Thread: Gardening in a secure village just outside of Chonburi city

The basics of our property and specifically the ground around the house is that it is a very new (and very beautiful) walled village, 24 hour security, etc. the consequences of the build are that the ground in the garden is (or was in the beginning) a composite of rocks, old roof tiles, plastic bags (of course!) and I think I did see a little bit (about 5 centimetres) of top soil.
This first photo gives you an idea of the parched and arid ground and the rather confined space we have to achieve building a nice garden.


In the second photo was the first basic garden ...


Then we decided to build the extension Extending our Existing Terrace and Balcony https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...d-balcony.html which rather tore the roots out of the garden and we virtually had to start again.

I thought I would now show you some pictures of the garden in January 2011 so that you can at least see how far I have managed to get. One thing that is very noticeable is our tree, which shortly after planting virtually died off and looked more like a stick insect than a nice bushy tree.



In the last year the tree has shot up and now gives us the very welcome shade that we were hoping for in that part of the garden. We have just returned from Thailand so for the coming months we have to rely on Meechai's brother and sister for the photo's although we are able to log into our CCTV system so that we can see the basics of what is going on.

I would also love to know what type of climbing plants these are if anyone know?

One thing I have had problems with is to try and train a climbing plant to grow against the arch of the new extension. Twice they grew and then twice they just seem to break off, and I can't say how because as I said we are not there full time in Thailand yet. I seem to think that they may have just broken off with the wind as they were not being checked daily, although when I have asked others they say that in the wild climbing plants seem to manage on their own.

Now for the third time we have planted two new plants, one at each side of the shaded terrace and I have staked some bamboo canes for them to grow up. Between the two canes I have also stretched another bamboo which I have also supported from the balcony above. The only pictures I have at the moment are what I took myself just before we left but Meechai's sister and brother keep sending us photo's all the time.

Watering the Garden
There are certain periods in Thailand that we could call “a bit wet” just as in Europe we call it a bit cold (when we are freezing to death!). Then there are the warm periods (when we could fry an egg on the bonnet of the car!) ….
Add to this that we are not yet in permanent residence and we have to leave the gardening chores to our family (who also have a busy life) then we decided to try automation!
Automation Faze #1
The first idea that I had was to lay an underground plastic hose pipe to two revolving sprinkler heads. It kind of worked and yet it lacked the distance that I thought it would have and eventually we still ended up with dry corners of the garden. Suddenly after about 6 months one of the revolving sprinkler heads also decided not to revolve any more and just jetted out in one specific direction. Lubrication and various other adjustments just didn’t help and eventually it was time to think again. By this time we were nearly finished with our terrace and balcony extension which had rather made a mess of the garden so re-laying the pipe work for the sprinklers would not be a problem. What I did decide on was that it would be hard piped and not soft (hose pipe) that we would use this time. Another thing that came to light when we had dug everything up was that by testing the “broken” sprinkler directly on the hose pipe it worked perfectly! Water pressure was possibly the problem with two heads switching on at the same time (all connected to one garden timer).
Automation Faze #2
I laid the famous blue water pipe that is nearly as common as the plastic bag in Thailand, but this time using two separate feeds, attached to two separate garden timers, that were connected to two separate revolving sprinkler heads, and it worked from day one with the two timers switching on and off with a few minutes interval. Now knowing that the whole problem was water pressure I was able to connect even more points to more timers and water even more areas of the garden and surrounding areas.

One of the original revolving sprinkler heads with the original plastic hose pipe.

Those were some lovely pictures. When I saw the thread or post, I thought it was a food garden. I live in a village in Laos and would like to grow my own vegetables, but the house lady insists on burning everything, even plastic, which is toxic. She is not comfortable unless there is a big pile of something in the front yard. Composting is unheard of here.

I am starting a compost heap, but you have to be careful what you add as some things encourage rats

Lubrication and various other adjustments just didn’t help

gardening ..... its an uphill task.

unless you have a flat garden

Neil, why do you keep stressing you live in a "secure village"?

