Phipps Thailand Discovery

Progress in Planting

2006-11-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

With 3 more trucks of plant material on their way to Pittsburgh it was time to make our presence known with the construction crews. Beds had to be cleared and soil brought in...and plants unloaded into the space. The truck with the 10 palm trees for Palm Circle took an entire day to unload. Since they are cold sensitive palms, the truck had to back up to the new conservatory and the palms brought immediately inside. Here are some planting progress photos from the past week.

Ben plants the pockets in Cascade Falls

The Bougainvilla from 'Tropical Landscapers'

A view from the Cascade Falls to the Special Events Pavilion

The large palms from Botanics Wholesale installed in the Palm Circle

The canopy walk area is filling in, the facade to cover it will soon be installed and a mangrove has been added to the fish pool.

3 giant fishtail palms near the entrance pavilion

Racing toward the Airport

2006-10-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

Wednesday morning was spent traveling North to the Apopka area (near Orlando) and shopping at two great fern / foliage producers. First stop was Central Florida Fern - gorgeous ferns including my favorite - Heart Fern. Many other ferns were secured including Antenna Fern, ET Fern, Upsidedown Fern, Crested Polly Fern and Possum Footed Fern.

The next stop - Milestone Foliage had these amazing Cordyline 'Chocolate Queen' ...hmmm...not for the tropical forest but maybe for an upcoming Fall Show?

As I was leaving Apopka, racing to return the rental car and make the flight at the Orlando Airport, I saw a mirage in the middle of an industrial park. A field of Asian pottery! Could it be true? I circled a few times and yes, it was truly a parking lot full of pottery. I stopped and was able to make the contact to purchase beautiful pots and water jars for our exhibit.

Definitely a successful mission with over 1,200 miles put on the rental car!

Moving North on the East Coast of Florida

2006-10-18T21:14:00.000-04:00

The next stops were north of Miami / Homestead in the Boynton Beach / Wellington / Loxahatchee areas of Florida. The first destination on Tuesday morning was Southeast Growers in Wellington. I had called ahead and asked to see some specific material including Polyalthia longifolia, Mangrove, Mahogany, Bauhinia, and Cassia. Those items were tagged but I (of course) found some other treasures that would work well in our space.

The photo to the left is the Polyalthia longifolia. It is a very cool tree - straight and narrow with weeping leaves. I saw it throughout Thailand. It will be used near our special events pavilion in the more formal section of the plantings.

Also, here is a photo of a very cool Pandanus tree that I found at Southeast Growers - check out the roots! It will be placed near the stream but not too close to the path because of the razor sharp leaves.

Next stop - a place I'd never been too... Tropical Landscapers. I saw an ad in the "Plant Finder" magazine which had a photo of some crazy clipped bougainvilla. It was on my route north so I decided to stop by. I went wild over these plants! I had a tough time deciding which I should take but finally selected 3 pots of multi pom pom purple.

After Tropical Landscapers, I stopped at Excelsa Gardens for my usual assortment of plants including Tiger Grass, Ferns, Spathoglottis orchids, Rangoon Creeper, Red Sealing Wax palms, Sting Ray Alocasia, etc. or as they say in Thailand...++.

Back to Florida

2006-10-16T23:53:00.000-04:00

Since the largest of the trees have been placed in the conservatory and the fall show officially opened on the 14th, I was able to sneak back down to Florida for a few days. On the agenda for this tagging trip was to locate Cassia fistula which is the King's Tree, also Mangrove, Coconuts, and smaller understory ferns and aroids.

After flying into Tampa on October 14th, I was able to spend some time at the Exotic Plumeria Tropical Garden just outside of Tampa in Seffner, FL. (http://www.exoticplumeria.com/cplumeria.com/) After visiting Thailand this past winter I knew that a visit to this nursery would be very important. Plumeria trees ranging in size from 10" to upwards of 25" pots were available. I selected several of the larger Singapore Dwarf cultivars with fragrant white flowers, also some of the smaller pink and yellow flowered cultivars.

The next stop was in Punta Gorda, FL at Top Tropical's new nursery location (http://www.toptropicals.com/). Tatiana and Mike are frequent travelers to exotic locations. Each of their expeditions has yeilded many incredible fragrant, flowering and fruiting plants. It was wonderful to spend the day talking plants with these two knowledgable plantspeople. I was able to select many plants from their Thailand expedition including Thai Magnolia, Vietnamese Gardenia, Wrightia and lemon grass.

After finishing on the West Coast of Florida, I worked my way down to Homestead to spend the entire day (Monday) looking for some of the wish list items. The first stop was Botanics Wholesale where I was able to select the palms for the Palm Circle area (criteria is 10 palms, solitary, graceful pinnate foliage, even heights, and maximum height not to exceed 60') of my short list of possible palms Botanics Wholesale was able to locate Carpenteria acuminata. Look at these beautiful palms!

Other stops in Miami / Homestead included Action Theory (for Mangrove, giant Fishtail Palms, and Bauhinia), Silver Krome (for Tacca and Anthirium) and Pine Island Nursery for rare fruit including trellised dragon fruit. Each of these trellises have 4 different cultivars of fruit - options include skin that is yellow, pink or red combined with an inside of black with white or pink.

End of the Week

2006-10-06T18:54:00.000-04:00

After one full week with a crane we were able to place all of our largest trees which created the structure for the overall canopy layer of the space. These trees include Spindle Palms, several types of Ficus, Tamarind, Date Palms, Black Olive, Star Fruit and others. In total, we've placed over 35 trees.

Here are some photos from this evening.

The Crane Has Arrived

2006-10-02T18:05:00.000-04:00

It is Monday morning and our crane has arrived! Our tree placement work has to be coordinated with several other crews - Cost of Wisconsin is still working on the falls and other rock outcrops, masons are working on stone facing along the steps and walls, the plumbers are installing root zone heating, and the electricians have roughed in condoit for pathway lighting.

Our crane is very special - it has to fit through a 9' x 9' opening, reach up to 50' and lift over 2,000 lbs. Since many of the trees were outside until today, the first order of business was to move trees inside and place them near their desired destination on the pathways. Here is a photo of the first tree that was set into place - an 'Allii' Ficus tree at the foot of the canopy walk.

Waiting Plants

2006-09-30T13:08:00.000-04:00

I'm anxious to plant the conservatory. Cold weather is approaching and so is the opening weekend! Plants that were ordered and shipped have been scattered throughout the facility. Many of the smaller plants were placed into our greenhouses while larger plants have been tied to the railings surrounding the exterior of our production greenhouse facility. Some of the plants for the new conservatory have also served many functions; some are currently on view in the Mythical Beasts summer flower show, others will be on view for the fall flower show. Our new Indoor Display Specialist for the Tropical Forest has been familiarizing himself with the plants and our Greenhouse Production Staff is anxious to get all of these plants moved out of the greenhouse so that they can begin to grow plants for the spring flower show and our next exhibits: Dale Chihuly Art Glass and Tropical Forest: Amazon.

Construction Progress

2006-09-30T12:38:00.000-04:00

Work on the Tropical Forest Conservatory has been progressing. The majority of the concrete sidewalks are completed and a crew from Cost of Wisconsin is creating the dramatic stonework (including 2 waterfalls, a stream, and a fish pool). Since the weather is getting cold, several of the largest trees were moved inside. We anticipate the arrival of a crane (to assist with planting) on Monday. The crane and operator will stay all week and help us to move the trees to their destinations throughout the space. Many of the trees are 30' tall, in 200-300 gallon pots and weigh over 2,500 pounds.

Plywood covers the walkways so that they aren't damaged while we are planting. Some rebar cages remain in the foreground - these are the first stage of the rockwork.

