• LIFE

  Clearing the air

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 18/09/2016

  » I posted a photo of a plant on Facebook and was pleased with the interest that it aroused among some friends. "What is it?" several asked. "Is it aloe vera? Is it malunggay [maroom in Thai]?"

• LIFE

  Let the sunshine in

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 02/10/2016

  » A Filipino friend of mine who lives in the US was enamoured with a plant he saw on Facebook. It was rather expensive but he bought it anyway. The seller was in the Philippines so he had it delivered to his sister, with whom he stays during his visits home.

• LIFE

  Seeds of change

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 16/10/2016

  » There is a question asked time and again on Facebook: "Should children be taught how to grow their own food as part of their schooling?"

• LIFE

  Grow your own grub

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 22/11/2015

  » Readers must have heard of His Majesty the King’s por piang (self-sufficiency) economy for farmers. Based on the assumption that a farmer owns 15 rai of land, it advises the land be divided four ways: 30%, or 4.5 rai, for a pond or water reservoir, 30% for a rice field, 30% for vegetable and fruit orchards, and 10%, or 1.5 rai, for a residential area.

• LIFE

  Space invaders

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 02/08/2015

  » What’s in a name? It may not sound funny to you, but I find it amusing how American lawmakers could waste so much time and energy, not to mention taxpayers’ money, deliberating over what to call a fish. Last year, Senator Bill Hoffman of Minnesota was concerned that the name “Asian carp” was “hurtful” and “offensive” to some people so he sought to change the name to “invasive carp”. And guess what, the Minnesota Senate approved the bill.

• LIFE

  Flower power

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 28/06/2015

  » I have eaten several kinds of flowers in my lifetime. You probably did not know that the blossoms of bitter melon (Momordica charantia), also known as bitter gourd and balsam pear, or mara in Thai, and ridged luffa (Luffa acutangula), which Thais call buap, are edible.

• LIFE

  Toxic plants and rumours taking root

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 19/07/2015

  » When will people ever learn? The warning on dieffenbachia, known in Thai as sao noi pra paeng, being a dangerous plant is going viral again. Apparently someone in India just read it and shared it with her friends, then people in the Philippines and Japan picked it up and now it is making the rounds on Facebook all over again.

• LIFE

  Poison in the petals

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 31/05/2015

  » Alicia Harrison of Royersford, Pennsylvania wrote on her Facebook wall that a biopsy report showed her beloved dog, Goldie, died from the toxin in a plant that she had on her deck. “It is called heliotrope and is highly toxic, causes total liver destruction,” she wrote. “The pathologist said our angel had the worst liver damage he’s ever seen. Goldie would nibble at the leaves of this plant every so often and we had no clue it was toxic. Please share with any dog owners you know to hopefully prevent their dog from becoming a statistic like Goldie.

• LIFE

  Halting a bamboo invasion

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 31/08/2014

  » Last week I wrote about a recent visit to our farm, a tedious nine-hour trip from Bangkok. When it was purchased 12 years ago, the farm was intended to be our retirement home as the climate is pleasant; located near Loei province, it is cool nearly all year round. However, the birth of a grandson caused this plan to be shelved indefinitely.

• LIFE

  Bringing a garden back from the dead

  B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 03/08/2014

  » Out of the blue I received a message on Facebook from a former colleague whom I had not seen for more than 20 years. “I need some advice on rehabilitating my garden. I would be most obliged if you could take the time to come by and take a look,” he wrote.

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