#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  Landscaping The House Post Flood

## aging one

As most of you know my house flooded in last year. About 6 weeks under water. Hence our gardens, trees, and lawn died. We are just finishing the new landscaping and its been a chore. So I decided to share it.

This was the front of my house the 23rd of October last year 2 days before evacuation. Just a few shots to see what it was like before.



The front with the wassana.



The front yard.



Front entry way.

Then the floods came. We first returned to this.



our street third house on the right.



Same front yard.



looking in wassana trees dying, all died you can see.



We began by cutting down all these trees the wife and I. 



They were everywhere, had grown for 12 years, 3 different varieties. They would flower 3 times a year, its considered lucky here, and the smell is great for a few days as well. But time for the new.



Cat always on the lookout. 



last of the chopped wassana, the whole yard was full and we were dead tired. We hired a laborer and he cleaned it all up. It was too hot and I forgot to get pictures of them all over the front yard.

Day 1. Dirt and soil begin to arrive and the few plants that lived are going to be moved.


We have removed all the roots of the old wassana trees and the work really begins.



Very different, the pretty tree you see has now been moved in is in "shock" from being moved in the middle of the day. 



All going to change as the new trees are on their way.



Here come the trees. The wife bought them on her own and had the landscaper put them in. Big trees.  The truck arrives.


Big like I said, there are two in there. We had to block and reroute the cars for 2 hours.



Getting ready to rock and roll, how he got those trees in under our power lines I will never know.



Hooking up the boom




More to come.

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## nigelandjan

Jeez I had no idea the damage too much water could do to your garden mate .

  You had a beautiful garden before and I am sure you will restore it in time to its former glory.

      All the best mate thanks for the pics  :Smile:

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## Airportwo

Well done, you had a great garden and sure you will have a great garden again very soon...

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## aging one

Well thanks mate and on it goes.

Out of truck and on its way in, under the power lines. This is the smaller of two.


Checking it out, lot of rubberneckers. 


Over the fence and under the wires.


The boss, on this project its that simple. Come home at 3pm change and take control.



How it got in, I think only in Thailand  :Smile:

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## aging one

Lining it up to go in the hole. We had to add more dirt as the hole was too deep the tree guy said. :Smile: 



in the ground th fat guy in the white shirt is the Chang of the crew. 



whoops I guess its not in yet. 



Now its in and the first supports are going in. the pipes are going in for drainage, and the pool is my wifes idea of a Balinese fountain.



Now for the big one, and it was way taller than our house. Notice the truck takes up the whole soi. 



Coming in via the neighbors yard. Glad they were not home.





How tall this tree was with reference to the power lines.


This guy drove the truck, shouted orders to all, and did the hydraulics. Quite cool.



In the ground with major supports around it. Its been so hot we decided that when the heat broke there were going to be severe storms. Better safe than sorry.

The beginning of the new front yard. Shade at last.



We had to start anew on our front garden as well.



They did a good job making the yard look bigger. They made even better hills than we had before, perhaps small mountains.   Before the turf. 


more plants for ornamental use. We have all our orchids in the back yard under shading now.



The view from the kids balcony on the landscaping going on.



The area back to the sala before turf as well. 


The grass "turf" begins to arrive, along with what my wife says they call a Balinese tree. Then their is a pool and a fountain that is coming. She claims it will grow 2 meters in one year in that kind of sun, which is due west.

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## BobR

Very beautiful home and yard, and yes the crane would never get that close to the power wires anywhere else.


Good luck to you, may I politely ask how worried you are about a possible repeat this year or within a few years?

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## sunsetter

great stuff mate, coming along nicely

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## aging one

No I am not Bob, it was mad made and I will always believe that. We have a klong behind our house which flooded after the whole muban was underwater. The water came from the sewers. But now for the first time since I have live here that klong is dry. It was a lake covering all the roads for hundreds of meters six months ago. But its been a drought since then.  

If it does it does, but I doubt it.  Fingers crossed my friend, as I am not going into politics.  :Smile:

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## Davis Knowlton

Wow. When your wife decides to put in a new garden, she doesn't mess around! It's going to look really great; well done. I'm replacing a few trees in my garden, and adding a few, next week, but nothing the size/height of what you hauled in. Great looking house, too.