The crew from Cost of Wisconsin, Inc. installs rebar cages below the canopy walk. In the background you can see one of the waterfalls that the've completed. Once the cage is placed it is sprayed with Shot-crete, a few days later another layer of concrete is added as the rocks are sculpted and details like crevices are added. A painting crew follows and adds layers of green, brown, and black paint.

In this photo, the stream is in the foreground. Many planting pockets with drains and plugs have been added - they will be filled with Thalia, Cyperus, Pandanus, and Alocasia. The stream rockwork has been completed but the large waterfall wall [in the background] that hides behind scaffold and plastic has just been hit with its first layer of concrete.

Plants Arrive at Phipps

2006-08-15T12:25:00.000-04:00

Plants purchased during the tagging trip to Florida have begun to arrive. Phipps staff eagerly await the arrival of the truck each Monday morning. This week we've 23 large trees including Spindle Palms, Pygmy Date Palms, Ficus, Tamarind, and a Kapok Tree.

If you're curious...

2006-07-14T19:31:00.000-04:00

Maybe you're curious about how the plants are packed, shipped, transported and delivered? Each plant that is tagged will be held for us until we are ready to schedule delivery. Plants are usually pulled/prepared on a Thursday, loaded onto the truck on Friday and arrive to us on Monday. We will have some loads that will be full of just Phipps stuff so the delivery time may be quicker.

Here are some photos of plants being packed onto a tractor trailer at Southeast Growers. The workers wrap each plant and bring it to the truck with a small tractor and tree boom. The trucks are carefully loaded but filled to the brim.
-KD

Tagging, Day 3, Part 2

2006-07-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

After a full morning at Calusa Creek, I drove about an hour south to Wellington, FL to visit Southeast Growers www.southeastgrowers.com. I'd seen Richard Kern at the TPIE tradeshow several times and he always had interesting / out of the ordinary plants at his booth. Richard was able to spend the day with me going through his 40 acres of houses and fields to tag the SE Asian plants that we'll need. I found many of the plants that were on my wish list and also those that the education department would like to teach about. Many of these plants will wind up in the healer's hut / research field station area of the tropical forest.

WOW! Here is a quick rundown of my picks: Jackfruit, Elephant Apple, Longan, Lychee, Thai Everbearing Mango, Sugar Palms, Pinang Yaki, Bignay, Cecropia, Teak, Tamarind, Clove Tree, Traveler's Tree, Nutmeg Tree....

Here is a photo of one of the Thai Palms.

Here is Heather's 20' tall Kapok tree (there is a hint of buttress roots).
On the left is one of the small Ficus religiosa (Buddha Fig) that I tagged.
These are Rattan palms. They have a vining nature with thorny tendrils that reach out and grab whatever is closeby. This is the plant used to make furniture, placemats and all sorts of crafts.
And a new crop of Breadfruit - aren't those leaves so cool - very tropical looking!

-KD

Tagging, Day 3

2006-07-10T19:54:00.000-04:00

Today was a long but fruitful day.
I had intentions of getting to many more places than I actually made it to. Top Tropicals, Boynton Botanicals, Excelsa Gardens, and Bougainvillea Growers - you'll have to wait till my next trip down south.

I started the morning at Calusa Creek Tree Farm www.calusacreek.com in Stuart, FL. Stuart is north of West Palm Beach and about 2 1/2 hours from Homestead. I had visited the farm several years ago on a Tropical Plant Industry Expositon (TPIE) field trip. I knew they had big stuff but I was hoping they fared well with the hurricanes of last season. I was in luck! After meeting up with the general manager, Paul Sojka, I was able to tag many big trees. These beautiful Ficus were contract grown for another customer but only 1/2 were needed so I was able to take the remainder.

I also tagged some Phoenix reasoneri (Vietnamese Date Palm), Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (Spindle Palm), field grown Ficus, and contorted Queen palms with a bent trunk. The shade houses are amazing! Check out the size of these trees!

Tagging, Day 2

2006-07-08T22:05:00.000-04:00

As it turns out, Day 2 will also be in Homestead, FL. I've got several appointments lined up including Danny's Nursery, Power Bloom Farm, The Jungle, and Acosta Farms (container division).

At the first stop, Danny's Nursery, I spied these fantastic clipped Ficus trees. Normally I don't venture into the formal, clipped territory but they will be perfect to help recreate the look of the mai dat from the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Danny's also had several Ficus 'Alii' ranging from 8-11' and 2 types of Jasmine (J. sambac and Murraya).

The second stop was just as exciting as they carried 4 cultivars of Bougainvillea on 72" trellises, 7-9 ball Eugenia pom poms, and a great crop of Gardenia. 3 great scores for creating the ambiance in the tropical forest village area!

Both The Jungle and Acosta Farms Container Divison had some of the plants that we'll fill in with but I'm still on the hunt for the big trees. -KD

Tagging, Day 1

2006-07-07T21:38:00.000-04:00

I flew into Ft. Lauderdale yesterday and I spent the afternoon and evening making appointments and preparing my wish lists. I'll be in Florida through Tuesday AM so I'm hoping I can get much of the purchasing completed. Today I will be in the Homestead, FL area visiting Botanics Wholesale www.botanics.com, Bick Farm, Acosta (Field) www.acostafarms.com , and Silver Krome Gardens www.skg.com . I'm looking for all sorts of plants for the new conservatory but my biggest priority is for the large trees since they will need to come into the building before it is closed up and because they will take up the most space.

Botanics Wholesale had many unusual genera of Palm from all over the world. I selected several species of Licuala and Rhaphis as well as Areca vestaria, the windowpane palm (Pinanga kuhlii).

I spotted a beautiful yellow flowered tree in the parking lot that I was able to tag in a smaller size, it is Bulnesia arborea. No huge trees :-(

The second stop, Bick Farms yeilded some cool flowering trees including the Orange Geiger, Pink Tabebuia, Royal Poinciana and Palms (Phoenix, Queen, and Red Latan). I took lots of notes but I'm in search of the big trees and SE Asian natives first.

The trip to Acosta (field) Farm was interesting. I parked at the end of a dirt road and waited for a man named Freddie to pick me up in his truck. I wished that I had a more conversational grasp of the Spanish language. Freddie drove me through the farm in his old pickup truck. We dodged huge ruts, puddles and swarms of mosquitoes. The field production area is just a small portion of Acosta Farms growing space and I knew I'd be headed to their container division on Saturday. I did end up tagging several trees there including some Royal Palms, Bauhinia, and Poinciana. Look at how the trees are grown in raised beds (meaning the rest of the area is swampy).
I tagged this Poinciana because it was the largest tree I'd seen thus far. It is about 20' tall and has an unusual form. It is kind of the runt of the area - left behind while other crops have been planted around it. I like that it hasn't been clipped and pruned for a formal look (what most people desire).

The last stop for the day was Silver Krome Gardens. In the middle of a rainstorm at 4:30 PM the owner's son Bill gave me the grand tour. I got the lay of the land and discovered many fantastic plants that will add the finishing touches to the conservatory. Check out this 'Thai Beauty' Caladium.

Until Tomorrow!

Construction Update

2006-07-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

The Tropical Forest construction is moving along and the subsoil has been placed. It is a sandy gravel mix of varying depths. Our planting soil (about 966 cubic yards) has been ordered and will be delivered within the next week. The soil will be about 4' deep throughout the conservatory. It is a combination of Haydite(expanded shale), Pro-Base (composted pine bark), sand, and a small amount of Peat Moss. It is time to tag trees for the exhibit so I'll be heading to visit nurseries throughout Florida in the coming weeks. We are looking for some generic tropical trees for the framework of the conservatory with the bulk of plants being of Thai origin or of the Southeast Asian origin. Since last year's hurricane season wiped out many growers, the hunt for large canopy trees will be time consuming. Our maximum ceiling height is 60' in certain areas and a 12' tree just won't do it! -KD

Back in Pittsburgh

2005-12-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

We made it back to Pittsburgh on December 12th. It was a long flight and we are both still recovering from jetlag. Since the opening of the Tropical Forest Conservatory is roughly nine months away, we'd like to keep updating the blog to keep everyone posted on our planning progress. Once we get unpacked and settled back into life we will begin to disseminate the information that we gathered during the trip. Our purchases of books and crafts, the photos that we took and the overall experience will help us to create realistic plantings, authentic structures, accurate interpretation, and relevant programming.

