#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  Sorting the Garden

## Loombucket

*Preamble and disclaimer*

This is all based on my experiences. When I make sweeping statements like 'everyone, no one, anywhere' and 'nowhere' etc, I mean around my local commumity. I can't speak for all of LOS.

No matter where your house is, no matter how large your garden, one will, at some point, want to have somethings in it that look nice. Even if you do all the planning and have people round to do the actual digging, there will come a time when you need to get your own hands dirty. The soil in Thailand is something else and the western style Fork and spade, whilst available in some places, are not ideal weapons of choice.

Lets start from the begining. This is known as the Jod or back hoe and is used for just about everything from digging, weeding, mixing cement, raking chippings and cutting roots. Every home has one, farms usually have an assortment of large and small ones and some have holes in the back to let water drain out



The handle fits inro a 'D' shaped hole at the back and is secured with a simple wedge. The handle is missing here because I have just broken it! This is the side view showing the curve of the blade and the handy reinforcing bits on the sides, When new, the edge of the blade is blunt but this is quickly worn into something that you wouldn't want to cut your foot with.



Getting the handle length just right, for you, is a trial and error thing, because everyone is different. Once you master the art of swinging the thing, however, you realise that you can work quite fast with it. One word of warning is that you will be using a different set of muscles, as opposed to using a spade or fork, so start gradually , or your back will protest. As with all outdoor work, of couse, you will still need the hat, the shade and the water. The Thai 'hottie' with shorts and matching ice bucket is an optional extra, but I tend to find that they put me off my stroke.  :Smile:  

Next up, we have the post hole tool, I never did find out the local name, more accurate than the Jod but time consuming and painfull on my palms. The small one is great for weeding the flower beds.



The next 'essential item' is a rake, to collect all those weeds and bits of grass. This one is made from rebar and is grafted onto a wooden handle. It's a tad heavy but should last for years.



Lastly, for this introduction, and regular readers will recognise, my first Isaan style tipping wheel barrow. It is not a big thing, but heavy enough when full of soil. The twin wheels take a bit of getting used to, but only round the corners.



Having borrowed the one that the Gardener lent us, for a few weeks, I just had to have my own.

*Preamble over, where the heck do I start?*

The tree line, down the field, had been great at the begining and provided suficient shade for lake, and pipe, workers and small picnics that I insisted on, to help me 'bond' with the place. 



Unfortunately, they were Eucalyptus, grow like the blazes and suck all the water and goodness from the soil around them. The branches were soon sacrificed for scaffolding and the stumps looked a wee bit sad. There was no way I was going to dig the blooming things out though. Fortunately there was a handy digger in another thread.



He soon made some bladdy great holes. You can clearly see the area of the grass/weeds that the trees have affected.



This is one of the smaller roots.



With the last bits of root romoved, and the holes filled in, I decided to let Mother nature do her thing and let the ground recover. I knew that it wouldn't take that long.

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## hawkeye

*LOOOMBUCKET!    Already I know this will be worth following. I really enjoyed the house building thread and wish you and Mrs. LB all the best in the garden venture.* 
*Wonderful stuff................*
*hawkeye*

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## jandajoy

Tremendous thread. When I'm sober I'll learn a lot.

Well done.. greeny

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## daveboy

^ 
his not done fok all yet  :Smile: 
Look forward to seeing your thread grow LB

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## jandajoy

> his not done fok all yet


bollox, he's taken photos. He's writ stuff. The man's a hive of industry. Shit, he got up!

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## jandajoy

We're getting photos of tools. Which, by my reckoning, is a very good thing.

good to know what tools people are using. I think.

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## oldgit

In March this year I bought the head of the smaller one and took back to UK, put it on a hoe handle, a handy tool for hoeing between plants, you would do well shipping them, as they have nothing that narrow in the UK.

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## hillbilly

Come on Loombucket, we're waiting. Work, work, work!!! :Smile:

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## Loombucket

> Already I know this will be worth following.





> Tremendous thread


Don't put me on a pedestal yet.




> his not done fok all yet


The most acurate statement so far.





> a handy tool for hoeing between plants, you would do well shipping them,


Thanks for the sales lead, I may well take that seriously.





> we're waiting. Work, work, work!!!


Cheeky!!  :Smile:

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## hillbilly

I remember my first Thai wheelbarrow like it was yesterday. I want to say that it cost me about B850 or so. Told the workers that this was for 'din' (dirt) only. They didn't care, soon it was filled with 'boon' (cement).

About 4 wheelbarrows later, I gave up.  :Sad:  Mine are now torn up, scraped all to hell,  welded and dented.  

Good luck with your shiny blue wheelbarrow...

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## Rural Surin

Ah...the Jod. Will find this type of tool and facsimilies throught Asia. A classic all weather all-purpose tool. :Smile:

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## Rural Surin

> We're getting photos of tools. Which, by my reckoning, is a very good thing.
> 
> good to know what tools people are using. I think.


With all due respect JJ...you must be one of them city slickers.

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## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     You certainly have your following... and for good reason.  I look forward to your commentary on the trials and tribulations associated with "Sorting the Garden".

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## JohnTB

> Ah...the Jod. Will find this type of tool and facsimilies throught Asia. A classic all weather all-purpose tool.


Great show - especiallly the tools most falang cannot appreciate here.  I worked at the Garden of Eden (near Ban Khai; 27 kilometers north of Rayng City on Hwy 3138), a farm for HIV/AIDS folks, part of the Camillian Social Center network in Rayong Province, for six months and was very happy to see someone photograph, display and explain these versatile implements common around rural Thailand. 

Good show.

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## sunsetter

> Khun Loom,
> 
> You certainly have your following... and for good reason. I look forward to your commentary on the trials and tribulations associated with "Sorting the Garden".


 
will yours be next?  :Smile: 

nice start lb, hope its a good as the last, what am i saying? course it will be!

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## Issan Man

Really looking forward to this LoomB,and thanks for the Photo's.so thats what one of those is called,have often seen the MIL going off to her land with one strapped to the side of her bike.But I must admit that I am a bit disapointed that as yet,no Photo of your well used Dibber :rofl:

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## jizzybloke

A whole day and a half this thread has been going and not a lot has been done yet, come on loom get your finger out! :Smile:

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## Loombucket

Here is a pic of the lake at low tide. It's slightly out of sequence but clearly shows the two stabs at getting the base about right. The soil line, accross the middle, will be where the pillars will go, to support the bridge. The single tree is a token gesture, as there are more to come later.



*Time passes.* This means that there is a history break, usually depicted in the movies, by displaying a calender with the date pages peeling off and flying away. As I don't have access to that kind of stuff, members are asked to engage their imagination.

Later, the ground is still recovering and the lake has started to fill again. It still looks a little on the bleak side. Rescue came with the sight of this rare water mammal, I found floating one morning. It looks like half man, half plant,



......but turns out to be Khun Mow, the odd-job man, towing some Bua Dang (Lilly red) accross the surface. He digs a small hole in the mud and then plants them with his feet, like he's been doing it for years.



The plants have been 'cleared' from a nearby pond and cost nothing, so we have as many as we can. Mow spreads them around, unfolds the leaves and they are left to settle and blend in. Later, they will open in the sun and cheer the place up a bit.

*Time passes.*

They have started building and there is someone here 24/7. We also have water, which means that any plant watering will be a doddle (compared with getting water from the lake, in a bucket  :Sad: ). The Buiders kindly knocked up this little enclosure for the baby Saak trees to play in, untill it is safe to put them into the ground. We bought 100 at 19 Bht a pop.



Mow started planting them down the long fence run, securing each one with a stick, just out of reach from the Cows next door.



Each tree has a little moat around it to catch the water and stop it running away, the water, that is, not the tree. 



They will grow straight up, without branching, carrying large leaves and will be worth somthing in about 10-20 years, if I can bear to part with them.

These were the last to go in, up by the house. In the end, we only lost two plants. Probably due to the soil guys taking too long over the kitchen garden. The survivors will get water every day untill the rain starts and a weekly supliment of Buffalo droppings.

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## MeMock

> In March this year I bought the head of the smaller one and took back to UK, put it on a hoe handle, a handy tool for hoeing between plants, you would do well shipping them, as they have nothing that narrow in the UK.


My wife did the same to Australia and it then followed us to NZ. Use it all the time.

