Phipps Thailand Discovery: Plants and Water Gardens at the Grand Palace

Phipps Thailand Discovery

As part of our effort to connect people to the natural world through plants and animals, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will have a special two year exhibit on the Tropical Forests of Thailand. This blog began as a travel journal of the trip to Thailand where we researched the culture and its use of plants. Since the trip, we’ve watched the conservatory construction, purchased plants and now, we eagerly anticipate our opening weekend festivities December 9-10, 2006.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Plants and Water Gardens at the Grand Palace

When we talk about water gardens in the US we think about excavating a pond in the back yard, cutting a liner, adding a waterfall, etc. From what I have seen so far, water is included in most gardens though not on as grand of a scale. The most simple water features are the water jars and troughs. Even this mai dut (Thai topiary/bonsai/whimsy) includes a small area of water.

Water jars and troughs

Mai dut

The pom pom bushes are very cool. They range in size and number of pom poms. They are included in nearly every garden planting. At the Grand Palace, the pom poms are large and well tended. 3 Gardeners are taking care of this one garden plot. These potted plants are taller than me! Several areas of the Grand Palace feature smaller pom pom bushes and a small scale landscape around statuary, plants include Evolvulus, Cuphea, and Pedilanthes. This border features Alternanthera and water jars that are sunken into the ground. I did see many gardeners at the Royal Palace, most were watering or refilling the water jars. KD