Next up for me is to continue developing the planting plan. I have a plant tagging trip scheduled in January. KD

Rama IX

2005-12-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

Since we are back in Bangkok we’ve decided to cross a few more of the must see items from our list. I am still interested in making it to the Rama IX Flower Show, Asia Books, the University bookstore, and the garden district. We were able to make arrangements for some of the shipping (books, etc. will leave on Tuesday and arrive in 2 months) but we are having a harder time with the more fragile items. Our next option will be the business center in the hotel.

Today I took a taxi to the Rama IX Park (2957), in search of the Rama IX Flower Show. Bangkok taxi rules state that the passenger is responsible for the tolls when the driver decides to take the expressway (60 baht) as well as the 45 minute taxi fare (179 baht). When I arrived at the park I had no idea where I was. After walking a short distance through the main gate a man standing about 4 feet away from me welcomed me over a bullhorn – “Hello, where you from?”. I continued to walk, passing food and clothing vendors, until I spotted a more permanent kiosk selling Rama IX Park merchandise. The ladies said hello and ran into the back to get their boss. I asked for the flower show and he said it was over but handed me 3 maps of the park.

2957

I wandered around and was excited to find that the vendors could care less what I was looking at and what I was interested in. It was a great contrast to our trips through the night bazaar and markets in which the vendors knock you over in the aisle to put a sarong on you.

I am not sure what I was expecting the flower show to be, and not sure that I actually found it, but I definitely had a great day. The park is filled with annual beds and labeled trees. I did find several themed gardens – English, Spanish, Thai, Japanese, as well as a large conservatory-style shade house and a desert dome. This is not a tourist park; it is a place where the locals go to escape the city for the weekend (2820). My best estimate is that there were 10,000 people spread throughout the entire park. Hundreds of vendors sold every type of garden item imaginable: mostly plants, though pots, pottery, water features, fertilizers, tools, and seeds were available.

2820

Let me first tell you about all of the coolest plants I’ve ever seen:
(2898) is some sort of Euphorbia and in many of the booths it was shown with the poinsettia. We need it for the winter show next year. Variegation is good luck, especially if the plants have a golden variegation. This citrus has variegated leaves and fruit (2887), I also saw variegated banana (2835), and Rhaphis palm (2846). I was enamored with Crypanthus ‘Elaine’ (2930), the finest textured Croton (2917) I’ve ever seen and (2870) what ever this plant is that looks like Hebe on steroids.

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2887

2835

2846

2930

2917

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There were also fabulous baby’s breath (2901) hanging baskets, a million new cultivars of Plumeria (2849), as well as many fun, new Aglaonema and Adenium. I am really starting to like the mellow, melon tones as shown in these Ixora and Caladium (2931, 2894). I don’t want to overwhelm this post with plant pictures but I do have many. There were great topiary in all sorts of animal forms, also many fruit and vegetable plants, and water plants. Many good advertising gimmicks and plant display techniques were gleaned.

2901

2849

2931

2894

It is funny to compare this plant fair to others that I’ve been to – even our May Market. There are always the booths with the fantastic, rare plants, the booths with the common plants, the booth with the gadgets, the kitsch booth, and the man selling the tree trimming equipment. (2836) I did succumb to the lure of these pot/slurpee cup/window box/bowl hanging brackets – 12 for 120 baht (about $.25 each). I also bought 2 books about the newest Plumeria cultivars, several vegetable seed packets, and a couple of small elephant topiary frames. Next time I will be buying plants! I NEED that Euphorbia! KD

2836

The Girls Go Shopping

2005-12-09T09:42:00.001-05:00

The Girls Go Shopping (hm)

After a couple weeks of sensitive cultural explorations, the girls decided it was time to go shopping. Since we are in our twilight hours in Thailand, the time to boil down all of the statues and shapes and pottery into a few purchases has come.

The winds of travel blew strongly this morning as we decided to pack up and head north to Bangkok. In the space of two hours we packed, checked out, found hotel reservations and thanks to our intrepid cultural interpreter, Arika, found a driver.

By this point in the trip we’ve collected some things which add up to a few large, heavy suitcases. (Yes, some f them are gifts for you all!) The way to travel short distances is to hire a driver and a mini-van. If there are more than two people and a purse you must hire a mini-van because the cars are mini-sized.

Our driver thought this would be a quick round-trip to drop off the farangs (foreigners) and just smiled with amusement as we asked if we could stop to purchase a spirit house for the upcoming exhibit. He replied that he didn’t think we had room, but we could try.

So we piled into the van with all of our baggage and it was true, there was almost no space left.

A few miles into the trip Karen spotted a roadside stand and we pulled a u-turn to get to the shop. We found a fantastic spirit house, a broom Karen wanted and several object for the exhibit.

(photo 2795 spirit house store)

2795

(photo 2791 spirit house we chose)

2791

We spent all of our collective cash to acquire these items and had a tough time fitting them into the van. But we managed it. (Photos 2796, 2797)

2796

2797

Now we are stuck in a maze of Bangkok traffic looking for the DHL office so we can ship all this stuff back. Arika and I haven’t been able to move for hours due to our collection of artifacts (photo 2815).

2815

Statuary for the exhibit (photos 2808, 2794)

2808

2794

We have been lost for some time now and have just had a moment of excitement because we spotted a DHL truck. Wait, look there is another DHL truck. It looks like we might be hot on the trail of our destination. We just found it, so we will post more later!

PS- We found DHL and were horribly disappointed by their unwillingness to do business with us. Let’s hope we can find someone who will do business with us tomorrow. -HM

Back to Bangkok (hm)

2005-12-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

Back to Bangkok (hm)

We decided to leave Hua Hin a few days early in order to spend more time in Bangkok. I know that we are almost to the hotel because traffic has slowed to, well a stop. We have been sitting in the same intersection for about 15 minutes now, so in an effort to stay productive, decided to tell all our readers about our newest adventures.

Hua Hin is a lovely seaside town, reminiscent of lovely seaside towns around the globe. After recovering from a major episode of food poisoning, one of our team members is now a card carrying member of the San Paolo Hua Hin Hospital.

A point of interest for the insurance-challenged states…an emergency room visit and five prescriptions cost a whopping US$50.

Since the team has regained our collective health and vitality, we feel the pull of good old fashioned American productivity calling us back to the big city for one final push before we head home for the holidays.

(Photos of our Hua Hin Guesthouse 2787 and 2788)

2787

2788

The Fresh Market

2005-12-08T09:46:00.002-05:00

The Fresh Market

The fresh markets start early in the morning and contain goods brought in from farmers and hill-tribe people. Some of these goods have been raised on a farm, but many have been collected from the wild.

There is an assortment of greens, vegetables, fruits, spices, mushrooms and meat products. Many of these items simply do not exist in the western hemisphere. These markets take place in utilitarian cement block buildings divided up into sections where each vendor has a table laid with wares.

There are piles of fresh things, dried things, jars and cooking pots full of things, some identifiable to the uninitiated, many not.

