Thread: Low Maintenance Garden in Khon Kean

I installed the faucets on the water lines (In case he hooks up the lines to the main while I am away) and partitioned off the two ponds (I will place material to support plant life on one side of each pond), this past weekend.




Small pond partitioned




Large pond partitioned

Costs last week were:
Part of earth work: 6 faucets and (PVC) 90’s,……..458 baht (from a local hardware store next to the Aunts place),…….concrete block for partitions in pond (used old ones found in the Aunts yard) and the cement I used was left over from another small project.
Part of structure work: paid the contractor his first draw 40,000 baht.
Bought 11 square meters of tile (light earthy green color for the bathroom), faucet, sink, toilet and hardware from Global,…….4,904.17.
When we discussed the price with both contractors we told them that we would purchase the sink, tile, toilet and hardware for the bathroom.

The sink pictured below (the green transparent one) is the one we will have installed in the bathroom. The toilet is a sitting toilet with no tank.

I arrived in Khon Kaen on the 12th of September and took these pictures, the next 3 days.

Gazebo construction pictures. When I arrived they were working on the roof.



The boss is on the roof.

Bathroom construction pictures. The roughened surface you see inside of the bathroom (lower half) will be tiled.










Bathroom windows will be set later.




Glass block for the bathroom.

























Bathroom sink corner.

It is looking good. I wonder what the locals think when they see something like this going up with no apparent commercial return. Your Aunt must be very happy.

Started planting this past week. Ponds are almost done. I’ll add minnows and aquatic/hydroponic plants during the last week of September.

Costs this trip were:
Construct structures: contractor received his second draw of 40,000 baht
Landscaping: plants for the pond 410 baht

Originally Posted by BKKBILL

It is looking good. I wonder what the locals think when they see something like this going up with no apparent commercial return. Your Aunt must be very happy.

Thanks again.

The neighbors seem to be happy with the work. They will come by from time to time and look over the wall/s or stand by the gate entrance and watch. The aunt seems to be happy,……………so far.

Bathroom needs painting (inside and out), ceiling (with light), door hung/painted and water hook up and it should be complete.

Gazebo’s floor needs to be finished (and three coats of paint), last top tile placed and finish painting of the columns to be complete.

This past weekend costs:
Landscaping: 320 baht for 80 Teen Tuk Kae (Gecko feet vine)
Structures: gave the contractor 20,000 baht,……..will give the rest to him when we see him in a couple of weeks [after he has completed everything (including hooking up new water lines to house/garden main) and has cleaned up the site]. Although the contractor should be finished with his work this week (weather permitting), he did agree to wait for his final payment until we get back to inspect the work.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Landscaping: 320 baht for 80 Teen Tuk Kae (Gecko feet vine)

Do you know how long it will take to cover the wall? I really like that stuff, but we're in a rented house so it's not worth it for us if it will take 5 years to cover it.

^I’ll get the girlfriend to call the nursery (I will include the name and number) today to see if they can give us/you an answer. I’ll edit this post later today.

^ Thanks for that. I did try to find the plant online, but I don't have an English name for it. It could be a type of Cotoneaster, but I'm not sure.

^Hope this helps…………….

The girlfriend did not get the number to the place as I thought she did this morning when I posted a response to you. However in a couple of weeks we will be visiting the nursery again on our way to Khon Kaen. I will post the contact number, then.

The nursery is located a couple hours outside of BKK on the north bound (side) lane to Khon Kaen on Highway 2.


Orn found information about the vine (creeping fig),…………..

From: http://paulasherbsandplants.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.f lypage&product_id=111&category_id=9&option=com_vir tuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Creeping Fig is a beautiful evergreen perennial vine with superior root clinging ability. It is a very popular landscape plant in many warm climate areas. This is one of the best vines for creating dense green coverings due to it's fine attractive foliage, shade tolerance and fast growth rate.

Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila)is a unique member of the ficus family. It has clasping stems covered by small, delicate green leaves. Creeping Fig is primarily used in topiaries, terrariums, wall covers, hanging baskets and as a ground cover.

