Couple colours golden years with art and orchard life
The father of four said life after retirement has given him the opportunity to reconnect with nature while maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle through gardening activities at the orchard, which also offers homestay accommodation.
NILAI - While many embrace retirement at a slower pace, a couple in Lenggeng has chosen to spend their golden years differently, with the husband tending a thriving durian orchard while the wife transforms everyday objects into art, creating a lifestyle shaped by passion, creativity and time spent together.
After spending decades in the oil and gas industry, Nasura Mohd Yusof, 65, now enjoys retirement by managing a 4.2-hectare durian orchard, known as DusunNas, which he developed since 2010 together with his wife, Siti Zulaina Bahro, 59.
The father of four said life after retirement has given him the opportunity to reconnect with nature while maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle through gardening activities at the orchard, which also offers homestay accommodation.
"My interest in gardening and my love for eating durians motivated me to own an orchard. We live in Kajang, Selangor, and initially bought about 0.8 hectares of land here, which at the time had around 25 village durian trees.
"Today, the orchard has expanded with more than 300 durian trees of various varieties, including Musang King, IOI and village durians,” he said.
Nasura said visitors can not only purchase durians but also enjoy the experience of eating the fruit at the orchard, with bookings made through WhatsApp.
He said land prices in the area have increased significantly over the years, noting that plots once valued at about RM80,000 per acre now exceed RM250,000 per acre, with his most recent purchase being land used as access to the orchard.
Besides durians, he also cultivates about 30 Brazilian longan trees, known for their unique characteristics and strong demand.
The orchard received the myGAP (Good Agricultural Practices Scheme) certification from the Department of Agriculture about five years ago, making it among the earliest orchards in the area to receive the recognition.
"We also collaborate with the Department of Agriculture to organise various programmes and courses related to durian cultivation at this orchard,” he said.
To maintain a healthy lifestyle, Nasura said he and his wife begin each morning with brisk walking around the village and orchard, allowing them to stay active while enjoying the fresh morning air.
While Nasura devotes his retirement to orchard life, Siti Zulaina has found fulfilment through a different form of creation.
Besides helping her husband manage the orchard, she pursues art through works using the decoupage technique, which involves decorating and transforming old items and souvenir containers collected over the years into renewed creations.
Siti Zulaina, who loved drawing since childhood, said the activity has become more than a hobby and now serves as personal therapy that calms the mind and fills her free time meaningfully.
"I attended classes to learn the decoupage technique in greater depth. Floral themes are my main choice and the process requires patience and attention to detail. At the same time, I can repurpose discarded items into decorative pieces,” she said.
Among her creative works are food covers, wooden tissue boxes, decorative kitchenware and soaps redesigned with her own artistic touch, which are also made and displayed at their home at the orchard. - BERNAMA
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