(photo 252) Wild edibles

252

(photo 254) Garlic, chili and onions…essential ingredients

254

(photo spirit.jpg) Hill tribe woman with a spirit offering. This offering contains tobacco, betel nut, spices, matches and a candle, all wrapped up in the ubiquitous palm leaf.

spirit.jpg

Doi Tung

2005-12-08T09:46:00.001-05:00

Doi Tung

We journeyed to the border area of Thailand and Burma to meet with the Director of the Doi Tung Royal Projects. The Royal Projects were started by the current king in the 1970’s to help indiginous hill tribe people have economic alternatives to growing the opium poppy.

186

These projects have grown to an amazing 40 intitiatives which focus on providing skills in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, textiles and celedon pottery. Markets have then been developed for the tribe-people to sell their products.

(photo 196) Tribesman working at arboretum.

196

This is a mountainous region, with an altitude of over a mile. The arboretum showed several endemic species of trees that are being used to reforest land damaged from generations of slash and burn agriculture. The programs have grown in success as the native people have learned the Thai language in addition to their original tongue.

Mae Fah Laung

Mae Fah Laung is a high altitude botanical garden carved out of a mountainside. The gardens were absolutely breathtaking. The horticulture aspect would have been stunning alone, but one could not imagine a more beautiful place as they are set in a location that provides panoramic mountain vistas. (photo 230)

230

(photo 236) Orchids at Mae Fah Laung

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(photo 249) Mountain setting of gardens

249

Doi Inthanon

2005-12-08T09:46:00.000-05:00

Doi Inthanon

We were taken to Doi Inthanon, 6000 feet above Chiang Mai, by our intrepid driver and our 78 year-old guide, Adrian. We were lucky to be in Thailand for the annual three day celebration of the King’s Birthday.

This is a long weekend where Thai’s visit holy sites (photo 262). We were in the mountains, and as we approached the top where there is a famous Chedi we found ourselves involved in a traffic mêlée. Quite unexpected, but it gave us a chance to see a site we would have otherwise missed. (photo 263).

262

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After making it through the traffic jam, we continued our assent to hike through the cloud forest. This was my first time in a cloud forest, and it was fascinating to see almost every tree covered in a curly moss. This ecosystem is a tropical forest, but lacks high temperatures due to the elevation. (photo 264).

264

Our guide was a member of the Aka tribe, and led us through a fairly dense forest which opened up into a mountain prairie. As we walked out onto open expanse, we could see Adrian descending the opposite slope with amazing agility. (photo 282 - photo missing).

As we crossed the prairie we were awed to be standing in a scene that rivaled the Alps of Europe. There is nothing like the feeling of learning about plants on the edge of a mountain, a mile above the lands below.

Northern Thailand

2005-12-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Northern Thailand

Karen and I have been out of touch for several days while touring Northern Thailand, and even a few feet into Burma. We’ve been working 14 hour days to see as much as possible during our short stay. Now that we are back to civilization, we can report on that beautiful part of the country.

We were shown around by some wonderful locals in Chiang Mai, and met up with Arika Virapongse, one of Botany in Action’s own ethnobotanical graduate research grantees. These individuals have proved indispensable for navigating and translating, not to mention making us feel at home.

(Photo 339) Photo of Heather and Arika learning about the ancient Thai craft known as laquerware.

339

We’ve been touring botanical gardens, National Parks, an arboretum, and learned about some traditional crafts. Check out the following posts to read about all the fascinating places and people we’ve been working with.

(photo 341) example of laquerware and tools.

341

Queen Sirikit Gardens

(photo 069) This garden sits about 1500 feet above sea level, in a deciduous tropical forest. The garden is about 15 years old and is named after the current Queen of Thailand. The elevation necessitates glass houses because this area receives frost.

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We were honored to meet the Director and Associate Director of the gardens, and receive a personal tour. This photo shows the Director demonstrating the use of a traditional medicinal plant which is made into a poultice for burns. (photo 073)

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The collection has an impressive collection of medicinal plants, lotus flowers, desert plants, white-flowered forest plants. The most interesting component for us was the gardens’ constructed tropical forest, where we gained many ideas for developing our planting plan. This photo is just one example of the collection’s Asiatic insectivores, whose size dwarfs Pennsylvania’s native relatives. (photo 072)

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A good link

2005-12-05T01:11:00.000-05:00

http://www.dnp.go.th/botany/bkf.htm KD

Doi Inthanon

2005-12-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Doi Inthanon which is the highest point in Thailand. Moo’s husband Adrian joined us for the day. On the drive up the mountain, he talked a lot about the adventures that he has had in the parks, past hikes, and plants he has seen. We were surprised by the crowds of people at the park. Many families escaped the city for the long weekend and were prepared to tour the park, camp, and have a nice lunch. After sitting in a traffic jam near the top of the mountain, we were able to pass through and drive to the summit where we met our guide. We decided to take the Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail, a 5k trail (2735) that ventures through mossy forest, waterfalls (2677), streams, and meadow. At points we were staring at large Rhododendron (2727) as the clouds came by our heads - high point 2,200 meters (2722). It was interesting to see plants that could have been (or could be cousins to) Liriope, Parthenocissus, Hypericum, Polygonum, Tradescantia, Hypericum, and Vaccinium. Our guide was a local, he is 18 and in school. He as well as the other guides have taken seminars put on by the forestry service. If they have free time on the weekends they can just show up in the morning to lead tours of the forest. A guide is mandatory to tour this trail (2710). He didn’t speak any English but we were able to ask our questions through Arika.

2735

2677

2727

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2710

After our hike we jumped back into the van for the drive down the mountain. We were invited to dinner at Moo and Adrien’s house. Their cook prepared a northern Thai feast for us which we enjoyed while talking about all the types of tropical fruit you could enjoy seasonally while living in Thailand. KD

Chiang Rai

2005-12-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 3, 3005
Today our driver picked us up at 7am and we headed out to pick up Moo. We got on the road early and headed north to Chiang Rai. The trip takes about 3 hours though we stopped for refueling along the way. We stopped at one of the few tourist spots, Cabbages and Condoms. This store / restaurant / rest stop is a tribute to the man who brought family planning to the hill tribes in northern Thailand.

We had planned to stop at several sites of the Chiang Rai Forestry Department. At our first stop we picked up Moo’s friend Samart Sumanochitraporn. He is the Director of the Chaing Rai Forestry Training Center, a program that encourages hill tribe families to stop growing opium and cutting the forest. The area around his office is host to many students who are conducting research. There are many signs describing the plants and animals (2510) in the forest and many native plants are potted for display.

2510

After picking him up, we continued to head north to view the projects that he has worked on – these included a tissue culture laboratory (2557), mountainside garden and arboretum as well as a handicraft outlet which produces fabric, pottery and mulberry paper, and many nurseries and farms. Our first stop was a shade house that contained all of the orchids that have been seized from illegal collection (2531). The other side of the shade house had other plants for sale including many orchids and ferns. My favorite fern so far has been the Grape Leafed Fern (2542) – it has large leaves and black stems like those of a Maidenhair Fern. Our next stop was a tissue culture laboratory. Samart was proud that the new generation of Thais were learning about horticulture and the valuable resource that they have in Orchids. The road was winding and uphill as we climbed the mountain. We continued to drive until we reached the Mae Fah Luang Arboretum. We descended steps to view Dahlias and Vireya Rhododendron (2575) and climbed up steps to view the Stream of Benevolent Compassion (2573). As we continued to climb we had no idea how close we were to Burma. The foreman shows the stake (2597) in the ground that signifies the border between Thailand and Burma. The views of the surrounding areas were unbelievable. The mountains of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are a great contrast to our stops throughout Bangkok.

2557

2531

2542

2575

2573

2597

The last stop was the Mae Fuh Luang Garden which is a beautiful display garden. It houses an exhibit on tissue culture, changing annual displays (2654, 2625), and lush trails through landscaped grounds. In our stop behind the scenes we saw nursery houses filled with orchids (2642) that have been bred by the garden staff. The central area in the garden featured a small pavilion with a large tree growing over it. The limbs were LOADED with orchids (2635).