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## aging one

Thats the wife Davis. Bigger is better, I did get a good joke on why she married me though. Happened right when they were planting the huge one. She died laughing and nobody could figure out why.  :mid:

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## Rural Surin

I would agree AO, nothing like a lovely organised garden....which you have secured nicely.
You and the family have seemed to bounced back from the months that you were "homeless".

I trust that the effort and expense was worth the aesthetic value.
I hate to put a damper on this positive thread, but as you know the flooding [especially in your area] could be just around the corner again - if not this upcoming season, perhaps the next or the next...

Fighting the more the periodical flooding would become exasperating, would it not? I know that you and the family have been well established there and the emotional attachment that goes with it - have you folks ever thought about moving to a different locale?

Good luck to ya!

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## aging one

Thanks RS, but its like a souvenir my kids brought home for my wife and their mom last year. Its about 10 or 12 centimeter, 6 inch plastic orange traffic cone. To be use as a paper weight.  On it is written. "Aint noboy happy unless momma is happy". That about sums it up.   :Smile:

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## nigelandjan

> Happened right when they were planting the huge one.


 Easy !

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## nidhogg

Hope to Hell you are right AO.  Word out this way is expect the same again this year in October.......


......although the cynical side of me says if the locals strongly say the floods will be back, I can rest assured it will  remain dry......

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## Boon Mee

That was a major achievement getting those trees into your yard with no power lines going down!  It was probably not an inexpensive venture either, AO.  Trees that size can run >30K baht.  At any rate, you now have shade and the A/C doesn't have to work as hard.  

As far as naam puhem again this fall?  I'm doubtful only because nobody can accurately predict the weather.  After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 'they' were telling us the Gulf Coast was in a 10 year cycle of bad hurricanes and what happened?  Nothing.  Quietest hurricane seasons on record now.

Good pictures & narrative AO - thanks for sharing! :Smile:

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## mingmong

nice thread AO, the threes that died, the Chinese Money Tree [Happy Tree/money tree] flower only once a year in Northern Oz, unforgettable cent
I have 1 about the same size, every one comments it huge for a Pot plant! hope you dont have the same problem again with flooding......ever

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## aging one

Seems I lost one picture. Here is the grass starting to be laid. The start of my wife Balinese corner is the small pool and pot, soon to be transformed into a fountain. The tree I guess the Thai's call a Balinese tree.



The front hills looking across the car park to the side garden. It will now have hills rather than being flat like before.



3-6 months for the supports depending on the weather and how they take. I am glad my wife had then build such secure and almost artful supports. We are now using them to hold some of the orchids. But those shots are yet to be uploaded I think. 

The side garden, still in progress.

The bigger tree on the left we took out. The house will look better with the two trees on both sides of the car park sculpted into balls. But no time to do that now. 



The outside will be like before, but raised, grass then creeper plants, then every 3 meters a stump with a pot of orchids on the top.

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## ralphlsasser

Nice wok AO. I certainly hope for your sake it doesn't happen again. I'm doing the same right now except not replanting, getting the ground ready to plant from my house build. Hard work. Thanks for sharing.

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## Boon Mee

> Seems I lost one picture. Here is the grass starting to be laid. The start of my wife Balinese corner is the small pool and pot, soon to be transformed into a fountain. The tree I guess the Thai's call a Balinese tree.


Think they call that tree a Plumeria too.  Also called a Frangipani.  Beautiful flowers on them.



Got a couple in my yard.

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## aging one

> Also called a Frangipani. Beautiful flowers on them.


Wow now I know just what we are talking about. Thanks for telling me that BM

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## terry57

Thats awesome AO.

Brilliant house, happy family and a wife who knows her stuff.

Your a very lucky guy indeed.

Good luck to you.   Cheers.

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## aging one

Shot from the outside looking in with the grass raised and laid outside, then the creepers that will go and flower orange, and the orchid pots.



The front door of the house with the fountain on.

The side of the car park, now with about a one foot rise on it, and varieties of flowering plants.



The other side looking back towards the sala on the dried up klong. :Smile:   I hope to get some more shots this evening. We put an orchid trellis with misters.


