If one country can boast more botanical natives than India ( plant names prefixed with “Indian” or suffixed with “Indica” ), then it must be Japan and its Latin equivalent japonica.. Indeed when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I thought japonica was the only name for one of Dad’s favorite shrubs – the flowering … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: March 2014
Taking the Sun
When I first started writing this column , a botanist friend gave me some sage advice. Always, he said, take note of the plants that are doing well in your locality. That observation will give you a good idea of which ones will flourish in your own patch. Such an observation is particularly apt now … Continue reading
Putting the Indian Sign on… Plants
You probably hadn’t noticed that I was ploughing my way through the botanical alphabet before getting distracted by more alluring prospects, or the pressing horticultural needs of a four month long drought. And anyway, most of the tropical plants listed under the letter “I” are in the index by virtue of an Indian sign: Indian … Continue reading
Tomatoes: A Cautionary Tale of Plants and People
A beautiful woman loved growing tomatoes, but they refused to turn red. One day, she noticed her neighbor’s garden was full of huge red tomatoes. So she asked the gentleman : “How do you get them to go so red?” Well, he replied : ”I stand in front of my row of tomato plants , … Continue reading
In Search of a Cure: Blighted Bougainvilleas
Paula has written to me with some questions about her bougainvilleas. Located in planters on a sun-drenched balcony, they have flourished for years . However, she is concerned because they are now showing signs of distress with many petals [bracts] dropping prematurely. She conjectures that it may be for several reasons : namely that … Continue reading
Highs and Lows : Easy-Care Vines
A few columns back I threatened to return to the topic of easy-to-grow climbers. Some of the varieties mentioned then are indeed tough and resilient, but they are not natural vines inasmuch as they lack aids in the form of suckers, twining stems, modified leaves or tendrils to help them cling and ascend. That they … Continue reading
Soap Suds: A Sidelong Glance at Thai Melodrama
Any “farang” who lives with a Thai partner will be familiar, possibly all too familiar, with the rarified world of television soap opera. As I watch, I wonder what impact these soaps are having on the Thai psyche. That they are amazingly popular is beyond doubt. Viewing figures are massive; they are watched religiously in … Continue reading