2564

2625

2642

2635

When we arrived at the hotel this evening we were happy to finally meet our Botany in Action friend Arika. She is busily working on her dissertation at Khon Kaen University but was able to take some time off to spend a few days showing us around Thailand. KD

Chiang Mai and QSBG

2005-12-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

Last night we checked out of the hotel in Bangkok and hopped on a flight to Chiang Mai. The Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai only took about an hour. We had originally planned to take the night train (9 hour) but it was booked early due to the King’s Birthday. I probably shouldn’t admit to this but…we ate at Burger King in the airport. We were busy all day and evening and by the time we’d gotten to the airport we were hungry. Burger King was the only option in our tiny concourse. It was the best Burger King I’d ever had. The sandwiches actually resembled the photos on the menu!

We arrived in Chiang Mai at about 10:30pm and checked into a hotel near the airport. We needed to be ready for our driver to pick us up at 9am. We headed out of the hotel, and headed over to the guest house that we’ll be staying in for several days. We dropped off our things and headed out to pick up Moo, our local host. She had a full day of activities planned for us.

When we arrived at the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden (http://www.qsbg.org/) we were met by Pramook Benyasut Ph.D., who is the Garden Head. Today was not about design or display but more about the plants that are native to Thailand, what they are used for and talks about the state of the soils and forests. He showed us the offices and gave us an overview of the site, then took us on a tour of the collection houses – desert, water plants, orchids, begonias, fern, bromeliad, etc. The orchid house had a path that led around the perimeter and several bridges that crossed over the center planting beds. The lush plantings incorporated many types of orchids mixed with fern and trees (2408, 2409). The design of the water plants house intrigued me because it was based on a circle theme. Several circular raised ponds (2393) stretched through the center of the room. A circular viewing platform on one end gave the visitors a new perspective. (2373) Local pottery is displayed throughout the bromeliad house.

2408

2409

2393

2373

We lunched Thai Style at the botanic garden hotel. We ordered several dishes to share, these included fried tilapia, lemon grass salad, chicken, sun dried pork, and a wonderful chicken and green pepper soup. After lunch, we headed back to the garden and checked out the QSBG information center. In the gift shop we were able to purchase a 7 volume set of books which describes (in Thai, Latin, and photos) the plants that are found at the garden. We were also able to purchase some seeds for many edible crops.

After stocking up on books and seeds we were brought into the information center auditorium to watch the QSBG movie. It described the planning and development that went into creating this 15 year old garden. To finish off our touring at the garden we went back to viewing the collections, first in the Thai medicinal plants houses and then the tropical forest. We took many pictures of the plants and their labels (2357) so that we can look them up when we get back. We were also able to obtain electronic plant lists from the garden. These will help us greatly in planning the exhibit.

2357

After arriving back at the guest house we decided to relax for a little while, later meeting up to have dinner and explore the Chiang Mai night markets. The products for sale in this area are much different than in Bangkok because the hill tribe crafts people live nearby and bring their wares each night. The variety of items is much greater and the prices are much less. KD

Ayutthaya - The Ancient City

2005-12-01T18:20:00.000-05:00

Today was group tour day. I was booked on a bus tour with a group of Japanese tourists. We left the lobby at 7am and headed north. We had a large tour bus, a guide, and a driver. The ride to Ayutthaya took appoximately 1.5 hours. We had several sites to see including the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, which has served as a summer palace for Thai monarchy since the 17th century (2245). There were 5 men mowing a small patch of lawn. It looked like they were all mowing the same patch. The topiary elephants are the largest (2233) I have seen thus far.

2245

2233

Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand (Siam) from 1350 through 1767 when it was burned and pillaged after a 2 year siege by the Burmese. The two ruin sites that we visited were the Wat Phra Sri San Phet and the Wat Chai Wattanaram. The Wat Phra Sri San Phet (2272) is the largest temple in Ayutthaya and a former royal palace of several kings of Siam. The Wat Chai Wattanaram (2285) was built in 1630 and features nearly one hundred beheaded Buddha statues (2290). We also saw the largest gold sitting Buddha and concluded the tour with a boat ride down the Chao Phraya River.

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At each stop the locals would set up tables of food and goods, hoping they'd be able to make a sale from a tourist. I purchased a woven grasshopper from a young boy for 20 bht (50 cents). It is made from palm fronds (2281). I was nearly lured into purchasing fruit...isn't this display beautiful (2282)?

2281

2282

When I returned to Bangkok I headed back to my hotel on foot. I captured two electrical photos for all of the men reading the blog. Flourescent lights are strung on a cord and dangle all around town - to illuminate the night market areas. Also, men at a local hotel are installing lights (2324)and decorations (2249) for the King's birthday (on Monday). KD

2324

2249

Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens

2005-11-30T23:48:00.000-05:00

....Thanks to Craig for posting our photos from Pittsburgh...

This morning I hired a driver to take me approximately 2 hours south to a coastal area called Pattaya. A driver is hired for approximately 4,000 baht per day. This fee includes driver, car, gas, etc. I met the driver in the lobby and headed south to see Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. Guide books list it as a cultural attraction (elephant, monkey, and cultural shows) though my horticultural contacts have told me that it is the place to see traditional architecture and millions of plants.

On the mile of approach roads palms were lined up in cement pots. Each pot was spaced about 3 feet from its neighbor; each pot had a drip irrigation emitter. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw this sort of formality. We pulled into the entrance; my driver paid my admission and got me a map. I knew I’d have some ground to cover. We decided I’d need at least 3 hours though I’d have his cell phone if I needed more time. I did need more time!

I ended up spending the whole day and didn’t get back to Bangkok till about 9:30pm. I took 286 photos! For those of you who know me well you’re probably nodding and remembering the time I took you to a garden with me.

I stayed away from the touristy core of the property and concentrated my efforts on the acres of gardens at the perimeter. There is an Orchid House, Bromeliad House, Garden Railroad, Butterfly House, Canna Field, French Garden, Topiary Garden, Bonsai Garden, Variety Garden, Cactus Garden, Palm Collection Garden, Heliconia Garden, and on and on…. The gardens are extremely well maintained. I kept thinking that it must take an army to clip all of the formal hedges and topiary forms. I did run into the army later on in the day when I heard feverish shear clipping (like sounds from the movie Edward Scissorhands) and came upon a group of 15 gardeners with hedge shears (2131).

2131

I loved seeing a field of cannas (2205) and the nursery areas. On my way out of exploring the nursery areas I found out that the shade houses are not open to the public (oops). The Adenium (2114) and back up bonsai (2095) go on as far as the eye can see. Also in my “Do Not Enter” adventure I enjoyed the Climbing Plants Garden. This garden is a collection of vines that are grown on posts resembling a portable clothesline. To my delight each of these plants had a display label and many were in flower. My favorites were the Beaumontia murtonii (large white flowers, thick vines), Xerosicyos perrieri (looks like succulent silver dollars on a vine), and the Porana volubilis (a flower resembling a crepe myrtle that hangs from the vine) (2118).

2205

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In looking at the plantings up close, I discovered that nearly all of the plants are staged in clay pots. The balls that I am standing in front of have a rebar frame which supports 6” clay pots of Celosia and Alternanthera (2019). In my ‘behind the scenes’ adventures I stumbled upon the Pottery Making Center. Three young men were forming the clay pots that are used for bonsai, display, and starter materials (2088). The pots are called iron pots, their color is much more brown than our standard terra cotta pots. Terra cotta is used here in Thailand and it was well displayed in the Pottery Display Garden (2028) where clay pots are used to create wall screens, lamp posts, a life sized tuk tuk and an elephant.