I don't suppose it makes the plants grow any faster

and don't trust the security guards, they are amongst the worst offenders

^That's a very good point; there is no such thing as a "secure village". There were five ex-pats killed in the past several months in Angeles City, Philippines. All were perfectly respectful older foreigners, just going about their daily business. They were all killed by one personable high school recent graduate whom they admitted to their homes to work on their computers. He robbed and killed them all. The fact that a village has controlled access and roving security guards doesn't make it secure.

Phuket's "parting shot" at us was our place being burgled two days before we were due to depart, six villas inside a compound. Sunday daytime between 11am and 2pm. Until then we'd thought we were secure.
Sa Kaeo now and I've struggled garden-wise, as we're away often 2 weeks at a time return to fried and dried plants at this time of year. Our last rainfall was mid November, and that was just a light shower. Cactus maybe?

^Leave a note for the robbers asking them to water before they leave?

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

The fact that a village has controlled access and roving security guards doesn't make it secure

whys that then ? should be i would reackon?

^You never know who other residents are letting in. In the case I mentioned above, one resident admitted this kid to work on his computer and the kid robbed and killed him and his wife, and then went on to break into the house next door and rob and kill them as well. Sure, controlled access and security guards are better than nothing, but they don't make you "secure". Where I live, knowing your neighbors and being on good terms with them, along with some big dogs (I have five) and a 12 gauge shotgun go a lot further towards making you secure than a wall around the compound. I might add that most of these young kids can scale a compound wall faster than a monkey on meth.

security guards are some of the lowest paid people in the country, usually guarding the homes of wealthy people and foreigners who are often absent for long periods of time.

they dont do criminal record checks before employing them.

can be just too tempting for some to either "allow" robberies to take place, or to enter properties themselves, especially those of foreigners seeing as the police wont take much notice anyway.

rabid dogs and shotguns is probably the best way to protect your property here.

^^ gotchya, dogs, and guns, thailands a bit safer than the phillys though. your right about the meth monkeys ,cheers

This is to all you guys who took the time to say something and it was great to hear from you all.

But what happened to my thread? ....
One moment I am writing about a small garden in a new build area near Chonburi city, I started the thread with " Our house is in a very new secure village just outside of Chonburi city and I have noticed that many of the threads here seem to be directed towards the wilder and more natural northern part of Thailand (Correct me if I am wrong)." ....

Reason for that explanation was the garden is man made on rocky foundations and not the rich soil of the northern hills. ....
Then it started going OFF TOPIC... when DrAndy (I like his posts!) wrote "Neil, why do you keep stressing you live in a "secure village"?" .... Stressing ???? I only ever mentioned it ONCE! .... then "and don't trust the security guards, they are amongst the worst offenders" (OFF TOPIC!)

It then drifted off a long way out of my garden (and my watering problem) to "five ex-pats killed in the past several months in Angeles City, Philippines"... WoW! ... Realy getting OFF TOPIC now!

The phantom security thread continued with ........ "The fact that a village has controlled access and roving security guards doesn't make it secure"... (Still a "little" bit OFF TOPIC from my watering and climbing plants that I was writing about ....). It even went as far as a "12 gauge shotgun" Woa!!!!!! I think I will stick to my garden thanks! ....

The ultimate deterrent in the garden
Automatic Remote Control Revolving Oooouzi Machine Gun!

The MKP postings, or did the moderators remove them? Thats off topic

Originally Posted by Carrabow

The MKP postings, or did the moderators remove them? Thats off topic

No, nothing removed by moderators, just some people drifting off the topic. which can be fun but sometimes it takes over! Sorry but I don't know what MKP means?

^^Live in Thailand for a few years, then tell me residential security if "off topic". Many of the people living around you see you and your house as nothing more than a target.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^^Live in Thailand for a few years, then tell me residential security if "off topic". Many of the people living around you see you and your house as nothing more than a target.

Very true Davis, I have been travelling to Thailand for 21 years, and living here on and off for 7 years, so quite a while, and I do agree that security is a very worthwhile topic, but does it come under the general heading of "Farming & Gardening In Thailand"?

^It does if you bury their bodies in your compost heap.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^It does if you bury their bodies in your compost heap.

True !! .. ha, ha!