I will have a few more to put up later today. Now I am off to water the whole damn thing. 3 times a day now trying to get the grass to take.

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## Loy Toy

Looks great mate and well done to you and the family.

Enjoy you lovely gardens.

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## Bangyai

Nice job AO. 

Coming back after the deluge it really was sad to see so many dead trees everywhere. We live on the edge of the city and there _used to be_ acres of mango tree orchards right on our doorstep, Not any more. They all died.
Terrible to see rows and rows of dead trees which for a lot of the owners are difficult to replace since you have to remove all the dead ones before you can re plant.Expensive and time consuming.
Pedling my bike around the back roads there was a lot of shade around and you couldn't see too far because of all the trees. Now its all a sun baked expanse and you can see for miles in every direction  .  :Confused:

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## benbaaa

Should be finished just in time for the next flood.  :Very Happy: 





***
I can't believe I really said that.  Sorry.

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## Loy Toy

> Coming back after the deluge it really was sad to see so many dead trees everywhere.


You would of thought that the trees and plants would of flourished but sadly it proves the fact that Bangkok's waterways are dangerously polluted not only with raw sewerage but poisonous chemicals.

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## aging one

Bangyai, Same for me as I drive to work now its just death. All the plant and trees around died. We suffered the least interior damage but the most exterior in our muban. It feels nice to have a garden and yard again. It was depressing looking at it for 2 months just dying more and more day by day. So we, well "she" got on with it.

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## Boon Mee

^^
Not just BKK but the Ban Nook as well.  Wherever water was standing for weeks on end wiped out everything - even bananas...

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## Thetyim

> You would of thought that the trees and plants would of flourished but sadly it proves the fact that Bangkok's waterways are dangerously polluted not only with raw sewerage but poisonous chemicals.


Nothing to do with the water quality.

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## Boon Mee

> Originally Posted by Loy Toy
> 
> You would of thought that the trees and plants would of flourished but sadly it proves the fact that Bangkok's waterways are dangerously polluted not only with raw sewerage but poisonous chemicals.
> 
> 
> Nothing to do with the water quality.


Yep, they just drowned...

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## Loy Toy

> Nothing to do with the water quality.


I can understand when grass dies after being covered with water but when you see mature established trees succumb in weeks I have got to assume that there are chemicals involved.

Not only a few trees died but whole orchards were destroyed.

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## Thetyim

Apart from a few resistant species of tree waterlogged conditions reduces the supply of oxygen to tree roots and thus inhibits the ability of the roots to support the tree.

If the roots are shallow then it is possible to oxygenate the roots with a compressor.
Failing that all the trees will die.

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## Marmite the Dog

Good job Pops (sorry, I mean Mrs Pops).

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## Loy Toy

> Apart from a few resistant species of tree waterlogged conditions reduces the supply of oxygen to tree roots


I thought trees absorbed carbon dioxide from the air and then produced oxygen in return.

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## Thetyim

^
You are talking about the leaves.
It's the roots which are flooded not the foliage

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## aging one

Trees that died, Jackfruit, banana, chompu, avocado, bougainvillea, wassana, and one mayom. The big mango tree lived but only but only because it had been cut back to almost nothing a few weeks before the flood. The neighbor complained the mangoes were falling on his roof at night. We moved the pine to the back yard as it did not fit it and could provide more shade in the back. 

Thanks all.

The wasana died in stages.

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## Thetyim

> The big mango tree lived but only but only because it had been cut back to almost nothing a few weeks before the flood.


That's the first line of defense for waterlogged tress.
Prune them so that the roots need less oxygen and hence they will have more chance of surviving

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## Loy Toy

^ We had extensive flooding in parts of Pattaya and Chon Buri Province but didn't experience the type of devastation that has been witnessed in Bangkok.

I had 40 cms of flood water through my property and didn't lose a thing although the grass was discoloured for a period and then recovered.

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## aging one

Here is a shot of the day we got back from Pattaya. The avocado is the big tree in the middle, the wassana are all the long shoots that look half dead.



Here are the same trees dead two weeks ago. Just before we hacked them down.




From Mid December through to the cutting down they just died a bit more each day. We were able to save and re root about 20 pieces of them, and now have a section of the garden with all three varieties of the tree bunched together.