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## Propagator

Not bad Loom, I hope we will see the proof of your hard work, callous hands and blisters etc, or will youjust be the organiser again  :Smile: 

Look forward to the developments in this thread, and you may get some criticism from me  :Sad:

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## Loombucket

> you may get some criticism from me


I will look forward to that and yes, I will be sporting the odd blister or tway.

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## daveboy

How big will the saak trees get LB & are they quick growing?

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## Loombucket

> How big will the saak trees get LB & are they quick growing?


I can't give you a precise figure daveboy. The Gardener reckons that they will be as round as a water butt in about twenty years. I have been monitoring them for a while now and they are, indeed, growing very fast. I will give updates on their progress, as we go along.

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## Jet Gorgon

C'mon, LoomB, more pics and action! :Smile:

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## Loombucket

Sorry Jet, there's not a lot of action in this one, yet. There is a lot of fiddling about, trying out ideas untill the house is done, the trucks stop coming and hoards of people stop trampling everything. Besides, if I post everything in one go, there will be a long and boring wait untill I get back there, and the fun really starts. Iv'e also got loads of other excuses, that I won't bore you with for the mo. 

Here is one of the Saak trees, after about five weeks, before the rains came.



Members/fans of the building thread, will remember the Banana plants, hung out to dry on the ceremonial first posts. They stayed up there for a long time and I assumed that they had had it. One did not survive but the other two are keeping a sugar cane company, and are doing well at the front of the soil mound.



Meanwhile, down at the back of the lake, life was slowly getting back to normall.



Now to do something at the front of the lake. After we had the drain pipe put in, and the land built up a bit, there was a nice little bit for a tree garden. Unfortunately, everything that we put in was relentlesly nibbled by the cows. This excuse for an Isaan syle fence, using timber liberated from the scaffolding, and anything to hold it together, was a last ditch attempt to keep the perishers off.



It was decorated with 'thorny sticks' and worked a treat. Later, I liberated every scap, that I could find, to put some sort of solid edge, around the lake, to ramp up the soil.



Again, it would not win any prizes, but kept me amused for ages. Later, It will be made to look a bit nicer, but it is ok for now.



You can just see, in back and to the left, the broken drain pipes, that didn't make the drain. I will attempt to sink these, to make some raised beds at the entrance to my tree garden.

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## Loombucket

First, I pick a nice cool day, find the radio, iced water, mobile etc. Load everything in the barrow and toddle off, out of site, and earshot from everyone else. With the radio blaring and a stream of bemused locals, using the soi down the side, I start on the hole, using the jod. After twenty odd minutes, I'm weezing like the perverbial 70 year old who's attempting to 'entertain' a pay-as-you-go Thai sweetie. A short rest, drink and then a prayer and I have another go. Some time later, I have a nice deep hole, a bit wider than the pipe.



As it is an Isaan syle thing, it's bladdy heavy to move and I know that I can't actually pick it up. So I have a cunning plan. Using the soil, taken from the hole, I make a little ramp, with the idea of sliding it over and then plopping it in.



So much for theory. It gets stuck in the side of the hole and I can't move the wretched thing.  :Sad:  The language was appalling and there was no one in the soi to help. I needed some sort of lever and spent a lot of time looking for one. It was starting to get dark, when I liberated a bit of old fence post from the shop next door and the drain pipe, finally, slid in a treat.



Next day, after one of Mrs. LoomB's massages, three coffees, and thirty minutes of Ash's greatest hits, the other hole took less than an hour to dig. Fitting the other pipe in, took about ten minutes.



All I need now is some nice soil and a coat, or tway, of white cement seal. This bit of the garden, gets the sun for most of the day, so I am planning a seat and a blaze of colour. A few solar lamps here and there and the odd mirror will finish it off. All this will come later, now i'm just waiting for the grass to grow a bit.

Somone 'up there' must have heard me, cos it soon starts to rain, with a vengeance. This put any further work 'on hold' for the best part of a week. When it stopped for a rest, I noticed this new lake, behind ours.



Traction was impossible and motivation evporated with each sliding step so I retreated to the clubhouse to wait it out.

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## Loombucket

*Time passes*

It's still raining, but not quite so hard. We need to get on and put some sort of roof over the tank and pump, to get them out of the sun. Under the stern eye of the mrs, Khun Mow tries to flatten the soggy mess so that he can mark out with the usual stick.



We have decided on some of those cement posts with a flat base at one end. The sort that you would have for rasing your teak wood style home, as used by many of the neighbours. This handy DIY pack, came with ready sawn timber and all the nuts and bolts. The angle iron and plastic pipes are waiting for the waterfall project.



It's starting to get a bit late when the posts arrive,



...and I am in the shower when I hear more excitement from behind. The MIL has given us two of her spare water jars and it has taken the crew all afternoon to get them loaded and transported here, about 6Km. Not my best shot, but the best that I could do with slightly soapy hands.



Next morning, and all marked out, the boys start digging holes for the posts. Mow starts with the Jod,



...and Loong follows behind with the post hole tool.



After a certain depth, he has to resort to using his hands,



...and here's why. Wet, Issan style, clay is something else that us westeners havn't come accross. If this was cement, it would be perfect for laying slabs.



With the holes dug and the team taking a breather, I get the job of checking the nuts and bolts. The other ends of the posts have pre-formed holes, so it's an easy job to put the timbers in.



A telephone call then sends the team off on a wild Goose chase and we have to abandon work for the rest of the day. More tomorrow.

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## sunsetter

loving it all, blinding thread!!

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## Issan Man

LoomB,too say that I am green with envey is and understatement,it's all looking Bladdy Good.Just been thinking,and thought I would pick your Brain's.HollyHocks,Lupins and Delphiniums, Would they grow in Thailand or would it be to hot?.Whats the law like on bringing seed's of non native plant's into Thailand?.Last but not least do they have problems with Slugs and Rust in the Land of Smiles? :Smile:  :UK:

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## Loombucket

That's a good question and the short answer is, I don't know. Most stuff could be encoraged to grow, with the right combination of soil/compost, water and shade. Roses grow ok but the only ones that I have seen have been the basic three rows of petals and no smell variety. Orchids would be the way to go, as they love the stuff in Coconuts to get them going. As far as I know, one would need an import licence for anything non-native.

I have not seen any slugs, but there are more than enough strange beetles, about the place, that eat anything! Rust, again, I don't know but i will be making enquiries.

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## DrAndy

> LoomB,too say that I am green with envey is and understatement,it's all looking Bladdy Good.Just been thinking,and thought I would pick your Brain's.HollyHocks,Lupins and Delphiniums, Would they grow in Thailand or would it be to hot?.Whats the law like on bringing seed's of non native plant's into Thailand?.Last but not least do they have problems with Slugs and Rust in the Land of Smiles?


 
We have brought lots of veggie seeds in, but from Portugal. They like the hot weather and thrive

Flowers may be Ok; one advantage of foreign plants is that the insects and diseases do not recognise them so leave them alone most of the time

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## Loombucket

The rain is becoming a bit of a problem. It's at times like this when I fully apreciate the fact that the site is suitably higher than the surrounding countyside. The 'pond' next door has spread to half the field. Note the grass, starting to grow like mad.



During the lull, the team decided to get down and try to finish. The Gardener's aged, but hale, Isaan style wheel barrow was pressed into service, for one last major task. A mobile pug mixing tank.



The hole bottoms were rammed flat and a little sand was added.



Next, a layer of cement and this was rammed flat.



Next, the posts were plopped in. Loong held them upright but his initial enthusiasm was starting to wear off. Something to do with Mow dropping the spirit level on his foot. 



A little hardcore was then added to the holes to stop them trying to escape,



...and then they were securely pugged in.



At this point, we all broke for lunch. I wizzed off to the local 7/11, to er.. check for new staff.  :Smile:  When I returned, it was all over. 



That white cable is for the TV, and nearly caused a number of choking fatalities by poeple wizzing round the path on their bikes. It was, later, relocated. The temporary aerial is, of couse, up the handy tree.

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## BosseO

> Roses grow ok but the only ones that I have seen have been the basic three rows of petals and no smell variety. .


Wifey bought some roses at an 'Orchid Supermarket' between Klaeng and Hat Mae Phim and they seems to thrive, the yellow doesn't smell much but the red and pink are really fragrant.

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## Loombucket

Now that looks like my kind of Rose. I don't suppose you remember the name of that Orchid place?

