Farren Tayne
The Curator
What is a garden, if not a grand teacher that teaches patience and careful watchfulness, teaches industry and thrift and, above all, teaches entire trust? So said Gertrude Jekyll, a British horticulturist that has created over 400 gardens across the world. Her first garden was created in the 19th century, but her approach to gardening – emphasising the understanding of the plants themselves – has influenced all those that came after, including the garden of Farren Tayne.
“I started gardening in 2018. Back then,
I just wanted to fill up my garden, as I had some space. I didn’t know much about plants and how to care for them. I definitely killed a few along the way, but now it gives me a good reason to wake up. It’s really therapeutic. After my first cup of coffee in the morning, I take a stroll. It is my daily routine and I enjoy every moment of it. I will touch, feel and inspect – to see how my plants are doing. There is always something to look forward to, whether it is a new leaf unfurling, a flower blooming or (more dryly) a plant that needs repotting. And the pride I get when I see them thriving, that’s what drives me.”
And what a garden it is. Lush, plush and almost startling in vigour, Farren’s garden is textural splendour. Rare specimens take pride of place, interspaced with specimens of all shapes, sizes and variegations to form a symphony in emerald. From beautifully variegated banana trees to alarmingly large Philodendrons, the garden is a labour of love, but also shows a deeper understanding of the plants themselves.
“Buying a plant is easy, but maintaining and growing them is another story. It is determination and perseverance that maintains a garden. When I first start building my collection, I stumbled across some rare plants and I told myself ‘God, I have to get this.
And that. And this.’ And it was a lot more difficult to get them back then, since a lot of the prized ones come from South America.
But the community has grown and collecting has become easier, with everyone helping each other out through swaps and trades. These days, I don’t really have a ‘unicorn’ in my collection. I have a budget. I avoid addiction and collect at my own pace. But I have seen it evolve from a hobby to a luxury; in 2019, I acquired an Alocasia Gageana for RM80. Today, it changes hands for over RM4,000!”
Beyond the monetary, there is an abstract pricelessness in Farren’s garden. Hidden behind each leaf is a tale of grit and lessons learnt.