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## Thetyim

> I had 40 cms of flood water through my property


The depth of water is irrelevant, the soil only has to be waterlogged.
It's the length of time that is important and how much oxygen the roots need to survive.

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## SEA Traveler

What a spectacular recovery with the landscaping AO.  I know that you are relieved to have things back almost totally in order.  Lots of effort went into the planning and execution of this garden replanting and it seems your bride was able to accomplish with good know how.  Good on her and good on you for knowing better than to get involved as she surely was on a mission.  When I noticed the largest of the new trees going in, 1st thing that came to mind was the twins talking mom into putting that tree near their window/balcony to use as an escape route.  Better keep an eye out on that. 

I just spent 4 hours out in the garden today transplanting and potting plants.  My form of exercise and having some time to myself as there is little chance of Mrs ST wanting to come out in the mid day sun.  Actually what I did was take some clippings from my several Frangipani trees and replanted them.  About 5 of them into pots that I bought this morning.

Good on you AO.  Im happy that you happy and your bride is happy because as you say, "when momma isn't happy, ain't no one going to be happy".  OK mate, carry on....

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## aging one

Thanks mate, just got back in from 2 hours of watering in the hot sun. As much went on me as on the lawn and plants. :Smile:

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## larvidchr

Nice thread AO  :Smile:  I know how happy you all are to have this done, good Job and looking really nice, now you have a place for you all to really enjoy when you are back home from the daily grind.

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## Bangyai

> Originally Posted by Thetyim
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Loy Toy
> ...


Ironically , all the lesser canals around here are at their lowest levels for many years. Another fortnight of this hot weather and some of the smaller ones are going to become completely dried out. 
From one extreme to the other. :Confused:

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## aging one

> Ironically , all the lesser canals around here are at their lowest levels for many years. Another fortnight of this hot weather and some of the smaller ones are going to become completely dried out. From one extreme to the other.


Not sure its irony mate. Areas that never flood were flooded. Areas that always flood were left high and dry. Hope they dont use the same strategy next year.

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## Thetyim

^
They had a strategy ?

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## aging one

Seems to me they did, divert anyway possible to keep it from hitting flood prone areas. Once it left Ayuthaya,  it did travel in a very strange way. Don Muang airport was built there so it would not flood  but it did. The new airport and downtown were saved. Along with many other flood prone areas.  Thats my very disgruntled point of view.  :mid:  cheers.

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## aging one

Just a few more pictures I took while watering last night. 

Orchids with the mister we had put it. The black hose above has about 6 misting points. Cools down the patio as well.



Using the trees supports to hold more orchids.


The completed side yard heading back to the sala.


The little fountain that could. :Smile:

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## Eliminator

Great pics AO and all the best to you and yours.

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## palexxxx

Any idea of the total cost of revegetating your place ao?

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## natalie8

Thanks for the tread bro! I had completely missed it when it first came out. I love to see work in progress like that. Looking good now. I'll get to see it live soon. I'm working on exactly when but it should be around Septemberish.

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## hillbilly

My district named Saphan Sung here in BKK was the next to be hit by the floods. Luckily, the big bags saved us.

However, my place upcountry was not so lucky. Our fishing dock is gone along with most of the land that we used for gardening.

Will have to wait and see what will transpire in the next few months. Our rice farm (100 rai) is now considered in the flood retainment area (half way between P-Lok and Sukothai). Last year the flood was over two meters on our land, let's see what happens this year. The word is that if it happens again we get B500 per rai...

Luckily, I do not depend on my rice farm for income. But if we did...

AO, so sad to see what happened. My home in BKK was spared so other people could suffer more. Glad to see you are bouncing back.

Still up for a Mexican family dinner?

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## bsnub

AO this is a great thread. You and the family struggled and persevered through that flood. I have really enjoyed this thread. I am glad that you and the fam are back and comfy at home.  :Smile:

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## aging one

Thanks again everybody.

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## stickmansucks

I would be so sad if it was flooding again.

Can't you find a way to protect the house and the garden with a canal all around the house ?