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## Takeovers

I enjoy the thread





What about the bananas? I have been told that moskitos breed in those water puddles at the stem of the leaves so better don't have them around the house.

The pond would probably have fish so not too many moskito larvae growing up there.

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## Issan Man

BosseO,nice Roses Mate,there more like the kind of thing we have here in the UK :Smile:

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## BosseO

^^^ No, they only had a sign in Thai that wifey translated as Orchid Supermarket. We were just out driving around exploring the surroundings.

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## Bogso

Great work LB, loving the thread.

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## Loombucket

A small ammount of time passes and I am quite keen to get some sort of planting under way. There is one last major thing to do. The path, around the front of the house, is not really wide enough. It needs to be a bit wider to take a truck, as the septic tanks are out the back and we don't want people trying to drive round there. I didn't want a vast expanse of cement out side the front door either, so some sort of compromise was called for. We settled on another 1 1/2 Metres, which should be plenty. The land was well compacted already, so it was just a case of marking, edging, chucking some sand on the bottom, the usual rebar grid and a load of pre-mix. Easy, I thought. 

The first bit went a treat. The Builders had left lots of handy edging and Mow and Loong made quick work of digging a little trench,



...and putting the boards up.



We had to treat ourselves to some new nails and some rebar. Wire, for tying, and sand, we had plenty of, and soon we had the little grid all ready.



The problems started with the arrival of the cement mixer, who sat outside for ages wondering if he could fit between the new pillars for the gate.



My suggestion that he should come in backwards and drive up to the pour point was greeted with the usual derision, so I kept quiet and waited for him to get stuck.



This was about one in the afternoon and we had one extra chap from the local village to help. We did not have loads of plastic buckets or a tin bath, so it was essential to get the mixer close enough to the site. Anyway, the driver started digging,



..and then tries to drive out. Then everyone has a go at digging,



..and about two hours later, the team manage to push him out,



...leaving some fancy holes.



At this point, everyone thinks that it would be a good idea to stop for a beer and the driver turns the engine off. I am still laughing like a drain but Mrs. LoomB is not amused.

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## sunsetter

:St George:  :rofl:  shouldve got some pics of the missus going into the red, that wouldve been a giggle

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## SEA Traveler

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> 
> Roses grow ok but the only ones that I have seen have been the basic three rows of petals and no smell variety. .
> 
> 
> Wifey bought some roses at an 'Orchid Supermarket' between Klaeng and Hat Mae Phim and they seems to thrive, the yellow doesn't smell much but the red and pink are really fragrant.


Khun BosseO,

     I'll be checking in with you upon return in mid Jan to take a ride to the market place where Mrs B purchased the roses.  Mrs SeaT has already indicated that she wanted some roses in the garden.

     Looking good my friend.

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## SEA Traveler

Khun Loom,

     As U R only too well aware, any suggestings to alter the local practices for the way in doing something, especially by a non local, too often gets overlooked.  Now U had the last laugh when it came to the cement truck but the agrivation one goes through to get stuff accomplished the way it one want's is of no consequence to the locals.  Again, it might very well be a face thing.  

     Anyway, I'm taking notes as my garden project will commence upon my return back to Thai in Jan.  Keep the good stuff coming....  Ciao!

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## Loombucket

After the briefest ice cold beer, and a quick coffee for the camera man, the team gerd themselves into a frenzy of inconsequence. The new guy assumes point and sprays a bit of water about. The others prepare for an exciting session of jodding and squelchy toes.



About four hours after the cement truck pulled in, we are ready to start pouring.



Progress is rapid but we have to add a lot of water to the mix to make it workable. This means that we have a wide splatter area and lots of mess.



This old bit of roofing was pressed into sevice when the driver chickened out of any more complicated reversing manouvers.



The point man (never did get his name) proved to be very handy with the float so the others let him get on with it.



It was just starting to look fantastic, when the local fourlegged inspector came around for a quick sniff and thought that he was in Hollywood.  :Sad: 



Fortunately, we noticed it in time,



..and the team managed a very good job. The groove, between the old and the new, is to stop a large crack forming and is not deep enough to fall over.



The driver wanted extra money because he had been there most of the afternoon and reckoned that he could have got another load in for someone else. Mrs. LoomB politely pointed out that when Papa (me) tells you to come in backwards and reverse to the pouring point, it is because he knows that the ground is wet, and now he has to pay people for five hours instead of three. The driver waied me and rapidly vanished.

Loong kindly stayed late and filled in all the holes made by the mixer,



...and Mow posed with his Isaan style, ground worker's sock, before a quick wash and home to feed his Cows.

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## Issan Man

LoomB,What is Thai skin made from,don't they get concrete Burns?!!.I find it amazing that they can paddle around in concrete and nothing happens to there skin,the bladdy stuff burnt me oneday on site,and now I am very cautious when pouring foundations.Also it's good to see that it is not just British readymix drivers,that have a habit of getting stuck even when they are told not to drive on to a certain area :Smile:

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## Loombucket

^No, for some reason they don't seem to be affected by cement. They don't even sneeze when there's powder in the air. As for the mixer, we always order from the same company and nower days, we get a better deal. We have had the same two drivers for most of the deliveries and they should know better by now.

Mind you, if I was driving the truck and some 'jolly foreigner', with only a passing knowlege of English, told me what to do, or where to go, I would probably ignore them and seek further clarification.   :Smile:

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## Loombucket

With the cementing completed and the edges removed, I figured that that was everything just about done and I was keen to get on with some planting. I had bought some baby Fu ang Far, in pots, ages ago. I had them just outside the door back at the bugalow and had been loving them every day. Unfortunately, they don't like a lot of water/tlc and had responded by dropping all the pretty bits and turning brown. Once moved to a lonely spot and forgotten about, they soon recovered.



I had chosen my spot with care and had a number of colours that went well together. I really fancied a low hedge at the edge of the path opposite the front door so I made a little test area, to see what would happen. First we dig a hole, a bit bigger than the pot that the plant is in. As you can see, the soil is a mixture of sand, clay and that red/brown stuff.



Next, we cut up the soil at the bottom to give some sort of transition from the good stuff at the top.



Good stuff is available in many forms. This Panda brand is similar to potting compost and will give our babies a decent start.



We mix a little good stuff with the soil at the bottom and end up with a bit of neat at the top.



We are not going to firm it down yet, as the sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed that we haven't put the plant in. I always make the hole with my fist or fingers, if I am using neat potting compost. That way, it gets compressed outwards and down a bit and it saves having to top off the hole afterwards. These Fu ang Far things have a delicate root structure and do not like to be handled, for this reason, we carefully cut off the plastic pot and put everything in. Dedicated sharp sissors are good for this and don't let the mrs. know that you have any.



One, in isolation, looks a little sad, so I have a few to make a run down the path and round the corner to run along the back. They will have one drink and then they will be ignored by Mr. Water-Inkan.



Meanwhile, down in the front meadow, the local amatuer Cow keeping collective have popped over to trim the grass and top up their food bins. They arrived in this lovely, Isaan style cart,



..and quickly made a big impact. That's Naa on the strimmer.



That's Naa's Dad on the wicker basket, sorting the good from the bad.



Not to be outdone, Loong2 had started to trim out the bottom of the Bamboo clump. A close inspection of all the shoots and laterals was necessary, due to them being well sharp.



Only two hours later, the Cow club has made a good start in the meadow.



At the end of the day, both teams have made a big difference and left a nice pile of stuff for me to burn.



I realise that there is still a tree in with that Bamboo, but I, sort of, like it so it stays. Teatime is full of talk about garden centres and I go to bed a very happy man. Unfortunately, the next day was the day I came off the bike....... :Sad:

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## Takeovers

Thanks for the reprieve from all that present gloom and doom.

Your gardenproject comes along nicely.

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## Issan Man

Looking Good LoomB,do you have to put any Fertilizer in the bottom of the holes when planting,like Blood,fish and Bone,or just let the plants get on with it?.Fu ang Far must be Hardy little Buggers if they don't need regular visit's from Khun Nam-inkan :Smile:

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## Loombucket

> Looking Good LoomB,do you have to put any Fertilizer in the bottom of the holes when planting,like Blood,fish and Bone,or just let the plants get on with it?.Fu ang Far must be Hardy little Buggers if they don't need regular visit's from Khun Nam-inkan


The English speaking Husband, of the Woman that does the best noodles in the area, told me that they love poor soil and that it should be well drained. Other than that, put them in and leave them alone. I have yet to see if that was good advice, but at about 33Bht each, I can easily get some more and have another go. I tried to make the medium in the holes, the same as was in the pots. Time will tell.

