Showing 1 - 6 of 6
The strength of the land
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 23/10/2016
» I once wrote an article about His Majesty the King's Royal Project for an information and policy studies institute in London, which commissioned me to write about development issues in this part of the world.
I heard it through the grapevine
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 13/12/2015
» When I was in grade school, my father tried to germinate seeds of grapes imported from California at our home in the rice growing region of Central Luzon in the Philippines. He did not expect the seeds to germinate, as he knew the fruit was grown in a climate so different from ours.
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.
Thai growers plant allure for foreign buyers
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 25/08/2013
» I have a friend in Manila who comes to Bangkok several times a year just to take a look at the latest cultivars for sale at the Chatuchak mid-week plant market. Sometimes, a group of his fellow plant lovers tags along with him. Another friend, who hails from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, southern Philippines, comes every December in time for the annual plant fair at Suan Luang Rama IX Park.
Terrace chants, The best place to buy balcony plants
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 18/08/2013
» Nigel Sellman has a large balcony, just over 20 square metres, and would like to make it green. "I would prefer foliage plants, but with some flowering ones mixed in, especially if they attract bees, butterflies or birds," he wrote. "I would like a small tree or large shrub at either end of the balcony, maybe a citrus tree. I'd prefer native species, but I'm not going to be restricted to them.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 24/06/2012
» Thailand is a paradise for fruit; it is never without fruits in season, and they are very cheap. Yet I find that a ripe papaya, mango, guava or banana picked from my own trees tastes so much better than those bought from the market. They are fresher and the joy of being able to eat fruit from my own garden probably also makes them more delicious.