Home » Plants & Animals » Australian Gardening » October, 2001 a return from Thailand

October, 2001 a return from Thailand

© John Bottomley

A couple of weeks ago we returned from a two-week stay in Thailand visiting Phuket and Bangkok.

The hotel we stayed in Phuket had the most wonderful grounds. There were over two hundred different species of plants in the grounds plants varying from Manila Palm to Painted Nettle, from Dwarf Ixora to Rubiaceae, from Portulaca Rose to Vebenaceae. One of the wonders of Thailand for me has always been to see orchids growing wild. The hotel grounds had a wonderful selection of bougainvillea. The colours of the bougainvillea always seem to be much brighter than the bougainvillea in our garden - probably something to do with the humidity and the soil I would think.

Back to gardening now and the rain has not been all that prolific this year, as I have mentioned on numerous occasions. It does look as though the State is going to have to introduce some form of water restrictions this summer. We have already been told we can only use sprinklers on two days per week. If everyone cooperates and obeys these rules, I imagine we will be able to get away without a complete sprinkler ban. Let's hope this happens and that everyone does cooperate and save water.

Back from holiday has meant a lot of work in the garden over the last couple of weeks pulling up the weeds, cutting down a few bushes and getting organised for summer. It was the kerbside pick-up today. We have one about three times each year and the Shire Council picks up garden rubbish, old furniture, and any other bits of household junk such as old refrigerators. Makes the whole place a lot tidier.

The Mandarin has lots of blossom and looks like we are going to have a really good crop the first year. The cumquat tree gave only a small amount of fruit, just enough to put a few in brandy for later in the year.

October brings more flowers and the flowers bring the birds. We managed to select native varieties of bushes and flowering shrubs that provide a haven for bird life. The arrival of these birds means we have a continuous source of pleasure and the sounds of the bird song in the early morning have been well worth it. Birds control insects too and honeyeaters, wrens, finches, and various waterbirds are a very good alternative to chemicals.

This is a good time to plant more flowering bushes and shrubs such as melaleucas, grevilleas, banksias and bottlebrushes. The birds will enjoy them; so will the family. A Melaleuca coccinea, a medium shrub with scarlet blossoms, is a beautiful shrub and the colour adds an excellent contrast with the yellows and the whites of some of the other plants in the ever growing garden.

The copyright of the article October, 2001 a return from Thailand in Australian Gardening is owned by . Permission to republish October, 2001 a return from Thailand in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.