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## Johnny Longprong

Bouganvillia are hard to kill. They do respond to pruning just before the peak growth season. A bit of Potassium Sulphate (potash) watered on them in the growing season promotes flowering. When they get established you can prune them like a hedge alright.

Thanks for the thread LB. You have interesting and challenging ground to work with there. Maybe some Gypsum would help you break up the clay in the areas you plan to use for gardens etc.

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## LSNEED

> *Preamble and disclaimer*
> 
> This is all based on my experiences. When I make sweeping statements like 'everyone, no one, anywhere' and 'nowhere' etc, I mean around my local commumity. I can't speak for all of LOS.
> 
> No matter where your house is, no matter how large your garden, one will, at some point, want to have somethings in it that look nice. Even if you do all the planning and have people round to do the actual digging, there will come a time when you need to get your own hands dirty. The soil in Thailand is something else and the western style Fork and spade, whilst available in some places, are not ideal weapons of choice.
> 
> Lets start from the begining. This is known as the Jod or back hoe and is used for just about everything from digging, weeding, mixing cement, raking chippings and cutting roots. Every home has one, farms usually have an assortment of large and small ones and some have holes in the back to let water drain out
> 
> 
> ...


So true what you say, I will enjoy reading this thread as much as Idid your housebuilding one. Best of luck and have fun. :Smile:

----------


## Propagator

Looking good LB, and have only just caught up with this thread.     I forget where you are, but if you are within a reasonable distance of Phu Rua that would be a good place to get roses and any other stuff at about half the price normally paid.   I got 20 roses bushes, some very nice, there a couple of weeks ago, 10 baht each with a couple thrown in free.

----------


## Loombucket

> Looking good LB, and have only just caught up with this thread. I forget where you are, but if you are within a reasonable distance of Phu Rua that would be a good place to get roses and any other stuff at about half the price normally paid. I got 20 roses bushes, some very nice, there a couple of weeks ago, 10 baht each with a couple thrown in free.


Thanks Props, I will follow up on that.

More to come here but still missing some pix - Sorry everyone.

----------


## SunTzu

Another great thread ! Gimme more by the Bucket !  :Smile: 


Nice thing the way you treated those eucalyptuses, not a better way to deal with those !
I love that rare animal paddling in the lake too, half plant, half human ! ^^


Will be following your adventures with delight !

++ ^^

----------


## sabang

Good stuff loomy- it will be nice to see how your garden develops over time.  :Smile: 
Might even stir me into action to do something with my Ubon mess.

----------


## Loombucket

*More time passes*

Right, I'm still opperating with one hand, but I'm off the painkillers and daily making a nuisance of myself because I want to play in the garden. One day whilst er.. G/f goes to the Temple in Khorat, I sneak out and bash the old water pots with a hammer. This makes me feel that I am making a contribution, but leaves my left hand feeling useless for ages.



Inspired by this small success, I retrain the remaining fingers to hold the jod, and armed with some rope, a few stakes, a hammer and the usual sun protection, I start to make a path type clearing, down to the lake. The two poles mark the gateway in the wall. Note the handy, Issan style, wind gauge.



A quick check from the balcony, revealed that it was not quite in the right place and needed to go left a few yards. At least now I can get the barrow down to the lake without going the long way round. Next up, was a little repair work to the edges of the lake. This was a, relatively, simple job of clearing the soil back from the planks, checking the stakes to see how they had been broken, replacing the stakes and then shoving the earth back.



Many of the supports had been broken by the builders, who were making up cement for the improved water runoff on the lake side of the land drain. I ended up redoing about six metres of the edge and made a mental note to keep any future workmen, well away. What really annoyed me, was having to use up all my path making stakes, for another job.  :Sad:  The finished job pix have been lost/renamed/deleted so will will check back another time.

I needed some white paint, of any description, to highlight the drain planters, so that they stood out a bit. Don't ask me why but we had kept all the dead tins, under the watertank roof. Working on the principal that it was all water based, I found enough my mixing the dregs from six tins of ceiling white, one of wall white and some solid stuff from the base coat tub. The smell was indescribable but the concoction worked a treat. From a distance, the whole tree garden starts to look ok but the length of the grass is starting to hamper progress.



Not to worry, it will soon be party time and after we have picked up all the rubbish, the guy with the strimmer will be coming back to spend a day or two. I am quite looking forward to that first bonfire.

----------


## sunsetter

so, sorry if i missed something old chap but whats up with your hand?

----------


## Loombucket

> so, sorry if i missed something old chap but whats up with your hand?


I had a m/c accident in the construction thread. Well, not actually in it, but whilst I was doing it. This thread is running a little behind. I am fine now but I mislaid all the later gardening pix, so I am still catching up.

----------


## Propagator

Glad you are  OK now LB.     Nows the time to settle in and work that garden  :Smile: 

Don't forget we want to see a picture of them calloused hands and blisters  :saythat:

----------


## sunsetter

ahh yesah!!  vaguely remember it, to be honest i was soo busy following the build that i kinda missed that bit, hope your healing ok mate, gardencoming on ok, take it easy!

----------


## Loombucket

> Don't forget we want to see a picture of them calloused hands and blisters


Don't worry, I will dig out the tri-pod specially.   :Smile:

----------


## Loombucket

It's time now to check on our Saak trees. Some have grown better than others, but this one is the best, at about 16/17 weeks old. As you can see, it has made it over the top strand of wire.



The Bananas and the Sugar cane are also doing well.



Time, also, to cut the grass down a bit and do some marking of paths, borders and boundrays. The time, we have the entire family in to strim, rake and gather the grass. They will dump it over the fence to feed the Cows. Na starts on the strimmer,



...and is rapidly joined by his missus on the rake.



The two young boys collect the grass in a large basket and, later, heave it over the fence.



There are two four legged beasties on guard duty, but I can't quite work out what they are protecting.



Ah ha, this must be a Daughter that is just too young to be married off. No wonder the Dogs won't let me get close.



By the time the Cows come along, for their morning constitutionals, there is a veritable feast laid out for them. There is some jostling, to get a good place.



This lucky girl, will have the best meal that she has had for ages.



Meanwhile, back in the 'kitchen garden', it starts to look like somebody cares. All of this grass is self seeded.



At this point, we all stop for lunch, petrol and some sharpening of blades.

More tomorrow.

----------


## Loombucket

Sorry, that was a bit of a long break for lunch, but I *was* hungry.

Na starts the afternoon with a spot of maintenance,



...rapidly followed by a tank refil.



Last, but not least, the all important sharpening of the blades. Na seems to be using some sort of file for chainsaws, but it does the trick. This is not a plastic line that breaks at the mere sight of a thick bit of bush. A nip from those teeth will take your toe off.



Suitably sorted, the team start on the prairie down by the lake.



The four legged, Isaan style, securety team, flop under the last of the trees.



Meanwhile, back at the house end, I take the hammer to the 'dunny' and try to recover anything of any use.



I then spend far too long with a length of rope, trying to work out where the front part of the wall will go. I have to give it up, in the end, and it is quite late when I start on the first of many fires. I'm just burning the stuff that the Cows won't eat, but it makes lots of nice smoke. I tie one small worry to each branch and feed the fire long into the night.



Next day, Na pops back round, to finish. He does a good job at the back and, to the right of the fence, you can see the beginings of my secret garden, behind those bushes. Later, with the aid of some careful planting, and a couple of solar panels, I will build a secret shed.



With just the edges to go, and no other action going on, I let Na get on with it,



..and I manage to get one white stake in the ground, in the right place, to mark the edge of the boundry wall. The blue pipes mark the new feed for the water supply and the meter.



Now we are up to date with the house thread, so we go down to Hua Hin for a few days before the plane home. We will be back around the end of January, but for now...



Cheers.

----------


## WhiteLotusLane

Just wanted to say I really enjoy this topic.

Have a good trip!

----------


## Johnny Longprong

Yes, I am really enjoying it too LB except you are going too bloody slow for me.
Let me know if you would like a hand. Food and board only.

----------


## Loombucket

> Just wanted to say I really enjoy this topic.


Thanks, there will be more to come, when I get back there.





> Yes, I am really enjoying it too LB except you are going too bloody slow for me. Let me know if you would like a hand. Food and board only.


