How did I end up here
It was shortly following my return to Thailand. This unusual property came up in the classifieds at a pandemic busting price of just shy of $300 a month to rent. Less than half of many other houses on estates, and comparable to any humble 2 bed condo. Not bad for the space, (especially outdoors) and located tucked away from all with views across an open field and mountains. Sold, and why not, some gardening? I naively believed ....
Sounds like a dream? It is, just that, as with anything, nothing is such an easy ride! Let me explain a few things first off, to give some context. This garden, grows like something from a Cthulhu novel. We seem to have entered an entirely hot, humid part of the year with frequent heavy rains. Combined with the fact leading up to that I believe I may have over-watered things. A learning process. After a few weeks with frequent heavy rain, the greenery was over-achieving and sprouting faster than drying paint. Time to get stuck into it, and then hopefully keep on top of it!
What you'll see in these photos are a mid-way point to what I'd like this courtyard to look like. Plant sizes can swell too much, and without pruning it will be difficult to see flowering again. Several expired orchid roots producing nothing but thick dark green waxy leaves and creepy roots had to go. Perhaps some remaining cut stems will produce more flowers. So far, after 6 days - one orchid stem has produced flower buds which should open anytime.
This used to be a restaurant believe it or not. The owners converted it into a rental house which I then moved into. This is from where you walk through the gate into the yard. It's a big yard. I hung up the fallen palm leaf just for some extra curiosity in this shot.
Ant Movie
Yet it's not only the overgrowth. I've removed 22 nests of red ants which had started to infest the trees and bushes at heights of 8-12 feet, bunches of leaves sown up into tents hosting a couple of thousand of the red stingy bastards. I did take a photo of one nest, but it's gross. So it's not here. They're dealt with pet and plant safe chemical cans of spray, just a quick burst and it's game over for them.
The other ants and the black ants, these all seem to live underground. They are digging into soft spots around. For them, a kettle of piping hot 100 degree water seems to do the job. When poured directly into the hole, it's game over again with a bunch of white larvae bits all floats to the top.
I'm such a sinner, a killer, the mass graves ... oh man, it's only ants, it's me or them! Or the plants! Constant war; this is the reality of a tropical Thai courtyard garden!
Seriously, time to get a gardener. A local that really knows what they are doing, apply here.
Leafly
The next major daily schedule for 10-15 mins with my coffee, is stiff wicker brush and dustpan, sweeping up the leaf fall that assaults the place 24/7/365 (or so it seems, maybe another season will be less, or I should be grateful for all the nice breezes!). Anyway that has some zen, it also gives my body a really nice warm up and stretch!! So I'm taking it as a pleasure, putting some tunes on and get sweeping! Then I also get to check the place for ants. There will be traps coming.
About what needs sweeping up approx every 3 hours on the courtyard. I'm exaggerating, this is just 2 days worth. There were storms and I hadn't swept a few days prior. There was a lot more I cut out besides this, and let more light in.
The awesome colors these turn once they fall from the tree. There are also palm fruits now ripening.
WANTED
For taking up too much of the time whilst the garden almost went to neglect! 20 hours or so gardening later, I feel things are getting back to normal ...
Bat and Jet have doubled in size in about a month, more on them in a later post
Pre-kittens some birds eggs appeared and they were nesting in the tree here just at chest height. Thankfully, all done and gone before they arrived.
Jet, the girl, likes to run up the tree already
Bat, the boy. Both so small at this stage - just babies really - I hadn't much time for the garden. At least now I can bring them out with me.
Variety of visitors, some quite rarely seen - this being one such friendly garden lizard. Stays far away from kittens.
Timber
The branch of this tree had overgrown and was pushing into the drain, making a constant creaking sound with the wind. Enough was enough, goodbye noisy branch creaking on metal making me go nuts!.
Away you go, noisy branch. Many more whence you came from.
Now more dappled light can shine down for growing nice things and flowers.
View looking upwards, one tree has yellow flowers and the other pinky fuchsia things. Also recently pruned up to about 10 foot level but really needing a prune up top also. That I'll have to find a proper gardener for.
hello buddy, pre-kitten era...
Plants everywhere, all demanding things.
A big hanging bowl of ferns that had become very productive and crowded, so I thinned the herd. It's looking a lot more graceful at last.
The front of the courtyard next to the gate, this spot now has a single orchid flower bud stem on the go. That's since I pruned that bushy looking thing near the middle. It has a variety of species all growing on it.
Lots of color and lovely yellow and pink petals fall ... yet they all go brown and need sweeping up too! Outside, I built a compost heap for it all.
This was one heavy pruning session. Notice the bin liner is also full!
(I'm hoping) was really old overgrown orchid with non-flowing stems hogging all the resources. Now cut back to bare bones, showing signs of new growth.
Another view of the hanging pot. Overcrowded fern leaves and tattered or wimpy all removed. Symmetrical healthy leaves left to make more of an 'arranged' look.
About half way through the recent big cleanup. Still looking like a jungle.
MAGNIFICO Eucalyptus outside not only looks good but it keeps mosquitos down to a minimum also sprays a phenomenal amount of leaf litter around, which is the price to pay.
Maybe I should move to a condo. Or get staff and reopen it as a shop and a cafe with a gardener! Applicants welcome hahaha ...