lining pathways with foliage seemingly flowing down from the sky. But it doesn’t end there, the benefits go further. Green walls and curtains insulate the home creating an overall cooler environment, dampen noise and simply add to an overall tranquil ambience. If you bring the vertical garden inside you will also freshen and purify the air within your home. With the vertical or hanging garden you get both functionality and aesthetic beauty! The green curtain is an environmentally responsible decision, so you can also feel ‘smug’ about yourself at the same time. In warm climates it will block sunlight lowering room temperatures, reducing the reliance on AC, saving on power bills and reducing C02 emissions. The curtain creeper is suitable for a location where it can fill in a large space, and should not be planted where it is likely to become a nuisance due to its wild vigorous nature. It is suited to growing in large pots and planters which is advisable if you wish to contain it, otherwise plant it in the ground and watch it run. Once it takes root it will be difficult to eradicate. This widely cultivated plant often forms rampant infestations whether in the wild or even in urban areas on unkempt lots. Yes the curtain creeper, unbelievable isn’t it! You’ve probably searched far and wide for the answer and there it was staring you right in the face the whole time, I hate it when that happens but am also relieved when I finally have the answer. The curtain creeper (common name) is the species Tarlmounia elliptica but also goes by the names Vernonia elliptica and Vernonia elaeagnifolia just to confuse things a little. The hanging foliage forms a curtain, hence the name. Other common names include Rangoon creeper, vernonia creeper, and parda bel. In Indonesia it is known as tanaman lee kwan yew. It is native to Burma and Thailand, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it, it is also commonly used in villa/hotel gardens throughout Bali and Indonesia. Whether in Thailand or Bali anyone should easily be able to find it. Common names may differ so the best solution is to take a cutting to a local nursery, any nurseryman worth his/her salt should easily be able to identify it for you. The curtain creeper is both versatile and vigorous, that’s why it’s a mainstay plant of many landscapers within the vertical gardening world. It will stand alone with minimal human intervention but will grow thicker with annual pruning. It will grow well in an average soil which is a plus, but it’s best feature is that it just looks so good cascading down structures. Left on its own the vine can grow up to 30 feet or 10 metres in length. The stems will climb up, over and then cascade beautifully down any wall or structure. It has small wispy ‘off-white’ flowers that appear in bunches but primarily it is a foliage plant grown for its desirable green curtain, surely the name already gave it away. ‘Green curtains’ grown for effect are a visually pleasing ever evolving work of art, shadows and shapes cast on internal spaces will change throughout the day as the sun traverses and over time as the plant grows. The garden is outside but the effect comes inside. They also have the benefit of screening out the sun if heat is an issue. Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2020 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz The overall movement of ‘green architecture’ in cities has the dual purpose of utility and aesthetics. Green buildings are popping up all over the place, with green walls and hanging gardens to take advantage of the insulation effect, being cooler in summer yet warmer in winter. Taking it a step further, fruits and vegetables can also be incorporated into the mix so that you now have insulating walls of food. Passionfruit vines, chokos, cucumbers, rock melons, bitter melons, beans etc can easily be grown up walls or overhead so that fruit hangs down. Once you start looking into it, the possibilities are literally endless. Even unlikely candidates such as spinach, lettuce and other greens can be grown externally on modular green walls. It beats a dull grey wall hands down any day of the week. Vines, climbers and creepers or any sort of vertical greenery can transform a conglomeration of bricks into a beautiful living structure. When I think of vertical gardens the first thing that comes to mind are the mysterious Hanging Gardens of Babylon which are fabled to have cascaded down from the famous city in times of antiquity. They were probably grown for both beauty and utility and it’s good to see that we are returning to our roots, even though it took a few thousand years, better late than never eh? Growing herbs Most herbs as we think of them in the typical sense are hardy and will generally tolerate a wide variety of growing conditions from shade to full sun, meaning they usually require less effort for success than plants grown strictly for their fruits and vegetables. One of the best things about gardening with herbs is the diverse range to choose from along with their versatility – with interesting foliage, aromatic flowers, shrubs that can be hedged such as rosemary or lavender, low growing groundcovers like thyme and oregano, elongated grasses or stalks such as lemongrass and ginger, or even plants that will just run wild all over the place such as peppermint, lemon balm or even parsley – but most importantly all of these can easily grown in pots. There is always room for a few herbs in the garden, because they are easily grown in small spaces and pots. They are amenable to a wide range of growing conditions. Most herbs just need partial to full sun with a free draining soil. The bushy/ grassy types such as rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, chives and spring onions will do better with more sun, but things such as mint, parsley, oregano, dandelion, basil, coriander, sage and thyme will do well enough in filtered light to shady situations which are all suited to balcony and window sill locations. all these years! What defines a herb is often a topic of conjecture, confusion and debate between gardeners, cooks and medicine men/women alike. Technically anything edible from a plant could be considered a vegetable, whether fruits, leaves, roots, bulbs, or grains. From a biological perspective a strict definition views a herb as a herbaceous plant that has leaves and stems that run to seed and die down at the end of the growing season. Yet from a practical perspective herbs are often defined by how they are used. Generally, in culinary pursuits herbs are thought to be used as a complement to a main ingredient, as a flavour enhancer or to give aroma to a dish. Alternatively, in a medicinal sense they may be the one and only main ingredient by way of seeds, flowers, stems, roots and leaves. Living out in in the garden a herb may even be thought of as a plant that simply deters pests. Muddying the waters further herbs are often made into teas such as chamomile, ginger, peppermint etc which are technically not teas at all, but tisanes! Talk about blurred lines and grey areas. In a culinary sense it is generally accepted that herbs are primarily used to flavour food whereas a vegetable is eaten as one of the main ingredients. So the parsley in your pasta sauce would be considered a herb, yet when you use it to make tabouleh it becomes a vegetable. Dandelion root could be thought herbal in a tea, yet those same leaves in a salad then become a vegetable, and then over at my neighbour’s garden that same dandelion is considered a weed – in the end its often nothing more than a cultural difference. Some consider a tomatoe a fruit whilst others say it’s a vegetable, tomato/tomatoe… ‘Lets call the whole thing off!’ Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz supply. Chives and spring onions can be cut down to the soil level for harvest and will shoot back up and regrow in no time at all from the bulb. The same goes for lemongrass which multiples rapidly and should be harvested regularly otherwise it can get out of control. Lemongrass is ideal for Asian cuisine, makes a refreshing tea, is aromatic and thought to repel some pests even possibly mosquitoes, being a source for citronella oil. Lemongrass will do best in a large pot in a sunny spot on the balcony, or straight into the garden. Thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, sage etc can be trimmed as needed and will give a constant supply for culinary needs. Plants such as parsley, chives, lemon balm, peppermint and mint can all easily be grown on a window sill in small containers, convenient for garnishing and good for teas or even added to salads for a bit of zing. Most importantly a little herb garden on the windowsill will brighten up any home as well delivering a pleasant aroma. Eating from your own garden is good for your health. Nothing beats the taste and nutritional value of home picked produce, direct from garden to plate. As for the hipsters and herbs, well they were late to the party I must say. Wise old men and indigenous jungle tribes have been growing and gathering them since time began!

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CHINESE ORIGINAL CERAMICS AND PORCELAINS CHINESE, JAVANESE & BALINESE ANTIQUITIES, SUMATRAS OLD TEXTILES. Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs MONEY BACK GUARANTEEIndonesia lacks services and infrastructure for people made from bamboo sourced from the slopes of Mount Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from with disabilities. This means that many children and Agung in Ben village. The wheelchair is protected with this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires adults, and particularly those living in villages where environmentally-friendly lacquer and sealant to ensure that funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, it withstands rough weather conditions. The decision was sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire also made to use mountain bike wheels suitable for steep or wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable uneven terrain. “As there is already a short supply of metal sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali wheelchair parts in Bali, we wanted to find an alternative placed on the chair. Bamboo Bikes, which falls under the East Bali Poverty solution, and as owners of an eco store, we wanted to find Project that helps isolated communities, joined forces a sustainable solution. As bamboo is found in abundance in to make the very first all-terrain wheelchair in Southeast Bali and throughout Asia, a bamboo wheelchair could be Asia. The prototype, which was ready in March this easily repaired by a bamboo artisan in a village,” Brad says, year, took around eight weeks to produce. adding that each wheelchair has to be custom made to fit BALI ADDRESS : JL. BY PASS NGURAH RAI NO. 176 - SANURthe beneficiary’s requirements. PHONE : 0361 - 449 0395 | PAK RONALD : +62 823 3988 2460As the parents of a disabled child, the issue of access has JAKARTA ADDRESS : JL. IR. H JUANDA NO. 9 REMPOA CIPUTAT TIMUR PHONE : 021 - 7471 5692 | PAK SAID : +62 813 8545 7546 been dear to the hearts of the founders of Eco Living Bali, Brad and Twone Moreland. The inspiration for an all-terrain Up to date, Eco Living Bali and East Bali Bamboo Bikes have funded and built three bamboo wheelchairs. The first wheelchair came when the duo heard of the plight of a wheelchair, or the prototype, is currently on display in the C/Ho/G-11 March 20 12-year-old boy in North Lombok from Duncan Ward, the Eco Living Bali shop in Kerobokan. The two other MOESSON ANTIK Founder of Classroom of Hope, an organization that helps to provide access to education for children in developing countries. “Nasrudin lost his standard wheelchair in the 2018 earthquake and had to drag himself through the dirt to wheelchairs have been handed over to those in need. Nasrudin, who was the inspiration behind the project, received the second wheelchair, while the third wheelchair was donated to 15-year-old Nengah Macika, the son of one Nengah Macika’s Story Special antique items: old safes, iron boxes, radios, fans, clocks, get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the of the East Bali Bamboo Bikes craftsmen from Ban Village. “We have a growing list of underprivileged children and Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. lamps, porcelain & Van Der Pol cabinets, Chinese bed, furniture village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair adults in Bali and Lombok who require all-terrain Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been from Europe & China. was born,” says Brad. wheelchairs, and we are currently seeking funding to make affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate them,” says Brad. “We are initially only targeting Bali and with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty FOR BUSINESS SPECIAL PRICESAfter numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided to build their prototype from materials that are easy to Lombok, however, we plan to expand to other islands soon and then hopefully the rest of Asia.” Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben Jl. Parangtritis Sudut Ring Road Selatan Yogyakarta Tel. +62 274 4399 328 source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all As the issue of access for people with disabilities is close to village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com

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