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## aging one

I wish but as I said it came up through the sewers. Its not going to come again. The repercussions would be too great as has been shown in the last election in Pratum Thani.  I will post pictures of my klong behind the house dry as a bone.

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## nigelandjan

Beautifull garden AO a man after my own heart , thats straight where I head when I get home from work ,, bit of weeding / watering / faffing around , restores your sanity after the pressures of the day.

     Love your orchid patch ,, thats something I am looking forward to growing when I live there

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## nigelandjan

> Ironically , all the lesser canals around here are at their lowest levels for many years. Another fortnight of this hot weather and some of the smaller ones are going to become completely dried out. 
> From one extreme to the other.


  Irony here to mate , about 3 weeks ago a drought order was put in with hosepipe bans , it hasn't stopped raining since and we have bad flooding in parts of the UK now.

     Sunday a man was drowned driving his car through a river crossing on a road , something on a normal day is no problem , but he got swept away.

    Its a funny old world ( whats left of it )

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## SEA Traveler

save some room to plant these sometime later...

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## aging one

I will have the space mate. My big pine died after being transplanted. So I have a great place for them. Reminds me to get some shots of the klong behind my house when the sun is not so strong. Dry as a bone and starting to crack open.

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## nigelandjan

^ That looks a clever way of propagation ,, excuse my ignorance what are they ?

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## aging one

Avocados seeds Nigel.  My biggest and shadiest tree was an avocado grown from seed. Now SEA is giving it a go. He gave me a couple of seeds to sprout while I stayed in Pattaya, but they did not take. So he is giving it another go.

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## nigelandjan

Aha cheers mate ,, live and learn , although I have to say on this occasion thats one project I won't be trying when I live in Thai ,, I can't stand the things !  but of course each to their own.

        Hope its not too hot for you mate and not getting to your new planting too much ,, my friend has just emailed me last night from North West Issan and it hit 41 yesterday 37 at night he is busy keeping his fluids up,, bit different here in the UK its really cold and we have just had one day sun yesterday from continual rain for about 4-5 weeks now lots of flooding ,,,,,,,its a funny old world  :Smile:

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## Eliminator

It's better to get grafted trees as they will bear fruit long before any sprouted from seed. There was a guy on here, forget the thread that said he could get the grafted ones. AO and ST, you might want to check that out instead.  

 I started a few out years ago and gave some away and they haven't produced yet.

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## SEA Traveler

> .....There was a guy on here, forget the thread that said he could get the grafted ones. AO and ST, you might want to check that out instead......   .



SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE.      your correct Elim but have not a clue whom has the grafted Avocado trees... and at what cost?  AO, you have any insight to this...?

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## aging one

Dont know. But my buddy up in Ban Pong Ratburi finally got his to produce fruit in its 9th year.  He tried grafting for me but none would take. Thats the most I know.  I do I know my tree that died in the flood was from an Asian seed. I think SEA is trying to do Hass which is harder to get to grow here.  But always up for  a try.

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## aging one

Here is the klong behind my house two days before the flood. My house is where the banana trees were on the right. Oct 25


The same klong from my house looking across where there used to be a double wide street with a meridian down the middle.  Jan 5


Now a few shots of what the klong looks like as of 4pm today. 6 months and less than 4 centimeters of rain.

Shot up the klong towards the house. Today May 14


Closer view of how dry and cracked the mud has become.



Nope not the driest area of Isaan, 150 meters from my house.



Seems like we might get a heat shower today.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Originally Posted by Eliminator
> 
> 
>   .....There was a guy on here, forget the thread that said he could get the grafted ones. AO and ST, you might want to check that out instead......   .
> 
> 
> 
> SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE.      your correct Elim but have not a clue whom has the grafted Avocado trees... and at what cost?  AO, you have any insight to this...?


I think we've got them around here somewhere. Not much use to you, I know.

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## Eliminator

I tried looking for it but I'll have to check my messages. I know I wrote to one of the gusy here about it and they have a variety of avocado trees available here that are grafted already.

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## Eliminator

Try this one: https://teakdoor.com/farming-and-gardening-in-thailand/85999-avacado-trees.html  (Avacado Trees)

Or this one: https://teakdoor.com/the-kitchen/66650-avacado.html (Avacado)

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## aging one

Well its been over two months now, and the garden is looking good. Ralph Slasser had a thread about Malay grass and mine seems to have taken well. So a bit of an update.