2019

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2028

I enjoyed all of the display gardens (palm, orchid, heliconia, bromeliad) because of the creative ways in which the plants are arranged. I was disappointed that very few of the plants have display labels. In the Bromeliad House, the Bromeliads are arranged by height and prominence is given to those in the bowls at the tops of the stone pedestals (2037). In the Orchid house Spanish moss is hung from clips. Many of the other Orchids are also grown in hanging pots (2056) though some are in pots on the patio that are changed out when they are no longer in bloom (2058).

2037

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The garden is a bit difficult to navigate and the map is a bit deceiving but the vistas are worth the effort. (2005, 2135) Two great examples are the swirled garden that is viewed from the restaurant / vending area and the Thai pavilion in the distance just past the European Garden. I would consider the Thai Pavilion garden areas the highlight of my visit…and they aren’t even on the map! Artistic horticulture is seen everywhere including the “ball garden” (2145) and the “elephant exit” (2200) in parking lot 3.

2005

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I’ll leave you with a smile. Here are some cacti smiley faces from the Nong Nooch Garden Shop (2156). They are priced at 20 baht which is about 50 cents.

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We’re headed to Ayutthaya (the ancient city) in a few hours. KD

Tropical Heat (hm)

2005-11-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

Bangkok is hot, really hot, 30 Celsius degrees hot. And it is winter to boot too. In the “real” summer the mercury climbs to 40 hellish degrees Celsius. The relativeness of just how hot it really is must depend on how close to the equator one was raised.

Before all of my western PA friends, family and colleagues start to turn green, let’s discuss how this “latitude attitude” translates to the human body. This girl was born and raised, and sill currently resides at about 42 degrees north latitude. This is a land of the temperate deciduous forest, a climate with four distinct seasons. Those who dwell in this spot on earth know that the human body can withstand an astonishing range of temperatures. From negative wind chill temperatures to highs around 90 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity that curls your hair.

It is this high end of the mercury that we are currently battling in Thailand. The mission to stay hydrated has achieved even footing with our quest for exotic plants.

The locals know that it is winter, so despite the tropical heat, winter fashions prevail. Blue-jeans, light sweaters and corduroy jackets make up the uniform of choice amongst college students and young adults. Business wear is very popular, with black and navy suits at the top. The Thai are so elegant and neatly coiffed that there is never a hair out of place or a forehead beaded with perspiration.

What helps in this heat, much to my delight, is a plethora of salt and sugar. The freshest stir-fry is finished with a handful of sugar. Fruit juice and sodas are salted. This initially caused concern because my “healthy” diet at home eschews both ingredients as unhealthy when used in quantity. Happily for my taste-buds, salt and sugar, when taken with liquid, are essential to keeping a body hydrated in the tropical climate.

My educated guess as to how this culture functions so efficiently despite the heat is an endowment with an internal air conditioning mechanism. Mai pen rai is the term for this internal device that allows for unfailing friendliness, smiles and helpfulness in this beautiful and hot land.

Making Merit, Vinmanmek Mansion Gardens, and the Night Market

2005-11-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

Between our travels at the Grand Palace and Wat Po, Heather and I discovered that there are several ways for us to make merit. For 20 bht you can purchase a small bundle containing a candle, incense and a square of gold leaf. There are small stands in front of the Buddha which hold the candle and buckets of sand to hold the incense. You can apply the gold to the smaller Buddha images off to the side. Here is a photo of the smaller Buddha which has received many offerings of gold.

When Heather and I walked into Wat Po we were in awe of the size of the reclining Buddha. We entered near his face, walked along his body, then saw his feet and walked around his back and left near his hair. Upon entering we could hear a constant, rhythmic clanking. When we got around to his back we found out that there was another opportunity for us to make our offering. We purchased small bowls of coins for 20 baht (about 50cents) and followed a single file line of people making offerings into a line of bowls on stands. Each bowl would get one coin dropped into it until you reached the end of the line.

The Vimanmek Mansion was also horticulturally rich. We saw Quisqualis vine (my favorite…smells like Hubba Bubba gum), Florida flame vine (not sure of the genus but has bright orange flowers), Gomphrena (which is dyed and used in many flower arrangements), Jack Fruit, and a pom pom with a sign telling me that it is Streblus asper Lour. We also saw some great formal hedges. The first photo has a small intricately clipped hedge to warn us not to walk on the grass and the next has Alternanthera and Ixora as the center stripes. Many trees were labeled at the mansion. Some of these included Desmos chinensis Lour., Terminalis chebula Retz., Schoutenia glomerata King subsb., and Diospyros decandra.

Streblus asper Lour

Intricately clipped hedge (photo damaged)

Alternanthera and Ixora as the center stripes

We rested up for a little while after our day of sightseeing and headed out to the night market which runs from 7pm till ?. I can only compare this to one of the flea markets that I’ve been to in Florida but it is much larger and there isn’t much duplication of items between booths. There are hundreds of 5’ x 7’ stalls overflowing with merchandise. Silk wraps, scarves, pillow covers, celadon pottery, carved wood screens, purses, shoes, dishes, silverware, jewelry…and on and on. We stayed for 3 hours and probably only covered about 10% of the area. We got some great bargains at the night market. I won’t go into more detail because it may give away the surprise of the treats that we are bringing back for everyone. KD

Plants and Water Gardens at the Grand Palace

2005-11-29T10:10:00.000-05:00

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

Pom pom bushes

Statuary

Alternanthera and water jars border

Karen the plant geek explores the Orchid Company and Rose Garden

2005-11-29T09:54:00.000-05:00

We're having trouble posting photos so we are emailing them home to be posted from the US. Thanks Craig!

Here is one good picture from the night cruise. It is nice to see the wats from the river rather than from the city / street side.

It was great to visit the Thai Orchids Company because we were able to walk through the landscaped grounds with a plant lover. Many of the plants that are grown throughout Bangkok and our roadtrips were featured in the garden. We saw Bismarkia palm, Allamanda and a cool vine with aerial roots that were trimmed to look like bangs. We were also able to see the production end of Orchid growing from micropropagation, orchid cross test beds and foliage plant production of many cultivars that I’ve never seen. We have photos of everything but I’ll share a few photos below. The coolest plants I saw were a small Syngonium (tiny), crinkle leaved Ixora, fun new Aglaonema, orchids I’ve never seen, grafted Euphorbia lactea, all sorts of colors of Adenium, and Ficus that were foreign to me (new leaf shapes, sizes and variegation patterns).

Vine with aerial roots

Bismarkia palm

Crinkle leaved Ixora

Syngonium

Aglaonema

At the Rose Garden there were large scale displays of Orchids. Vanda orchids were planted all along this hillside. In the patio area, they were used as groundcover below palm trees. In the parking lot Orchids were grown on trees (2 needle Pine) and the trees lined the drive, almost like parking lot islands. If you look closely you'll see that the orchids are planted in coconut shells and the shells are just kind of arranged on the surface of the soil.

Vanda orchids groundcover

Parking lot orchids

Also at the Rose Garden we saw Petrea vine, Cockroach berry Solanum aculeatissimum, which looks like a jumbo green pea, Citrus hysterix – Kaffir Lime, Mango tree and Papaya trees and Bouganvilla everywhere.

Papaya trees

General thoughts and observations:
English is on nearly all signs inside Bangkok and nearly none of the signs in the outlying areas. At one point we thought about obtaining an international drivers license but now we see just how ridiculous that would have been. The traffic is horrible. We’ve been lucky enough to have private drivers for 2 days. It is nice to sit in a roomy, air conditioned van and eat snacks. Looking around, everyone else is crammed into the backs of pickup trucks, crammed into small Toyota cars, or piled 3 deep on a scooter.

