A grassy area is seen at the Mya Yamon Waterfront Villa estate in South Dagon township, July 24. Crafted from swampland, the project’s quiet suburban streets, shared gardens and artificial lake represent a trend towards more extensive landscaping, according to the estate’s developer, TMW Construction Group. Pic: Aung Tun Win

LANDSCAPING and gardening is gaining in popularity among homeowners and developers, especially for the high-end property market, industry sources say.

“People are realising that a landscaped area can be pleasing to the eye and a relaxing space too,” said U Tun Maung, director of TMW Construction Group.

He said many homeowners wanted their properties to be surrounded by nice scenery and, to reflect this, 30 percent of land at the company’s recent 90-acre Mya Yamon Waterfront Villa estate in South Dagon township had been set aside as gardens.

U Tun Maung said the company regularly consults with an expert in Thailand for landscaping advice.

Local landscaping professionals and the suppliers of the materials they use are also benefiting from the trend towards more green space, according to U Wi, manager of Pan Hlaing Landscaping and Gardening Consultants.

“Landowners in Myanmar are showing more interest in developing gardens on their properties than ever before, but it’s still not very popular,” the 50-year-old said.

“When I was young, landscaping was very rare in Myanmar and most people weren’t familiar with what it entailed. But after 1989, when construction began picking up again, the YCDC (Yangon City Development Committee) helped spread the idea of landscaping through a number of parks and gardens across the city,” U Wi said.

“A house with a landscaped garden or outside living area is more attractive and easier to sell than a house without it,” he added.

The ease with which homes with gardens sell is disputed, however, with realtors pointing out that many homeowners resent the maintenance costs associated with gardens and lawns.

Most homes with gardens that fall within the bulk of homebuyers’ budgets are also found in outlying suburbs that have poorer electricity and water supplies than more central apartments, they say.

On the design side, there is a lack of landscaping learning centres to train new workers in how to attractively craft a garden or outdoor space.

“However, with the popularity of landscaping increasing, the Myanmar Floral Culturist Association is going to launch a 12-day course at People’s Park in Yangon,” said U Wi, referring to an August 6-18 course that will cover basic gardening and landscaping theory.

“I really appreciate these kinds of courses because we need more skilled people in the industry,” U Wi said.

Daw Khin Win Myint, who heads the Myanmar Floral Culturist Association, said the course will be limited to 50 people and costs K15,000 for members of the association and K17,000 for the unaffiliated.

“It’s a theory-based course that will offer information on how to care for plants and the principles behind decorating land for a garden,” Daw Khin Win Myint said.

“It will support students trying to improve their creativity and give them ideas about landscaping and gardening.”

U Wi noted, though, that people could not expect to learn all the ins and outs of landscaping over two weeks.

“Landscaping and gardening are very broad subjects which can’t be learnt in a short period. If possible, we should support the opening of longer courses,” he said.

Ko Kyaw Kyaw Tun, a student of sustainable development at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, said most homes in the neigh-bouring country’s northern city were more attractive than those in Yangon.

“The difference has nothing to do with the development of the country,” he told The Myanmar Times last week during a visit to his home city of Yangon.

“The most important thing is the people’s mindset. I find that even people living in apartments in Chiang Mai are interested in making their homes and outdoor spaces on balconies attractive,” he said.

U Aung Ko Win, marketing manager for the Unity real estate agency, said it was Yangon’s wealthier residents that were driving the more adventurous developments in landscaping in Myanmar.

“Garden homes are the option of wealthy people,” he said. “They want to buy large residences with landscaped yards far from downtown. Landscaping has become a basic requirement for privacy and to show luxury status.”

While properties in Bahan township sometimes fitted the bill, large-scale developments in outlying areas were more popular destinations for those able to pay for scenic settings, he said, citing FMI City and the Pun Hlaing Golf Estate – both developed by Serge Pan and Associates (SPA) – in Hlaing Tharyar township and Palm Court Villa in Mayangone township as examples.
Still, attractive backyards needn’t be solely the domain of the moneyed, U Ko Aung Win said.

“People think landscaping costs a lot. But really, people can do things to suit any budget.

“They can get a relaxing environment and even sell some of the plants they grow,” he said.

For Ma Tin Myo Aye, a 31-year-old resident of South Okkalapa township, there was no question about leaving a section of her compound unpaved for a garden.

“This is one feature that every house should have, in accordance with the size of the compound. Gardens provide greenery and make for beautiful surroundings, which is both relaxing and eye-catching,” she said.