New Series: Flowers

Because it's wrapped securely in the arms of a warm tropical climate, Thailand features a cornucopia of flora (and fauna) completely foreign to many of us who come from cooler lands - especially those familiar with regular frost and snow.

Some of the examples you'll see as the series goes along could easily be candidates for "Same same, but different" because you might see them back home, but probably in a greenhouse or on a sunny window ledge, trying to survive in our standard "comfort controlled" atmosphere. It sometimes irritates the hell out of me to be walking along in Thailand and see a plant I've struggled to keep alive in a pot or flowerbed at home, thriving with great vigor as a weed-like ground cover there!

I have an uncle and aunt in Minnesota who consistently manage to raise healthy orchids - but they lovingly coddle, feed and preen them, keeping them under fluorescent lights. I often think of them when I see similar varieties blooming in the wild in Thailand on the side of a tree, or hanging outside in pots by the dozen in any number of homes or outdoor markets. Of course (as balance) my friend in Bangkok who dotes on his garden would have no luck whatsoever getting lilac to bloom like the stands of them in Minnesota, either - full, fragrant and ten feet tall - so I suppose fair's fair.

As I mentioned in my first post back in March I'm not an expert on Thailand (by a country mile) so I don't know the names of most of the plants and flowers you'll see here, but if for some reason I do, I'll share the information.

Otherwise just walk along with me and enjoy the specimens, if you will.

(Today's pictures - other than the hanging pots of orchids taken at JJ market in Bangkok - they were all taken in Udonthani, in Northern Isaan.)