In all of our readings we learned that the King is revered. Everyone speaks highly of the King and his family. I didn’t expect to see pictures of the King everywhere, the bigger the better. Just about every traffic intersection and large business has a life size or larger photo of the king. The King’s birthday is on December 5 and we’ve found out that the country will come to a halt on that day. Workers have begun to put up decorations in celebration of his birthday. KD

Curcuma Article

2005-11-28T16:38:00.000-05:00

http://www.bangkokpost.com/en/271105_Outlook/27Nov2005_out05.php KD

The VIP Treatment

2005-11-27T08:23:00.000-05:00

The value of “face” is an important trait in Thai culture. This does not have any western connotations of superficiality, but rather respect for oneself and others.

We were shown such hospitality today by our host Mr. Chuphan Chivaratanond and his wonderful assistant Phun of Thai Orchids Co. (www.thaiorchids.co.th).

With just a day’s notice arrangements were made to take us to see several important botanical destinations. First we went to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, an hour south of Bangkok. As we headed towards the coast, the city gave way to more modest dwellings and eventually the countryside. Along the way there were examples of agriculture and hectares of flooded areas we assumed were rice cultivation, but were really for salt farming.

Pictures of Thailand’s floating markets are easy to find, but nothing like the experience of being there. We ate our first food stall food and threw caution to the wind and sampled fruits that don’t exist at home. Durian, dragon fruit, mountain apple, pummelo, longan and rambutan. We also tried some bite-sized morsels that were made from tasty yet mysterious ingredients.

Next our hosts took us on to see part of their orchid farm. Working at a botanical garden could never have prepared me for the utter delight of seeing 50 hectares of orchids. All 50 hectares were covered in shade cloth. There were knee-high piles of cut Dendrobium blossoms being prepped for shipment to Europe.

As far as the eye could see there were orchids. Another special Euphorbia variety was very colorful and eye-catching. The company has a guesthouse with a dock overlooking the irrigation lagoon, and these structures were surrounded by Thai bonsai and epiphytic vines whose aerial roots were trimmed into aerial hedges. Needless to say, this area was a goldmine of ideas for the new exhibit.

We left the orchid farm and traveled on to an important botanical and cultural site named ‘The Rose Garden’. Our hosts treated us to a feast of Thai dishes that balanced flavors and textures so artfully. Garlic, ginger, basil, coconut, shrimp, fish, and all things we have at home in the states, but prepared in such a way that the tastes of salty, sweet and sour were all represented.

After lunch we viewed a cultural show that incorporated a Thai wedding, Buddhist monk ordination, Muy Thai boxing, martial arts demonstration and traditional dance.

The gardens were a mixture of formal, edible and woodland. Some interesting combinations were orchids growing off of pine trunks, aloe companion planted with banana and an interesting vegetable named “Cockroach Blossom”. Fortunately we learned the name of the vegetable AFTER we ate it!

Thailand has been amazing so far; in no small part because of the hospitality we have been shown.

Tomorrow should yield some exciting photos from the Royal Palace complex.

Orchid Articles - Bangkok Post

2005-11-27T06:17:00.000-05:00

Links to two great orchid articles that were on the cover of the Outlook section of yesterday's paper. KD

http://www.bangkokpost.com/en/261105_Outlook/26Nov2005_out01.php

http://www.bangkokpost.com/en/261105_Outlook/26Nov2005_out02.php

Out and About

2005-11-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

The gardens at the Jim Thompson House are fantastic. I saw many types of flowers in bloom including many colors of Ixora, Jasmine, Tacca, Lotus, Heliconia, and Ginger. Many orchids and ferns hung from trees. I especially liked the baskets of Bear’s Paw Fern and Rhipsalis potted into towers along the pathways. I was lucky enough to spy a gardener working on a rooftop garden. Check out the photo! By the way, Heather and I think that this would be a great setup for the entrance to the Tropical Forest Conservatory. Paul, you can build us something like this, right?

We decided to walk through the neighborhood near the Jim Thompson House instead of jumping back into a taxi. We came across some elephant topiaries (in daylight) so I was able to photograph them. Also, check out the photo of this parking garage with every color of Bouganvilla cascading over each railing. Amy, I can see you sitting there reading the blog with the 5 volume RHS library in your lap trying to standardize my latin naming. Without you here I’ll have to switch back and forth from Latin to common…sorry.

Between the Jim Thompson House and our local hotel I was able to make several book purchases. Unfortunately, I’ll have to schlep the books across the country but I am thrilled to have my own copies of A Field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand and Flowering Plants of Thailand: A Field Guide. I also bought some books for the project research including books about cooking, popular culture, spiritual abodes, and silk production.

I think my favorite contrast to life in the US was spotted when we were on our way back to the hotel. Women sweep the streets of the city with a large broom and dustpan. Curt, I have 10 of these ‘Sweepy Things’ on order for you. I never expected these bunches of twigs to accomplish much in the sweeping department but I can admit that I was wrong. There are potted plants everywhere. I am not sure but I think they are akin to the lawn chairs that are used as parking spot place holders in Pittsburgh. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by a group of Scots in Kilts serenading us with their bagpipe tunes. Definitely a contrast to the plucky tunes of the Thai stringed instruments we’ve heard. Marnie, I’ve got some great signage ideas for you. My favorite sign text so far includes “Mind your Head” and “Mind your Step”. Though I’ve never tried coffee I am curious to try the local favorite, a Pepsi Latte. I’ve also found out that if you multiply a Celsius temperature by 9/5 and add 32 you’ll get the temperature in Fahrenheit. I’ll let you know how that works out for me.

The river cruise http://www.pearlrivercruise.com/ was an ‘interesting’ evening event. It wasn’t really what I expected. We boarded the ship with about 100 other people and sat down at our window side table. The boat took off for a 2 hour cruise down the Chao Phayra River. A dinner buffet was quickly set up and it included a variety of foods (it didn’t really seem to be authentic cuisine). jOsh, you would have loved to hear the Thai live band play your favorite “Fly Me to the Moon” followed by their rendition of “Islands in the Stream”. After a short break they came back to play “Play that Funky Music (White Boy)”. As a bonus, we did see many of the Wats lit up for the evening.

I’d better get some sleep. We’re headed to the floating markets tomorrow. We’ll be leaving the hotel by 6:30am.

Additional Photos from Bangkok

2005-11-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

Tacca flower

Fern Towers

Jim Thompson House garden

Water jar with lotus

Heather's First Impressions

2005-11-26T05:52:00.000-05:00

Today was our first day in Bangkok. We arrived in the middle of the night and it was wonderful to wake up this morning and see the city that had only existed on a map come to life. Our hotel sits on a bend of the Chao Phayra River whose river taxis and barges create their own life and activity that is completely different from the interior of the city.

My first impression of Bangkok is one of life...everything is happening, all at the same time...street vendors selling any kind of food, beautiful flower leis made from jasmine and the "love" flower, alters with incense and offerings next to skyscrapers, tuk tuks, taxi's and people playing soccer in a cloud of exhaust emanating from Bangkok's legendary traffic.

Our wonderful tour guide, Charin showed us on our first expedition to the Jim Thompson House (http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/). We learned how aspects of religion and culture are woven into daily life and architecture. For example, spirit houses are built before a house is constructed in order to appease the spirit that protects that piece of land. These are beautifully carved and hold fresh flowers as offerings. Another example is buildings built on platforms for the dual purpose of protecting inhabitants from snakes and scorpions while respecting mother earth.

Traditional Thai houses have raised doorjambs between rooms, once again illustrating belief and practicality. It is believed that bad spirits can only enter along the floor. Our guide told us that the ledges stop the bad spirits as well as scorpions, snakes and babies.

