OUR GARDEN — MAKING SPACE FOR NATURE
When we began developing the strip of land that is now Joglo Gumuk, we chose to work with what was already there. We integrated the remains of former fish ponds, a large bamboo grove, and a variety of jackfruit, mahogany and palm trees planted by the family of Pak Sukarman a generation ago. The houses were placed within this existing structure, and we gradually introduced a wide variety of edible and non-edible plants, with the intention of creating space for insects, birds, amphibians and other species.
The rice fields surrounding us are an important agricultural and cultural landscape. At the same time, conventional agricultural practices can make it increasingly difficult for some species to find suitable habitat. We therefore see it as part of our responsibility at Joglo Gumuk to provide a small refuge and as much space for biodiversity as we can. And we observe that the diversity of species living on our land continues to grow. We are seeing an increasing variety of frogs, kingfishers, flying lizards (Draco), as well as many species of butterflies, bees and dragonflies.
You may notice that parts of the garden sometimes look a little wild. Fallen leaves are left on the ground, some areas are not regularly cleared, and vegetation is allowed to grow freely. This is intentional. These seemingly untidy areas provide food, shelter and habitat for many small inhabitants of the garden.
We think of living with nature as a negotiation between the species that were already here, those looking for a place to live, and the space we ourselves need. It is not about creating a perfectly manicured green space that separates us from the natural world. For us, feeling comfortable and safe means finding a balance — making space for nature while creating a place where people can live, stay and connect.
This is the philosophy we invite you to experience when you come to Joglo Gumuk.
We encourage our guests to slow down and observe the life around them. Below we have created a small gallery of species based on photographs taken by our guests and us, documenting some of the insects and amphibians and other creatures discovered here.
Have you found something we haven’t documented yet?
We would love to add your discovery to the gallery. Feel free to send us a photograph of any new species you encounter during your stay.
Photo credits: Murat @onkel_murat, Faozan Rizal @faozanrizal
