KUCHING: The annual Kuching Heritage Lights & Floral Festival 2025 has once again turned the heart of the city into a blooming paradise, drawing in large crowds, especially women and families with children, all eager to soak up the sights, scents and colours of this unique celebration of plants, culture and creativity.
The festival, a family-friendly affair with a green twist, radiates contagious excitement as lush floral arches, fairy lights, and themed plant installations greet visitors at every corner.
Children dart between stalls filled with colourful potted plants as parents chat with nursery owners and pick out leafy companions for their verandahs or porches, while the festival’s lively sights and sounds draw not only avid gardeners but also curious newcomers discovering the joy of planting for the first time.
Held over five days from October 4 to 8, the festival is more than just a celebration of flowers as it brings together flora, food, handicrafts and local entertainment with homegrown nurseries showcasing the best of Borneo from exotic orchids to fruit tree saplings.
This year’s theme, ‘Rooted in Heritage, Blooming in Harmony’, has proven to be a crowd magnet, especially among plant lovers and home gardeners.
“People love plants because they bring life into homes,” said Joseph Deyod from Kampung Rejoi, Penrissen, who showcased a wide variety of orchid species from Charlie Orchid Garden along Jalan Stephen Yong.
At the same booth, run by the garden’s director, William Wong, visitors were greeted with some of the most fragrant orchid species found in the region.
“Our nursery is known for its scented orchids. We have all sorts of orchid species, and we’re open five and a half days a week.
“You know orchid species are known to be long lasting, it can be a gift for your loved ones or simply, if you are orchid lovers, you won’t want to miss this festival,” he said, while festivalgoers were seen admiring delicate orchids, many pausing to inhale their soft, sweet fragrance.
For Sia Chin Chai of Yi Long Plantation Sdn Bhd, he brought a wide selection of fruit saplings from his orchard at Mile 14, Jalan Kuching-Serian.
“Anyone who wants to buy the fruit saplings, apart from the festival here, they can come to our nursery. We have sukun, dabai, rambutan, cempedak, nangka, even mango,” he said with pride.
According to him, most people still favour limau kasturi (calamansi), which is their best seller.
“Limau kasturi is our best-seller, many people want to grow them at home. The secret to healthy fruit trees? Enough fertiliser, use good fertiliser, or you can even use the organic ones,” he said, and added that the fertilisers are mostly gotten from the Agriculture Department.
Meanwhile, for Voon Jin Fui from Green Fingers, their take was mostly for the indoor and ornamental plants.
“Nowadays, modern families prefer houseplants that are small, easy to care for, for urban living and suitable for apartments. They especially like species that need only three to six hours of sunlight. We help customers choose based on how much light their homes get.
“Houseplants today are about balance; they can’t grow too big, and they must be easy to maintain. But many people enjoy them because they add a calm, natural vibe to their home environment,” said Voon.
She also stressed the importance of understanding sunlight needs based on different types of plants.
“For example, the Azuga plant, more formally known as Ajuga reptans or bugleweed with its showy blue flower spikes, requires a certain amount of sunlight to grow healthily.
“The same goes for Begonia plants, depending on whether they need direct or indirect light. Azuga, for instance, needs about 12 hours of direct sunlight, while begonias are more delicate and prefer indirect light.
“Too much rain can also harm ornamental plants as it damages their leaves and may attract worms or fungus,” said Voon.