The gardens were wonderful, lush and jungle-like. Orchids abounded not only at Jim Thompson's but also along the street, hanging from parking garages and every space imaginable.

This is an amazing place to be, stay posted...tomorrow we will be visiting a floating market and an orchid farm.

Arrival

2005-11-26T02:45:00.000-05:00

We made it! It was a long trip. We left our homes early Thursday morning. Our flight out of Pittsburgh was delayed but we ended up making all of our connections (Detroit. Tokyo). We arrived in Bangkok at about 11:30pm local time. After exchanging money, going through customs, and waiting in the taxi que we were able to get a taxi to take us to our hotel. We rode in a tiny car with our bags bungeed to the trunk. It is now 2am and we’re finally checked into the hotel and ready to take a shower to get rid of all the airplane grime. Except for a few cat naps, we’ve been up for 35 hours!

We saw a lovely Orchid exhibit in the Bangkok airport. A vignette was set up near the customs line – it included many tropical plants and purple Vanda Orchids. On the ride from the airport to the hotel we saw median plantings with Crinum Lily and many plantings with topiary elephants. It was dark and we were probably traveling 50mph but I was indeed teased by the horticulture thus far. I’m looking forward to heading out later today to get started on our site seeing. KD

Last Minute Preparations

2005-11-23T15:28:00.000-05:00

We are in the final hours before liftoff. The snow is falling here in Pittsburgh and it's hard to believe we'll be in the "hottest city in the world soon". Here's to safe travels!

New conservatory to focus on Thailand

2005-11-21T10:22:00.000-05:00

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_396132.html

Trip Itinerary

2005-11-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

Thailand Itinerary – 16 days in Thailand

Day 1 (11/25): Land at Bangkok at midnight, find hotel.

Day 2 (11/26): Arrive Bangkok, rest and orientation.
Jim Thompson House, Gardens and Factory
Night: Dinner Cruise w/ Cultural event on Chao Phayra

Day 3 (11/27): Bangkok
Explore the Old City section of Bangkok.
Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaeo
Wat Pho
Wat Mahathat
These structures are highlights in the Royal Palace complex, and include the royal palace, gardens, the emerald Buddha. Wat Po houses the Budhhist monk massage school while Wat Mahathat is the Buddhist University and has public meditation 3 times daily.. Across the street from this complex is the Sanum Laung park. If there is time/energy left the National Museum with the Buddhai Sawan Chapel is in this neighborhood too.

Day 4 (11/28): Bangkok
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Day 5 (11/29): Bangkok
Nong Nooch Gardens

Day 6 (11/30): Bangkok
Rama IX Flower show

Day 7 (12/1): Bangkok to Ayyuthaya
See ruins

Day 8 (12/2): Ayyuthaya
Sightsee Ayyuthaya
Catch midnight express for Chiang Mai

Day 9 (12/3): Chiang Mai
Arrive in Chiang Mai, early am.
Check into hotel
See major sights

Day 10 (12/4):: Chiang Mai–
Queen Sirikit Gardens

Day 11 (12/5):: Chiang Mai -
Elephant tour and river expedition of the forest.

Day 12 (12/6):: Chiang Mai
Cooking school

Day 13 (12/7):: Hua Hin and area
Fly from Chiang Mai to BKK, early am, catch train to Hua Hin

Day 14 (12/8):: Hua Hin and area
Explore Hua Hin

Day 15 (12/9):: Hua Hin and area
Explore Nat’l Park

Day 16 (12/10):: Hua Hin
Explore area, limestone caves and Buddhas

Day 17 (12/11):: Hua Hin to Bangkok

Day 18 (12/12):: Flight home leaves Bangkok 6 am

Trip Goals

2005-11-15T16:27:00.000-05:00

Thailand Trip
Goals

To immerse ourselves in the culture of Thailand by experiencing various regions handicrafts, art, dance, food, music, flora, fauna, architecture, and daily life.

Areas of interest:

Handicraft production
Silk
Flower arranging
Wood, stone carving
Bamboo products
Others

Food
Herbs, Spices
Fruits, Vegetables
Fruit Carving
Cooking School
Markets (floating and night)
Preparation

Horticultural
Rama IX Flower Show
Royal Gardens
Botanical Gardens
Public Gardens / Parks
Nurseries, Garden Centers

Cultural
Wats
Jim Thompson and neighborhood
National Theater (traditional dance, music)
Bookstores
Architecture
Klong tour
Ayutthaya

Bioregions
Urban (Bangkok)
Upland Forest (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the North)
Coastal / Beach (Hua Hin, Cha-am and surrounding area)

Tropical Forest Exhibit Fact Sheet

2005-11-15T16:22:00.000-05:00

Phipps Conservatory Tropical Forest Conservatory Fact Sheet

· The new 12,000-square-foot multilevel Tropical Forest Exhibit, scheduled to open in fall 2006, will be the most unique in the country and feature a cluster of eco-technologies unlike any other conservatory.

· This new exhibit space will be 60 feet in height and will feature cascading indoor waterfalls spanned by a dramatic overhead catwalk.

· Phipps’ new Tropical Forest will utilize a new venting system on its double-pane insulated glass roof which will allow maximum air flow that will conserve energy.

· The Tropical Forest will have an 8,000-square-foot single-pane, ground-to-roof glass wall that will allow the maximum sunlight to reach exhibit plants.

· A special fabric blanket-curtain system will be operated at night to retain heat in the Tropical Forest.

· All climate control will be monitored continuously to ensure the Conservatory is achieving maximum efficiency and energy savings while improving plant quality.

· The Tropical Forest’s eco-friendly advances will make it the model of passive, solar climate control and a model for “green” conservatory construction and operation.

· In keeping with Phipps’ unique rotating-exhibit strategy, the forest will feature a different country’s tropical region every two years. This will keep the exhibit vibrant and timely, and permit supplemental Phipps-wide programs. The forest will open with a focus on the forests of Thailand.

· The new exhibit will feature hands-on educational areas that allow visitors to learn more about the fascinating world of botanic research, featuring field work from Botany In Action researchers.

· The Tropical Forest will feature a Healer’s Hut where visitors may explore how indigenous cultures have used native plants to produce healing teas, poultices and other remedies.

· Central to the Tropical Forest will be the Palm Circle, where up to 40 visitors may gather to hear presentations, sample tropical foods, weave baskets, pot plants and participate in other learning experiences surrounding the Tropical Forest.

· To enhance the educational experience of the Tropical Forest, docents will lead in-depth tours, and teachers will be provided with activity kits to support lessons in the classroom.

About Karen

2005-11-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

Karen Daubmann has been the director of horticulture for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens since June 2003. She is responsible for a crew of horticulturists that oversee 13 display houses, 36,000 ft2 of greenhouse space, and acres of outdoor flower gardens. In addition to the daily aesthetic at Phipps, Karen has been responsible for the design of several flower shows, exhibits, and garden beds. Charged with coordinating the horticultural efforts for the new Tropical Forest Conservatory, Karen has been developing the conceptual designs into planting plans and researching, sourcing, and purchasing each plant that is to be installed. She is excited that this trip to Thailand will allow her to observe the plants in their native landscapes, decorations, ceremonies, and foods.

About Heather

2005-11-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

Heather Mikulas has been an Education Specialist for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens since August 2004. She has been developing curriculum and teaching environmental education for several years. She has worked with the LEED certification process, waste reduction, energy efficiency program and has operated a small organic farm and greenhouse. She holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Systems.

Heather has taken on the role of Tropical Forest Specialist for the new Phipps exhibit which will open Fall 2006. Her role will be to tease out the secrets of the plants in the new greenhouse. This will help visitors find connections between themselves and the natural world.

Phipps Thailand Discovery - First Blog Post

2005-10-13T10:17:00.000-04:00