Sorry, but as I have said, I am not there to do any more work. Let alone take any decent pix. I am hoping to dust it off and get going again, in about three weeks. Thanks for the offer of help, but I want to tackle this project myself. When it comes to garden construction, like building walls, waterfalls, lookout towers, model villages and any other follies, I understand there are lots of local 'helpers', desparate to find out just how crazy I really am.  :Smile:

----------


## TizMe

Another terrific thread Loom. Green sent.

----------


## Johnny Longprong

> Quote: Originally Posted by Johnny Longprong Yes, I am really enjoying it too LB except you are going too bloody slow for me. Let me know if you would like a hand. Food and board only. Sorry, but as I have said, I am not there to do any more work. Let alone take any decent pix. I am hoping to dust it off and get going again, in about three weeks. Thanks for the offer of help, but I want to tackle this project myself. When it comes to garden construction, like building walls, waterfalls, lookout towers, model villages and any other follies, I understand there are lots of local 'helpers', desparate to find out just how crazy I really am.


Yes, OK. I will be following the activities of the crazy farang.

----------


## Loombucket

Here we are again, for another helping of sun, soil and suffering. We have added a little more soil, around the house, in readiness for the garden wall. This ruined my nice patch of grass, but it was well brown anyway. You will notice that the spirit house plinth, blends in a bit more





We have had five, or six, people round to give us a quote to build the wall. The prices ranged from 150K to over 600K, regardless of how big it actually was. This was Issan style thinking, and beyond me. Only one chap wanted to know, precisely, what length we were talking about, so I decided to mark the corners with a stake or tway. This proved to be a little difficult, as the ground was 'a bit hard', but I borrowed a method that I had seen whilst watching the house build.

Firstly, gather everything that one might need and bang something hard and sharp into the ground as far as one can.



Next, whip it out and pour some water into the hole.



After it vanishes (about one minute),



.....dig out the slurry.



Repeat untill the handle of the trowel dissapears.



Next, bung the post in and squige the rest of the water out by hammering soil in, with the hammer. 



Leave to dry. In the morning, it will be strong enough for me to lean on and I will rope the area, to give the illusion of a single strand fence and to see how it looks from the balcony.

----------


## Takeovers

A green for the fine detailed descriptions of what you do. 

Great work.

----------


## Loombucket

Thanks, we are having some technical problems here. I keep loosing the update before I can post it. Just popping out to vent my feelings in a less public place and I will try again later.

----------


## Loombucket

Here we are with posts in and rope suitably strung. Unfortunately, the poles are not quite in the right place, but at least I have had plenty of practice getting them in the ground. 

Time to make a spot of decent soil, as I want to get a few more baby trees in before the rains come. First we take some decent clods and place them in our handy, Issan style wheel barrow.



Then we add a little water, to start the process.



Test prodding with the trowel, revealed the true nature of the hardness of the soil,



...so it was out with the Jod for a few minutes bashing.

----------


## Loombucket

About 10 minutes, produced some smaller lumps and some impressive looking slurry. Now is a good time to remove all the rooty bits.



Next, we turn, add a little more water and repeat the Joding untill it looks like this.



There are, of course, easier ways to do this. You could pay for someone to do it, you could chuck all your lumps in the pond or paddling pool or you coul wait for the rains to come. I do it for fun, to work out a little anger, bearing in ming that I don't have a handy Mini bonnet hanging from a tree and the mandatory club hammer. Where was I?....um. Now if you are in Blighty, it is a simple matter to get in some Pony droppings, to add to your soil mix. The best Issan alternative, that I have found, is Buffalo droppings.



These come dried, by the bag and will get put in at the last moment. They reactivate with water but tend to float on top so they have to be contained. Last one for today, is Khun Plaa (Mister Fish). He has won the contract to build the garden wall and will start in about three weeks. This will give me ample time to sort my poles out and make a few drawings.

----------


## Loombucket

Many people came an tried to undercut Khun Plaa's price. Here is one such Gent, a Khun Markh, using the old, write in on a piece of paper on a hot bonnet method. No doubt this speeded up ink flow to his pen, but did nothing for his quote.



All those lovely trees, along the wall line, have to be moved because they are too close to the edge.   :Sad:   Not my favorite job, at the best of times, and here is LOS, before the rain..... I decided to start by replacing a few 'unhappy ones', at the end of the garden. Here is a good example. Too far from the lake, let alone the house and I suspect that it was forgotten, the moment I stepped through the gate.



First we needed a suitable hole, preferably one with decent earth around it.



Using a technique that I had observed during the house build, I wet the area and started with the jod and the post hole tool. Both tools bounced on the hard earth, but we were soon down to the red stuff beneath, where the going was a little easier.



Most of the morning later, I was kinda hoping this was deep enough. Partly due to a complete lack of shade and partly due to the fact that my arms were ready to drop off.

----------


## Loombucket

Sorry, not a good connection day today. I will try again later.

----------


## DrAndy

This is a nice thread Loomy

as for digging holes, yes, that is what my builders and farmer does

wet the ground where you want the post/tree/whatever

leave for five minutes, maybe wet again

then the top surface is relatively soft and you can get deep down to the damp clay

----------


## rubik101

Loombucket, I think we touched on this subject earlier. 
Is your pond going to be used for swimming? If so, how is the cleaning of the water going? There is some research I have just found saying that Lotus plants are the best way to clean slurry or waste water so lots of those in your pond should get it clean enough to swim in later on.
Let us know!
Great thread, again.

----------


## hillbilly

Can't wait to see more.  :Smile:

----------


## hawkeye

LOOMBUCKET. Hope you have't fallen into one of your pre soaked holes!!!!
Looking forward every day to the continuing saga of the garden........??

----------


## rubik101

I had a couple of sticks of sugar cane left over from the wedding. Worst mistake I ever made was to put them in the ground. Within a year they were 4 m high and had spread about 2 m wide. Digging it out was not easy!
Hows it going?

----------


## Loombucket

Sorry everyone, I have had all manner of problems, that are not related to this thread. I hope to be up and running again, a bit later. I have all the pix and will share them, so do not fret.

The lake will not be used for swimming, although you are welcome to try. It may look inviting, but getting out again, with wet feet, may be a problem.

Cheers.

----------


## BKKBILL

Great thread LB enjoyed your house build and have been fortunate to  join TD in time to be currant with your gardening thread. I know this one will take much longer just cant rush mother nature. Got a chuckle about the water in hole trick. My MIL taught me that one about eight years ago  :-)).

----------


## Loombucket

Here we go again.  :Smile: 

Here we see the first of the replanting, along the back fence.



No blisters yet, but the hands are starting to harden up.



Time passes and all of the chaps who have promised to make this wall have let us down. I am keen to start a bit of serious tree planting up at the house but there is no point in doing anything untill I've cleaned up the builders mess, and they haven't made any yet. At the eleventh hour, this lot arrive. The Guy on the right, with the extra head, is married to BIL 2's Daughter.



The guy on the left speaks a bit of English, so we knock out some rough plans. I want an arch, with gate, at the back, some lights around the edge and we want to level the ground around the house. This means that the wall to the right hand side will have to be reinforced, to allow for the weight of the soil.



The job will take 60 days and a local gang will come and do the groundwork.

Unfortunately, shortly after our meeting, I develop an infection in the upper waste pipe that stops me doing anything physical. This is compounded by conjuctivitis. Injections, pills, eye drops and rest eventually sort me out but I am out of action for over 10 days. P & P agree to help out, they will send a specialist to dig the remaining trees.

----------


## Loombucket

As soon as I was able to push the barrow, I started digging holes to put the trees in. Every morning I would load up with tools, a seat, lots of water, radio and sun shade. My vision was a bit blury, but I could see the ground well enough. Days were short as I was so knackered by lunch time, I had to take a rest. Many days and thirty odd holes later, my help arrived. Here he is. I will simply call him *The Butcher.*




Here he is in action,




....and here is his mate, ready to trim a few bits off.



This is what I was presented with.  :Yikes:   No root ball, precious little laterals and about six inches of tap root. This was a good one!



I was distraught, suicidal and, after I discovered that my pills and Tequila did not mix, very, very ill. I shouted, ranted, raved and, thankfully, passed out.

Next morning, or maybe the morning after, I had a go at planting the sticks that were left. They had been left in an old jar full of water and I can vaugely remember carrying them, lovingly, down to the end of the garden and giving them the best possible start.