Well first the two big trees took, and have grown quite a bit. 
The huge tree which the wife says is some kind of Indian tree. Turned fully green and really filled in. But the fcuking picture comes up sideays, even though its perfect until posted, no matter what I do.  So I will add it later. Just tried again. I have to get a kid to help me....


The other big tree  has grown a meter in the 2+ months since being planted. Now I have to go get some extended cutters.



More lotus we are growing just beginning to emerge.

The orchids are finally beginning to come out after the hot weather finally stopped.





New buds coming everywhere.


The Malay grass has taken nicely, this is two days after mowing the lawn.

But we have learned the next photo shows over two months ago and a mistake. The grass on the slope did not get enough sun, plus in torrential rains it flows out of the gutters down onto the grass thus eroding the hill.

First try



So we built a bulkhead. The wife and I buried one inch sticks a foot long into the area that was receding and the grass dying and did this.

Oh yeah, we added stones as well. From a distance.


It does work as it poured an hour after we did it. The area above that is flat is where I sit and have coffee and read the paper in the morning. 

Had to add stones here as well. Just not enough light to support the grass. Now you see my perch for early morning coffee better. I have one of those triangular pillows to support the old back. 

I am happy the outside of the house is beginning to grow in well again. Yes that is the cutter we use. Its a Bosch out of Germany. Drives the wife and maid crazy as there are no instructions in Thai.


Just about now from my balcony. But yesterday :Smile:  Freaking wires in Thailand.

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## chitown

Nice pics and house AO! Hopefully no more floods. Good luck too you.

I rented a place near Que Pasa and another in a rural area on 2 rai. I have been bouncing between the two and enjoying life.

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## aging one

> I rented a place near Que Pasa and another in a rural area on 2 rai. I have been bouncing between the two and enjoying life.


Good for you!  I knew you really liked that area, and am happy to hear you could swing it.  :Smile:

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## nigelandjan

Wow what a recovery , well done for all the hard work .

I know what you mean about the wires in Thailand ( who dosent ) but its a plus and minus situation , here in the UK with the obsession of burying everything out of sight we have to put up with the constant digging up of roads to get access  to the various utilities

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## rawlins

Very nice AO.

I have a bit of sandy jungle at the side of my shack - would like to put a farangipani tree in it. A neighbour has one and it looks great.

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## Grower

Great shots AO. Amazing transformation. That one tree, the really tall one; I'd never seen anything close in the states. No concept of mature trans-plants I guess.
Cheers mate.   :Beerchug:

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## aging one

Thanks grower, my wife thinks its about 12-15 years old minimum. The other 3-5. Its getting better still. Thanks, I will put up more photos of the orchids we have. So many jungle varieties starting to pop up again.  :Smile:

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## Grower

^ I've lost count of how many we have, both wild and domestic; absolutely my favorite plant, erm, well, second favorite.   :mid:

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## Sailing into trouble

Good on you AO. Looks like a beautiful spot. Lots of pride and understanding of what you are doing in that garden. Hope those newly in power see that as much of the disaster of last year that was man made is never allowed to happen again.

Good luck

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## aging one

With the rainfall coming more and more I am getting more orchids coming out and blooming. The first shot is of a true huge jungle orchid. Right in front of the house.



Some nice ones looking back towards the sala and klong


We are also growing lotus to put out in pots at the front of the house.



More coming everyday during the rainy season. :Smile:

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## chitown

Nice photos as usual AO   :goldcup:   - hopefully your yard won't resemble Sukothai anytime soon.  :Sad: 

I vacated that area right after last years fiasco!

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## grasshopper

Fine and inspiring thread AO. Phoenix like, even. Just no flames. Photography of those orchids and other blooms is great as well.  Have a small orchid, bush, hanging out of a pot here in Oz which basically looks after itself. Never touch or water it. Hardy little bugger! Wondering when I should split the corms (?). After the flowering is over I suppose.

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## natalie8

Beautiful! I'll see it live soon.

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## aging one

> Nice photos as usual AO - hopefully your yard won't resemble Sukothai anytime soon.


