Showing 41 - 50 of 236
Trumpeting the invasion
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 13/03/2016
» The herald’s trumpet or Easter lily vine (Beaumontia grandiflora aka Beaumontia murtonii, known as hiranyika in Thai) along the fence of the neighbour across the street from my house is in bloom again. The large and attractive white flowers have a lovely scent, especially in the early morning, and I often cross the street to give the flowers a sniff.
Palms are a fan favourite
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 31/01/2016
» Poonsak Watcharakorn, 63, has the biggest collection of Licuala palms in Thailand. But he is far from satisfied. “I want to have the biggest collection not just in Thailand, but in the world,” he said.
Plant of plenty
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 07/02/2016
» After reading the article about how juice from green papaya leaves could treat dengue fever, and how tea from its dried brown leaves could guard against 10 types of cancer (Green Fingers, Jan 24), a friend told me he had no idea papaya could be so useful.
Sweet wave
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 14/02/2016
» As a regular visitor, I already knew what to expect at this year’s annual agricultural fair at Kasetsart University. There would be fruit tree saplings, ornamental plants and agricultural machinery for sale. There would be seasonal fruit and agricultural crops. Nearly half of the produce on sale, however, would be fried food, and things only remotely related to agriculture, such as furniture, footwear, accessories, clothing and cosmetics.
Why tamarind seems to keep a peeling
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 21/02/2016
» Regular reader Paul Schiller and his wife Beatrix are long-time residents of Khao Lak in Phangnga, where they seek warmth during the cold winter months in their home country, Austria. They were on holiday in Hua Hin recently when they saw an unfamiliar fruit. “Today in Hua Hin, nobody knows this, I got not even a Thai name,” Mr Schiller wrote in his email asking for help in identifying the said fruit.
Getting it all ship-shape
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 28/02/2016
» Sean G wrote to ask for help with contact information for a phytosanitary certification. “I hear that it is done at Kasetsart University but I can’t find anything online and this is the only article I can find that is relevant,” he said, referring to the May 17, 2015, Green Fingers page titled “Have plants, will travel”.
A date with destiny
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 06/03/2016
» If I remember it right, Thais started to plant Phoenix dactylifera, or date palm, in the 1980s. I have never heard of the trees successfully bearing fruit, so I put it down to the climate.
Nature’s cure
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 24/01/2016
» After more than two months of intensive care at Ramathibodi Hospital, popular actor Tridsadee “Por” Sahawong finally lost his fight against dengue haemorrhagic fever. He died on Monday, just five days short of his 38th birthday.
Colour for all seasons
B Magazine, Normita Thongtham, Published on 20/12/2015
» Academy award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o made headlines recently for wearing a bright green sweater. Apparently there’s an arbitrary rule in the West that one must not wear bright colours in winter. Bright greens and reds are frowned upon by fashion critics; for them these colours are strictly for summer only. In winter people are supposed to wear only colours that are dark, darker and darkest, in deference to the death of flowers in parks and gardens.
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.”