All but six of them eventually died. Three more sprouted from the bottom, but looked like they were on life support. I am indebted to Karl from Switzerland, who took the first four pix and carried me up to my room, Fireman style, after that first day of tree digging/shouting/overdose. He later took me to Du Home for some more tools and generally behaved like an old friend. He does not post here but I just need to thank him again.

Here we have, in black, the trusty, Isaan style, rebar, grass rake and a hand trowel. In red, a soil rake and a 'potting shovel'.  :Smile: 




Thanks, also, to all the staff at Du Home, who probably think I am mentally retarded.

----------


## Loombucket

After the tree incident, I made a mental note not, under any circumstances, to let anyone mess with my garden, unless it was Mother Nature herself. 

Around the house, we had the trappings of the average thai kitchen garden. This one is obviously a member of the Cucumber family, but I don't know what untill it starts to grow a bit.



We have six of these plants and I was initially puzzled by the tiny white flower. There is no mistaking the fruit however. My first chilli.



Time for some more hard labour. I needed to try to sepperate the drive from the surounding soil due to the fact that every time it rained, most of the mud ended up in the dinning room or the kitchen. I tested a couple of areas, to see how deep the mud was. Not too bad here,



...but in other places, it was far worse.



I decided to stop the drive at the front of the house. I didn't want any one parking in front so it was time to take steps. There was a cement pad by the front door and it was starting to look a little worse for wear. Digging the bladdy thing up was a pain but one day, some workers in a thread nearby, left a few tools behind. A couple of hours of lifting and bashing, made all the difference.



Then it was relatively easy to pick up the bits and cart them away.



Having got the bits of cement out of the area, it was a matter of scaping the sand away and saving as much of the chippings as possible.



Some decent soil would be appropriated as soon as possible, but, for now, we just need a little block wall to make a deviding point.



It's not beautiful, or a long term thing. It just did the job. A couple of solar markers, will help to ward of the BIL and anyone else who tries to drive over the wall.



Then it was just a case of working my way down the drive, marking the soil hump with a few bits of yellow conduit,



...and stuffing the blocks in, with a variety of sticks, odd bits of rebar and the odd tent peg. I could only do it after a bit of rain, cos the ground was just too hard. Here we are about half done,



....and here is a hand update.

----------


## jizzybloke

Have you finally snapped and killed them Loomy? :Smile:

----------


## wichenburi

Are those the hands of a murderer, you seem to have overlooked the dead bodies in your garden. Will they used as part of the foundations. One is obviously dead, then you seem to have someones leg, left near by. I think a comment is called for, and a little remorse maybe. I think this thread was going well up to this point, but to overlook such a serious matter and not even cover the bodies before you take a picture. Is not what what i expected to see. Have they been left out for the dogs.

----------


## Loombucket

> Have you finally snapped and killed them Loomy?


No, actually they are having their post lunch sleeping thing. Any more than six of the perishers at one time and we soon run out of handy shade.




> Are those the hands of a murderer, you seem to have overlooked the dead bodies in your garden. Will they used as part of the foundations. One is obviously dead, then you seem to have someones leg, left near by. I think a comment is called for, and a little remorse maybe. I think this thread was going well up to this point, but to overlook such a serious matter and not even cover the bodies before you take a picture. Is not what what i expected to see. Have they been left out for the dogs.


You seem to have left out the smiley, I take it that you meant to include one?

----------


## wichenburi

> Originally Posted by jizzybloke
> 
> Have you finally snapped and killed them Loomy?
> 
> 
> No, actually they are having their post lunch sleeping thing. Any more than six of the perishers at one time and we soon run out of handy shade.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


To the rescue again, I know now. :UK: , Thanks, I hope i have not killed this thread.

----------


## Loombucket

> ....I hope i have not killed this thread.


No,.....I'm having far too much fun.


Anyway, time to go and visit the nearest Garden Centre. This is Khun 'Ronaldo', he has a little place just up the road from us. Speaks English but like to overcharge when he can.



He specialises in Orchids and pots, but has a good line in ferns and '5Bht special' bedding plants but I only wanted some sort of baby tree, for now. I found something that needed a little TLC, beat him down to 40 bht and dashed back home to plant it. Here's how to do it.

1. Shove a post into the ground, to serve as a marker, then clear the area around it. 




2. Dig a hole that is wider and deeper than you need.




3. Have some decent soil on standby. Here, we are using a mix of topsoil, from a good part of the garden and some Ban Samur that the soil man just brought round. It's black, clay like and jolly expensive but full of good stuff.



4. Chuck the stuff into the hole, keeping some back for the edges,



....add a little water and chop it up a bit.




5. Add the magic ingredient, in this case, dried Buffalo droppings,



....and give that a little stir.



6. Now for the tricky bit. We need to get the plant out of the plastic pot. The pot should pull cleanly off the root ball. Sometimes though, the soil is rubbish or it is too wet. In these cases, we have to tear or cut the pot off. Take great care not to cut anything other than the pot.



7. Plop it in the hole using the saved portion of the good soil to stuff around the root ball. Try and make sure that it is upright and firm the soil as you go. Create a little earth wall arount the plant, to retain as much water as possible. Then water it untill the water won't go away. 



Check every now and then that the plant is getting enough water and that there is enough slack in the stake tie to let the plant grow. I decided on this random place because it is just below the study balcony and I can see it peeping over the wall.

----------


## Loombucket

The place seems to be alive with winged creatures at the moment and I am keen to get a few pictures of them. Trouble is, they never stay still for long enough. The Dragonfly will return to the same stick, over and over, and it's just a case of waiting.



The Butterflies are a different thing entirely. Some like to hide,



...others just don't stop flapping.



This one was a bit more considerate.



I swear this one knew exactly what was going on and flew off every time I had a focus lock. I just pretended that I wasn't really interested and it kept still. 



That's two sets of batteries gone and I am nearly out of 'fie'. This one didn't have wings, but was still worth a shot. So gracefull in motion.

----------


## Loombucket

Right, we have nearly reached a safe planting point, but there are one or two little points to be addessed first. We are having this local chap come over and put some drains in, after the wall/cash fiasco, so that the excess water goes out into the fields. The Headman was really nice about it, but he didn't want nasty blue pipes poking out of the high wall, into the bit that he is still trying to sell. The rubble drain around the tree was doing that already, albeit unobtrusively. This was working well untill one super rain storm......



Oh, B*gger, there must be a big bit missing. A closer inspection, revealed a hole.



There was nothing for it but to break out the Isaan style digger and go down a bit.



After some time, we reached the tree. Here you can see that the water, and soil, have a clear path under the horizontal wall support.  :Sad: 



I decided to do it myself. I had had enough of workers that did not understand simple translations. The family were all off visiting some outpost. I had food, fags and some clean clothes left, so I started digging. I needed a hole large enough for me to get in, but it was wet and I had to go down a way. Eventually I had to fall back on the 'five finger spade'. This had a flexible joint at the end and it was easier to get the mud off again. Scraping the spade/jod/planter every time was a bladdy nightmare.



After what seemed like a week, I had enough space to kneel in the dirt and see what I was doing. It only hurt when I got out again, so I had to be a bit carefull. Having rammed some 'used building products' into the base, I made up a bit to take a couple of blocks long and recycled the last of the plywood to make some sort of former.



Now it was getting exciting. This was the last usable bit, that was long enough, of the rebar, from the spares box.



We'll just knock up some stone and cement, in our trusty wheelbarrow,



...spoon it into the former, bung the support in, pannic when the mix runs everywhere and stuff a few blocks down at the last minute.



Then we squidge it down, top it off and wait for it to set. I pack up for the day as there's no one around to complain.  :Smile:

----------


## jandajoy

terrific stuff loomy. Thanks.

----------


## Loombucket

In the harsh light of morning, it looked ok to build on. Not a perfect example, you understand, but good enough.



The next problem was the last surviving tool left by the house builder. As you can see, it is well broken and has been welded before. I hammered the old, bendy hand trowel into something vaugely flat, and used that. You wouldn't want to point with it, but I have fingers for that.



Back in the wheelbarrow, we assemble everything ready. I like a spot of washing up liquid in the mix, as it gives me a better idea of how quickly the mix is going off (that and the smell).



Here I am readt to start. There are some holes in the wall so I can link up with some bits of bent bar, like I saw the blokes doing, but there isn't enough time to take pics as I go. The pug is going off before my eyes.

----------


## Loombucket

Unfortunately, I left it a bit long before I crawled out. When I did try to stand, everything ached but I had managed something with five blocks and a bit of cheek. You wouldn't call it pretty, but it was designed to be hidden by the soil.



Putting the soil back, bit by bit and standing on it, was nearly as bad as getting it out but for the fact that I could stand up. 



Later, I plopped another course or two of red bricks around the tree and made it all look like new again. The random wooden pieces are screwed and glued but arranged to look like they are held there by art alone.



In the kitchen garden area, by the back door, the first of many 'little things' were planted. This one is a Lime and it was presented, as a gift, and planted by the wall gangs Apprentice Goon. I remembered the one or two bottles of Low Cow that we shared. It came as no surprise that he remembered them as well.  :Smile: 



Last one for today is a small curve of Khun Ronaldo's 5Bht specials, snaking their way along the drive retaining wall. Now, at least, I had something colourful to weed and water.

----------


## jandajoy

Now Loomy, don't get me wrong, I know nothing about gardening and flowers and stuff., but the red brick cement work round the tree?

Won't the tree grow?

There-bye destroying your brickwork?

----------


## Loombucket

> Now Loomy, don't get me wrong, I know nothing about gardening and flowers and stuff., but the red brick cement work round the tree?
> 
> Won't the tree grow?
> 
> There-bye destroying your brickwork?


Good point and In time, yes it will. It will need 'doing something with' at a later date. I looked at several examples in the village of a tree growing on the wall line. They all used 'disposable' bricking around the trunk and a suitable growing distance around, between the arms of the wall proper. Ours is there just to hold the soil/water erosion at bay untill we have a few more things growing. The tree actually leans in, towards the garden. With a bit of practice, I should be able to get it upright or leaning out. In any event, it has lots of time to do it's thing before we have to worry too much.

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## jandajoy

Ok no worries, I'll sleep better now. Thanks.   :Smile:

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## jizzybloke

I've seen quite a few of these nasty little beasty things, are they as dangerous as the bigger ones?

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## Loombucket

> I've seen quite a few of these nasty little beasty things, are they as dangerous as the bigger ones?


That little fellow was about 5 1/2-6 inches long. I don't get to see many because the locals always bash them with something heavy. If you do get a bite from them, it comes up in a bladdy great lump. A bit like a nip from a tiny blue Spider, only worse. Hurts like hell! Fortunately they only try to bite if they are disturbed. They are great to watch, but don't even think of picking it up.

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## Loombucket

One morning I get some very bad news from home. No more details here but money is going to be a bit tight for a while. We put further expansion plans on hold and decide to plough the land, grow some stuff and try to ride out the storm. First thing to do is plant a few more Bananas and mark out the field. Here is the last of a long line of odd-job men, Khun Torn, showing me how it is done



We planted six regular green/yellow jobs because, at the time, I was unaware of the more colourful varieties. Different ones will follow, now that I know what to look and ask for.




Khun Torn later returns with the oldest, Isaan style, working tractor I have ever seen and sets to work. I am slightly dissapointed to see all that butterfly playground go to waste, but it will be better to weed it than than try to make it look like a lawn, just by cutting it.




The tractor may be a little past it but it does a reasonable job of the back. The opperater was given strict instructions to avoid anything that remotely resembled a tree, if he expected any money. The back went without a hitch.



Actually, not bad for a first pass. The little strip of green marks the path down to where the sala n' stuff will be going, at some point.




Round at the front however, things didn't go quite according to plan. Now I am not a Farmer, but I am capable of looking at the grass and judging how damp the ground might be. It doesn't always work but water loving grasses don't often grow in dry soils. Anyway, here we are out the front and stuck.



A couple of hours later and we are resting on the chassis and can't get the cutters off the back. That's his missis helping out. There wasn't much anyone could do untill the son came home.



I decide to leave them to it for a while. Some time ago, I can't exactly remember when, we adopted this Dog, or she adopted us. She was very shy, not in the first flush of youth and looking for company. I named her Rose but settled on Rosie after the G/f had trouble with the single sylable (she said).



Better than a doorbell and much cheaper than a sensor array.   :Smile:

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## shunpike

Sorry to hear about your spot of bother Loom, I hope things sort themselves out soon. What are you planning on planting once you've finished tilling?

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## Loombucket

Thanks, I am detirmined to get some fruit trees in. Mango, Rambutan, Mangoteen, Rose apple and Tamarind, to see how they do. The bulk of it will be short season stuff, for starters. Ground nut and sweetcorn. If the fruit trees take ok, I'll bung a few more in and go on from there. A few more coconuts down the drive and a couple of trees for the blossom. There are too many nice ones to have one of each, so we are thinking hard on this.

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## shunpike

Sounds like a good plan. Ever think of Jackfruit? My neighbour has one and it grows fast, the fruit came fairly quickly, and the tree has nice deep green leaves. Of course I'm down in Bangers so it might not be the same where you are. I planted a Betelnut palm here five years ago and the thing has now grown above my roofline (two story house), nice palms too IMO.

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## Loombucket

> Ever think of Jackfruit?


Until you mentioned it, no, but I will certainly consider it.

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## Loombucket

The poor guy with the tractor, managed to escape at some point, as the front had been 'done at' when I got up the next morning. In his obvious rush to get home, however, he had caught a few things with the end of the cutter. This one was decidedly unsafe, but otherwise healthy.



Faced with a similar thing in Blighty, it's an easy thing to do to pop down to the local garden centre and get a decent stake and some sort of tie. Unfortunately, I was in Rome and had to find a Roman answer. I managed to find a stake, of sorts, but I couldn't get it close enough. As the tree was weak in one direction only, I placed it on the pull side and then utilised some inner tube and a bit of wire. Later, I will find some strapping from a discarded truck mudflap.



An extra helping of earth around the bottom will keep her tootsies warm, untill the important bits grow back.



Almost as good as before the tractor came.



Shortly afterwards, the other guy with a tractor turned up to give the fields their second pass. This is one of your modern things with four wheel drive and real brakes. It still had a Thai pilot though and I spent most of the time standing in front of things I wanted to keep.



Time for a spot of farming. The Headman was given the task of finding someone suitable to do us a bit of groundwork and he found the poorest, and most deserving sisters in the Mooban. Here are the Piniaruwunannaporns, or beauty and both beasts.



Beauty has two kids, basic English skills and the usual drunken husband. The other two are still available and would both like children, if anyone is interested *cough*.

Working as a team, one makes a hole with the jod,



...another drops in four or five little nuts,



...the third one fills the hole and shuffles it flat with her foot. Having seen these people dance, it's not hard to work out where the steps originate from.




The Sisters soon finish the back and stop by the lake to take on water. We are out of nuts already and the chain has broken on LoomB's bike. They politely agree to weed the nursery bed and come back tomorrow to do the rest.

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## shunpike

Easy to get a bit jaded about some of the false smiles in LOS, but these girls' smiles really light up the joint!

Good save on the tree Loomb!

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## Loombucket

Some days, and several misunderstandings, later I finally wind up with a small assortment of decent, bloom bearing trees,



.......and a handfull of other stuff,



...so I get planting.  :Smile: 

I've no idea what this is really called, but it bears no fruit,



...and gets bladdy huge, if left long enough. This one is in the Mooban over the road.



A couple of roses, this one is as close to a 'Harry Wheatcroft' as I've seen. Not much scent but a riot of colour and grows like mad.



This one is cute. Quite small, very full and six rows. Trace of scent on the first full day after morning watering. Dries on the stem when it has had enough and keeps for ages. Fresh ones just grow around it.



Hang on a sec

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## Loombucket

That was weired...um
couple of coconuts, down the drive. They are such fun to watch as they grow.



Down the other end we have a Tamarind or tway. Big, envasive, surface roots (after a few years) the odd sharp 'thorn' (just enough to break the skin), nice bark and tasty fruity things. Perfect for the back boundry!



This is the Tamarinds eye view of the rear plantation area. You can just spot the last remaing vestiges of wildlife park, over by the lake.



Back around to the soi side wall, I fancy a Lilac, a Golden Bell flower and another, smaller, Lucky tree. Further down the run and closer to the house, a Kay Naa. It's a bit like a Judas tree, the flowers/blooms come straight out of the bark, but they are large, fragrant and white. That will be the hardest to find, and the heaviest to plant.