Thanks Chi, I am going to venture off a bit here. My wife took all these photos on her Ipad, and has sent them to me via email over the last few days, included were these.  Here are the two most beautiful things in the house. I am so proud, but at the same time know they are turning 15, and its time to stop posting images of them here. 

First day back to school. IGCSE year!!



Yes the ends of one kids hair is blue, the color of their school.   

They did come from good stock, any resemblance?  A friend still working for ARAMCO sent me this. Me on the corner of Granville Rd, and Nathan Rd in Hong Kong circa 1961. It has change a lot.  :Smile: 



Thanks for all the great replies. It has been a labor of love for the whole family.

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## Marmite the Dog

> I am so proud, but at the same time know they are turning 15, and its time to stop posting images of them here.


You know how highly I regard you daughters, AO, but I really feel sorry for you for the next few years.

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## beerlaodrinker

Awesome looking gaff AO,  looks a nice area also

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## FailSafe

Nice to see an update on one of my favorite threads.

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## Sailing into trouble

You done good AO.

Yards fantastic as well. :Smile: 

Great to know that there are normal folk on here, living great lives. You have a lot to be proud of. Thank god the school colours are not Orange!!!!! :Smile: 

On a series note, all that beautiful garden, does that not offer snake habitat?

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## aging one

> Thank god the school colours are not Orange!!!!!


   Mate thats the funny part the school color is blue, but their house color is ORANGE :Smile: 

I know what you are saying marmers, but they are so tied up with the IGCSE's they dont get much time out.  Also why its the end of the photos. :Smile:

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## Grower

^ Great orchid shots; and agree about the twins pics. Time out.   :Beerchug:

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## hillbilly

> Originally Posted by aging one
> 
>  I am so proud, but at the same time know they are turning 15, and its time to stop posting images of them here.
> 
> 
> You know how highly I regard you daughters, AO, but I really feel sorry for you for the next few years.


I have to say good luck. As life goes my daughter's quickly maturing body wise  did not not correspond mentally.

Currently, she does not have her phone nor internet.

Our time together is so much fun as she hates me most days...

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## aging one

Been there done that. But the school helps a lot. If you get caught with a phone on you it is taken away for the entire term, then you have to pay to get it back. Dont even ask how much.  But if your daughter in reality is a lot like you that is why you fight. I know because I have two, the one like me is the problem. The one cooler and calmer until the big boom is much easier to get along with, and in reality more like her mom. Well she is late for everything just like mom. The other was is punctual and even early like me. Ponder on if for a while feller.  :Smile: 

Since teen age hormones I have gone from above superman, to a decent dad, but one they can still trust. We as dads have to remember we only supplied half the genes. That is a fact Hilly. :Smile:

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## hillbilly

You bastard!

My daughter has come up with a new scheme. She has done something wrong and while I am in bed relaxing she comes in. 

It might be tears or cries of 'what have I done'.

At times I am asshole and rules are rules.

Then other times...

Needless to say this sexy Thai woman who pleases me in every way for 15 years, does not agree. Why?

Because, I ain't Thai...

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## aging one

> Needless to say this sexy Thai woman who pleases me in every way for 15 years, does not agree. Why?  Because, I ain't Thai...


But she lets you do it. I only get away with a day or so.

The Post had an article about Obama yesterday that his daughters are not allowed to use the cell during the week to chat or talk other than school. The same goes for the Ipad and laptop. Plus they may not watch TV except for Modern Family the whole family loves. The TV and phones and computers are rewards for working hard during the week. They are paying private tuition as we are. Plus their mom makes them play two sports. She chooses one and we chose one. 
Have your daughter watch this version of her speech with you. I cried sensitive shit I am.  Even if you are with Boom Mee, this is exactly where I am coming from. Plus its how I was raised. I cant change that. 

Not all you can get that as well.  



Sheet y'all only got 15 years into this stuff? golly.  :Smile:

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## Marmite the Dog

> Have your daughter watch this version of her speech with you. I cried sensitive shit I am. Even if you are with Boom Mee, this is exactly where I am coming from. Plus its how I was raised. I cant change that.


Why is it that only Americans have these values? Is that why it's the greatest country in the world?

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