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Orchids have the reputation of being difficult to grow in the West. Gardeners shy off from attempting to grow them because they think that they are difficult to grow and because they are expensive. This is easily understood, but there is more to the story than that. The fact is that most countries have their own native orchid species, so it is possible to grow orchids wherever you live, if you choose the right species.

The other side of the coin is that what most gardeners in the West think of as orchids are orchids from exotic countries and they can be a problem to grow. I say difficult to grow, but that is not the whole story either. If you can create an environment similar to where the orchids come from, it need not be a problem at all.

A lot of the spectacular orchids are parasites, like mistletoe is a parasite plant in the temperate countries of the West. These orchids often grow on trees. In trees and on trees, that is. So, their natural environment is to become attached to the bark of a living tree or to be lodged in the fork of a branch.

The orchid will then draw its nutrients and water from the inside of its host much in the same way as does a flea or a bed bug. Another thing to be aware of is that if a plant lives under the canopy of a tree, it seldom, if ever, experiences direct sunlight. Wooded areas are also fairly humid. It is also worth mentioning that exotic plants usually come from warm or hot countries.

Therefore, if you can recreate these conditions of providing warmth, humidity and a host, growing exotic orchids should not become that much of difficulty. And in truth, it is not, although in the West it might require a greenhouse.

Thailand is home to numerous parasitic orchids, most of which grow on trees in the forests, which are warm to hot and humid, but most people do not live in those conditions. Most Thais live in either open villages or cities where conditions are not favorable to growing jungle orchid varieties. However, most Thai gardeners do not want or even have greenhouses.

Instead, if a Thai gardener is interested in nurturing jungle orchid species, he or she will purchase (or acquire) the root complex of a dead tree which also has a tree stump of, say, a metre attached. They will then move this tree stump in to a very shady position, say, under a canopy and grow their wild jungle orchids on that.

How is that done?, you may ask. Well, it is actually simplicity itself. First you acquire a sample of the orchid and then you affix it to the stump with a ‘strap’ of something that will both permit the orchid to expand and to breathe. Most Thais use some of the fibres from inside a coconut.

The gardener will strap the baby orchid to the stump using the coconut matting as a band-aid with either staples or small nails. By the time the orchid has sunken its roots into the host, the matting will have rotted away, as will probably the staples.

The only thing left to do is to keep the tree and the infant flower well watered so that it can draw the remaining nutrients out of the dead tree. They will flourish for numerous years under these conditions and the tree stump will be a living flower pot, of sorts.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several topics, but is now involved with Loy Krathong. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Package Holidays to Thailand.

Visiting the Many Flower Gardens in Thailand

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Home Page > Travel > Visiting the Many Flower Gardens in Thailand

Visiting the Many Flower Gardens in Thailand

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Posted: Jul 30, 2010 |Comments: 0
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There is now certainly a large number of some of the most exquisite flower gardens in Thailand. Thanks to the input and financial commitment made by the Thai Royal Family, the old way of framing via slash and burn methods are now a thing of the past. More emphasis has been placed on bio-sustainability and bringing the tourist dollar to the farthest Northern areas of the country in order to keep them financially viable, and free from having to adopt the old farming way again.

Some of the botanical gardens that can be found in Thailand are the Queen Sirikit Botanical garden, in Chiang Mai, the Non Nooch Tropical Garden on the coast, and the Dokmai garden also found in Chiang Mai. Whilst these are the only three listed botanical gardens there are most certainly an abundance of other non-botanical gardens throughout the region.

Because of the wonderful history that Thailand has with people settling from other far flung reaches of the globe, it can be reflected in many of the garden themes within Thailand. For instance, the Rose Garden has a decidedly Swiss inspired palace and very English garden that spreads over 70 acres.

Whilst many of the Chiang Mai gardens are to the North of Bangkok, they are in predominantly mountainous areas. This means the opportunity to see orchids that grow from the canopies of trees, hundreds of feet above sea level is possible at some of these venues.

Whatever your preference for visiting some of the worlds most beautiful gardens; be it ocean side at Non Nooch or mountainous locations such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, you are sure to find some wonderful specimens of not only Thai specific plants and flowers, but also a wonderful selection of other non- indigenous flowers from around the world.

Nuttikan La is a flower growing and gardening enthusiast. She runs a Pattaya flower deliverywebsite as well as a personal blog where she shares her experiences as a Thailand florist.

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