Anyway, the Lilac goes in a treat,

 

....and, all of a sudden, I have more to water than the remaing Saak trees. Not exactly 'holding on', more 'waiting patiently'.



My first groundnut (that got planted in the field and not down in the practice bed). No wonder them Sisters were smiling.

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## Propagator

Looking good Loom.    Looks like you will have to sort out an irregation system soon, or buy a long hose.  :Smile: 

Didn't know you could get lilacs in Thailand, not seen them out there before.

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## Loombucket

> Looks like you will have to sort out an irregation system soon


Cheers Props. We are recycling the grey water into a tank, just beyond the wall. This is a lot closer than the nearest tap and it makes it easier to bucket out.

Meanwhile, round at the front, the blocks are stopping most of the traffic from driving all over the place. I'm going to put a little hedge between the end of the drive and the flower bed to make it a bit more obvious. We start with a trench, instead of a lot of little holes.



The usual decent soil and droppings on standby. We only have four pots to lay out,



.....but there are between three and four plants in each pot. They are easier to sepperate once out of the pot and go in with a bit of extra good stuff



The trench is back filled as we go, leaving everything slightly proud of the surrounding soil level. This will allow for subsequent dressing, when I finish farting about. One or two of the plants are not the same but I leave them there anyway. This is Isaan, not Kew Gardens.
Here we are, suitably heeled in and waiting for a drink.



Down on the soi side, I'm digging another hole. This is the worst stuff imaginable, and we put it here in the first place to fill the vast trench that drained the field down to the lake and subsequent boggy area.



It's actually going to be the new rubbish burning area.



I'm sharing this for two reasons. One is this wonderful herb type plant that is growing all down by the fence. It is a cross between a nettle and something that has a small blue flower. When you bruise the leaf, it smell a bit like a sweet summer morning. No idea what it's called.



The other reason is this little tree that was growing close to the old burning area. Everytime we had a fire, the top got burned away because I didn't realise that it was there. Freed from disaster, it has now gone mad. The local name is 'Beep', another slow grower that gets a bit big.



Later that evening, I heard this stange noise out the back and noticed a strong smell of smoke. OMG, I thought, they are burning my garden!!! I dashed out, like you do, and caught this.



Looks like we may be having neighbours.

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## Loombucket

Time for another tree hunt. We 'borrow' a pickup for the day and head over to one of the local temples to talk with an expert. He has a tree farm just out from Khorat City and has been digging up and replanting an assortment of trees for over twenty years.



This was his idea of a nice example.



Ok in principle but he wanted extra for this and extra for that. I noticed his lack of teeth and the fact that his Wife and kids were well fat. Not to mention that all his trees were supplied as a stump, with no branches. We couldn't get away quick enough and were soon lost in the Sung Neon area. After chatting to some locals, we found this place.



They had everything we needed, with lots of helping hands.



Back home, I needed a hand to get this out, but it is a nice example. Notice the grass that is all self seeded and now needs a trim



We got a few things that I just had to have, like this. Red flowers that slowly turn orange and white lowers that slowly turn yellow. They come in other colours but these were the most interesting.



This little chap is a Macarm. It has little green and curved pods with little nutty things inside. Bitter as hell but the natives love them.



Just one more Rose, for now. It's not a looker but It has a sweet smell that seems to linger.



It's time for more food, for me, and what better time to discover my first mushrooms.



Yummy!

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## shunpike

good work Loomy..are you going to put in some lemon grass?

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## Loombucket

> good work Loomy..are you going to put in some lemon grass?


Cheers. Yes, we have a load growing along the edge of the lake on the high side. That has been incorporated into the nursery bed. Babies have been planted 'here and there'. I should have shown a picture before, cos I was jolly proud of it, when it first came up. I will try to find one.

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## Gipsy

> We got a few things that I just had to have, like this. Red flowers that slowly turn orange and white lowers that slowly turn yellow. They come in other colours but these were the most interesting.



*Lantana camara*. Watch out for this one... the first year you'll have the ones you just bought, flowering and attracting a lot of butterflies. Then come the seeds, and the birds.... Native species of Tropical America, Lantana is positioned as one of the ten most invasive plants in the world. Before you know they grow all over your garden, and you need some good gloves to attack them. Enjoy them, but keep 'm at bay...

Also read this: Lantana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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## Loombucket

^Thanks for that Gipsy, I will keep my eye on them. I did notice a few other colours growing wild here and there. I had no idea that they were rampant.

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## Gipsy

> ...*here* and *there*. I had no idea...


I think you should have had.  :Smile:

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## Loombucket

> Originally Posted by Loombucket
> 
> ...*here* and *there*. I had no idea...
> 
> 
> I think you should have had.


Let me rephrase that. I have seen them in the hedgerows, along small sois leading to various dead ends. I assumed that someone put them there, because they were pretty to look at. Now I understand why I never saw them in a public park or Temple garden.   :Smile: 

Always happy to take advice though. Based on your info, it might be a good idea to move them a bit.

Thanks for the link.

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## Loombucket

Lets have a look at some of the stuff that we have put in already. The fairys have been hard at work, doing their magic, and stuff is growing fit to bust. Groundnuts,



Chompoo or Rose apple



Rambutan



...even the Kay-Naa is enjoying it's new home.



Meanwhile, down the other end, between the lake and the side fence, I keep a little pathway open.



One reason is that I have already slipped of the bank into the lake, more than once, and lost a couple of flip-flops. The other reason is to get a good look at this tiny little thing. About as big as a two pence piece and bright gold in the centre.



Nothing else to report down by the lake, but the Bua Dang are slowly taking over.



I managed to relocate the broken drain pieces, from the tree garden by the high lake end. They now mark the path to the back gate and are sporting a few odds and ends. They will have to come out when they get bigger, but they are ok for now. As soon as a white bloom falls, another one takes it's place.



This is a view of the front bed from the bend in the drive. Not many flowers here, just different shaped green things.

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## shunpike

Lovin' it Loomby, thanks. I wonder if you could give us a nice shot of the lake, bit wider angle than the Bua Daeng pic.

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## Loombucket

More bad news from home and some really terrible news. I have to go home, like now.

I need to put this one to bed, again, and dust it off at a later date.

Thanks for some great support, good suggestions, greens and kind comments.

For now, cheers everyone.

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## Propagator

Sorry to hear that Loom.    Hope all goes well for you.

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## shunpike

Keeping a good thought for you Loomby..

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## SunTzu

Good luck, Loom, hope you'll be back in no time to continue this wonderful garden and great thread.

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## kiwiman12

What a great thread and photos, hope all is well at home, you have inspired me to do something with the home in the village at KK when I return in March
Cheers

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## Loombucket

> What a great thread and photos, hope all is well at home, you have inspired me to do something with the home in the village at KK when I return in March Cheers


Thanks very much. Gardening in an Asian country is a matter of trial and error. The soil is strange, the weather is different and the bugs are enormous. A local water system is a must. Some garden centres lie to you because they want to sell but I found that the local markets are the best places to learn the names of things and, more importantly, how well their stuff grows. If you keep going back to the same places, they will save the good stuff for you. Best of luck with your garden.

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## shunpike

Good to see ya back Loomby, hope things are going well for you.

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## byteabyss

> Originally Posted by kiwiman12
> 
> What a great thread and photos, hope all is well at home, you have inspired me to do something with the home in the village at KK when I return in March Cheers
> 
> 
> Thanks very much. Gardening in an Asian country is a matter of trial and error. The soil is strange, the weather is different and the bugs are enormous. A local water system is a must. Some garden centres lie to you because they want to sell but I found that the local markets are the best places to learn the names of things and, more importantly, how well their stuff grows. If you keep going back to the same places, they will save the good stuff for you. Best of luck with your garden.


 
Dear Loombucket,



First thank you for the great pictures of your wall and the steps.  I have a house and some land in Buriram, I think from the license plate on that truck in the picture close to you in the next town.  We are building a wall on our land and my brother-in-law did a wall on our house next door.  the was first wall really spotty and hopefully the next wall will be better.  What were you charged per meter for your wall and what is the height?  I am making a 3 meter wall on the outside and smaller garden wall on the inside of my land. Any help would be great.
Best Regards
Byteabyss

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## Marmite the Dog

> Any help would be great.


Well seeing that he hasn't logged on for about a year, I wouldn't hold your breath.

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