Creeping fig is an enthusiastic climber able to scramble up vertical surfaces 3 and 4 stories tall with the aid of a powerful adhesive. The vine coats surfaces with a tracery of fine stems that are densely covered with small heart shaped leaves that are 1 inch long by about .75 in (2 cm) wide, they are held closely to the surface creating a mat of foliage that extends barely 1 in (2.5 cm) from the surface. With Creeping Fig you can create cool green curtains of dense foliage on unattractive block, masonry, and concrete walls. Some cities use this vine to soften concrete freeway supports which helps to dampen traffic noise as well as provide visual relief.

As a houseplant, Creeping Fig is easily established in average to bright light. Its quick growth rate makes it an excellent choice for training on a topiary form.

Creeping Fig is the basic dependable plant for covering any moss filled wired topiary form, taking the form of whatever it covers. Theme parks, hotels and resorts use creeping fig to create "instant" topiaries. Wire frameworks are created and lined with spaghum moss and filled with growing medium. Creeping fig is planted in the frame which rapidly grows to cover the shape in a thin coat of fine-textured leaves.

This vine also makes a good ground cover for large plantings. It looks great scrambling over boulders and tree trunks as it endeavors to coat everything it encounters in a green blanket. Creeping fig is not particular about soil. It's less aggressive and easier to manage when its grown in less fertile, drier soil. This vine will grow at seaside if protected behind dunes or buildings.

Light: Shade to sun.

Moisture: Water when dry when young. Once the vine matures you can let it fend for itself even during droughts.

Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11. Can tolerate freezing temperatures for short durations.

Propagation: By cuttings, dust end with rooting hormone powder. Also by layers (the vine will form roots wherever it touches the ground).

another site: http://www.floridata.com/ref/F/ficu_pum.cfm

Take heed to the warning: WARNING
Do not plant near wooden structures as these surfaces are damaged by the adhesive produced by the vine. Consider this a high maintenance plant when grown on structures as pruning will be required several times a year to remove growth from windows, roofs, etc. as the vine relentlessly endeavors to coat everything it encounters in a green blanket.

Orn also sent me an e-mail where in it they describe (in Thai) the vine covering a wall in 1 to 3 years. Here’s a picture of the wall.



Years ago while visiting Chiang Mai we stayed at a hotel that was covered in the vine. Just to give you an idea how the vine will/can grow……………….







Hotel: Kaomai Lanna Resort & Hotel, Nature Boutique Hotel In Chiang Mai Thailand, Holiday & Honeymoon

Nice place if you like that type of earthy/natural environment. Rooms (Lanna Superior) are kinda small, but nice enough.

^ Thanks for the info.

This is the nursery we have been purchasing plants from on our way to Khon Kaen from Bangkok. It’s about an hour and a half outside of Bangkok on Highway 2. There is a landmark,…an orange and white building across the street from the nursery. You can’t miss it. You can see it in one of the pictures I posted below. The telephone number of the nursery is in the next photo.







We thought the plants we were purchasing there were inexpensive. However when we asked to purchase eight plants of a certain type, they could only provide us with two so we went two shops up and found one (same size) for a little more than half the price of the shop we were buying them from (we purchased the only one they had). We ordered 5 more that we will need the next time we visit Khon Kaen. We also ordered two banana fans (Gluay Phad,.in Thai and Ravenala madagascariensis/Traveller’s Palm in English) that were over ten feet tall (?) for about 300 baht each (to be placed behind the bathroom, to help shade against the late afternoon setting sun into the Gazebo). Seemed like a good price.

We also requested 4 of these plants that will be placed next to each of the four columns in the gazebo. We are hoping they will take to the columns (maybe with a little help from some chicken wire).




We’ll be making less purchases along Highway 2 because we will not be traveling that route as much and we will try to visit the nursery that Propagator suggested, soon.

Below is a picture of some of the plants we purchased this past weekend.

The contractor had called during the previous week and told us that the job was complete. We told him that we would be there to check the work and pay him.

