Showing 1 - 10 of 10
A shrub with the golden touch
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 07/08/2016
» Some gardeners like to grow shrubs and trees that attract birds, bees and butterflies to their garden. One shrub that bees just can't leave alone is Xanthostemon chrysanthus, commonly known as golden penda in its native Australia. It was brought to Thailand by a Chiang Mai plant enthusiast who fell in love with it at first sight during a visit to Queensland in Australia, and named it rak raek pob (love at first sight).
A welcome that neverwears out
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 19/06/2016
» It is common knowledge that the Philippine national costume, the barong Tagalog, is made from the fibres of pineapple leaves. Lightweight, embroidered in front and worn untucked over an undershirt, it is worn by both men and women as a formal attire.
Turn over a fresh leaf
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 08/05/2016
» If you have tasted the Thai traditional snack mieng kham, then you know how Piper sarmentosum, or cha phlu in Thai, is eaten. Mieng kham is a concoction of one or two pieces of diced ginger, shallots and lime, a slice or two of chilli, one or two pieces of dried shrimp and roasted peanut, and a pinch of toasted shredded coconut. All of that is topped with a sauce made from palm sugar, fish sauce, galangal, lemongrass and ginger, and wrapped together with a cha phlu leaf. Eaten in one bite, the different flavours blend perfectly, like different musical instruments played harmoniously together to create a beautiful melody.
The best way to turn over that new leaf
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 03/01/2016
» I have a young friend who lives in Fresno, California. She teaches science in high school but does volunteer work in her spare time, taking a group of elderly people to a public park to do gardening. “There are plots in the park where the elderly can plant flowers or vegetables,” she said when we talked on the phone recently. “They love it. They find it invigorating. Growing plants has given them a new purpose in life.”
Parsing the sage advice on rosemary takes time
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 26/04/2015
» Bangkok resident Brian Corrigan wrote to say that he has repeatedly tried to grow the herb rosemary without success. “Thriving plants, in pots, bought in supermarkets and left indoors with good light and little watering seem to last only a matter of a few days before they start to wilt.
Seeing the light
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 22/02/2015
» Vichai Atichartakarn, MD, wrote to say that many of his potted plants have leaves with brown edges. The leaves then die. “What is the cause?” he asked. “Is it because of lack of certain nutrient(s), too much sunlight, insects or disease? How can we correct and prevent it?”
Fruit in a barren land
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 25/01/2015
» When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Citrus fruit aside, that was exactly what happened when His Majesty the King was given a piece of land in Thung Sai Yai, in the village of Khao Tao in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, in the late 1960s.
Too big for your roots
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 17/11/2013
» Reader Alan Platt, whose letter last month triggered a two-part article on bamboo, sent me another email to say that I was right about his plants being too big for their containers. "For their continued good health, I know I should put them in bigger pots," he wrote, "but I have a problem. I don't want them to grow any bigger, which will happen if I repot them.
What's new in my garden pussycat Whoa, Whoa
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 26/05/2013
» Cats are usually the neatest of animals. Before they defecate, they dig up some ground so that they can bury it afterwards. But a stray cat is posing a problem to Ms Gekimm, who wrote: "I need to ask you if a cat's droppings will harm my potted plants and how to keep the cat away. A stray cat has been doing its job on my rather big pot. I have applied vinegar trying to rid the scent so he/she will not come back, with no success. I used to put out Clorox in London, but I am afraid it will kill my plants. Can you advise me please?"
What's the secret to a great garden? Understanding plants needs
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 19/05/2013
» When I read last week's column, I realised that I had been day-dreaming at the keyboard about what I would include if I were to write a book on plants and gardening in Thailand and did not actually answer Jan Steuten's letter. A resident of Chiang Mai for 21 years and an avid gardener, he wanted to know how to take care of indoor and garden plants, which was why he was asking whether there was such a book in English to guide him.