When we got to the site Saturday afternoon we did see that everything was completed but there was still construction debris around the property. We called him and told him we were happy with the work and wanted to pay him but there was some cleaning up that needed to be done. He met us the next morning with three guys to help him clean the site up. A good part of the morning was spent cleaning up the site and when he had finished he had one small pickup (heaped) full of construction debris that was hauled away.

We paid him and we were happy with his work. He is easy to work with. In fact the girlfriend hired him to do some work (minor bathroom renovation work) at her home in Khon Kaen, while we will be away for the next two weeks.

There were only two things that I had issues with when the structures where finished and both of those problems were my fault. The first issue was the gazebo columns. They were not placed where I would have liked them (and as I thought I directed, during the estimating phase with the contractors). The gazebo floor is 4 meters by 4 meters, but I would have preferred the columns set 2 feet from any floor edge and not the outside corners. I should have been there when they broke ground.
The second issue I had was the size of the bathroom. I would have preferred a bathroom about twice the size of the one built as you see it today. I would have liked a shower in the bathroom, but the girlfriend requested a smaller bathroom be built.

Here are some pictures of the gazebo and bathroom completed (both need to be wiped down).












The contractor’s name and telephone number:
Chang Arkhom 081-5449586
He does not speak any English.

nice project,

the problem is beyond the walls, quite ugly view of the neighboors buildings. What are you planning to do with that ?

total cost so far ?

^You’re awful,.but funny and thanks by the way for the compliment on the project.

We can’t do anything about the neighborhood but maybe the idea will rub off and some neighbors will start cleaning their buildings up (but I have my doubts). What we are doing is creating a nice environment for the Aunt to enjoy. I think she (and her guests) will be able to forget the neighborhood while in this garden.

The girlfriend told me to tell you that we are creating a scenic view so that the building/apartment owners can charge more for rent.

And to continue,…………..

We planted on the left side of the bathroom this past weekend. It’s a small area that we filled with plants that do well in the shade. We also planted about 12 Gecko Feet (vine) next to the wall on that side of the bathroom we had leftover from the previous planting (we had kept just in case some of the Gecko Feet did not survive,.but everything we planted the previous time was doing well).

We also planted next to the ponds and where the gate travels along the wall. I think we will cluster the same type of plant in the corner of the driveway and the gate/wall area. I plan on adding a colored rock next (brown/black/gray) to both ponds in the next few weeks.










The white filter fabric was temporarily laid down to prevent weeds from growing while we are away.

This past weekends costs:
Structures: Paid the contractor final payment of 15,500 baht (over run of 2,500 baht, sink and pump related), total for contractor, 115,500.00 baht
Landscaping: 2,340 baht

The contractor was paid extra (700 baht) because of a pump he installed for the Aunt (she purchased) to help get the water to the garden area water spigots and bathroom (low water pressure in that area of town). The contractor was also paid an extra (1,800 baht) for the type of sink he installed for us. He had planed on a simple bolt in the wall installation, but had to form a concrete counter top for the sink to sit on.

Totals (in Baht) as of this date are:
Clearing (completed): 13,000
Earthwork (completed): 52,641.50
Structures (completed): 120,404.17
Landscaping: 3,070.00

for the neighbors I would suggest putting wood frames extensions on those walls and hope the creeping vine go that high,

^maybe a tree/palm like one I have posted below will help, a little.

Yesterday the girlfriend purchased a book that might be helpful when questioning nurseries about plants we would like to plant in the garden (written in Thai and English, Ornamental Plants for Decoration, Amarin Printing and Publishing Public Co., Ltd.). Here are a couple of plants that I would like to find,………..

For the corner next to the concrete table and benches a Bismarck Palm

http://images.google.co.th/images?hl=th&source=hp&q=Bismarck+palm&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=3oDVSvB4lJCRBdm96P8N&sa=X&oi=image_result_gro up&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQsAQwAw

For some ground cover towards the back of the property,……philodendron pertusum/Swiss cheese plant

http://images.google.co.th/images?hl=th&source=hp&q=philodendron+pertusum&um= 1&ie=UTF-8&ei=kYTVSrTtJNCikAWduLzoDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_g roup&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA