A Thai Garden

[Danno2 0]

My fiance just got her visa approved and will be here in 26 days. I want to build her a garden with herbs, spices and whatever she would like to have. Do you have some ideas / suggestions on what I should plant or how I should go about doing this. I'm very DIY and should be able to handle it.

I live in Dallas, Texas and have a yard with lots of sunlight options. Please share any information or link you might have.

Thank you in advance

Danny

[rin and john 71]

My fiance just got her visa approved and will be here in 26 days. I want to build her a garden with herbs, spices and whatever she would like to have. Do you have some ideas / suggestions on what I should plant or how I should go about doing this. I'm very DIY and should be able to handle it.

I live in Dallas, Texas and have a yard with lots of sunlight options. Please share any information or link you might have.

Thank you in advance

Danny

We've grown mint, chilies, and basil (horapha) successfully. Would like to grow krapow (holy basil), but don't have any seeds. Cilantro is something we go through quickly, but growing it in the south is a losing battle as in the heat it quickly bolts and goes to seed. Last year we grew lemongrass (rooted stalks in water then planted in the garden once they sprouted).

Shortly after Rin arrived, we ordered two kaffir lime trees online from somewhere in California. Have to keep them in pots and move inside in the winter, but they are both still alive!

Most everything else we can buy at the asian grocery store.

I think Anya is an avid gardener; you might want to PM her.

John

Edited June 4, 2009 by rin and john

[JelloShotGirl 0]

It would be nice to grown lemongrass , its a nice herb for thai cooking

[*Robert* 2]

When I lived in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, we had a HUGE garden. Had over 400 potted plants. Since where we lived was built on coral rock and salt water, we couldn't plant anything in the "ground".

We would always start by using a coffee can or long rectangular pot and start the seeds in a peat moss/potting soil mixture, and use liquid Miracle Gro to get them started. Then we would transfer them to larger pots to give them more room. In the larger pots, we would use straight potting soil, and sprinkle some chicken manure on top. The herbs like it warm, and partially shaded. The chilies can stand direct sunlight no problem. Our temperature range there was a low of 79 and high of 86, 365 days a year!

We grew the following herbs/vegies:

Thai Basil

Holly Basil

Mint

Galangal

Lemmon Grass

Kefir Lime tree

Chilies, 3 different types

Chives

Cilantro is a challenge, especially considering how cheap it is in the store. I hear that my friend still in Kwaj is now growing cilantro successfully, but out there its harder to get it fresh.

The plants need daily watering, or every other day at a minimum. It would take me 2 hours to water all our plants! If I was lazy, I'd water half the garden one day, and the other half the next day, but I always gave the herbs water... not too much! That's the nice thing about having them in pots; you have better control of how much water they get.

[*Robert* 2]

This was the front yard!

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[*Robert* 2]

These were some of our herbs. Note: the pots don't have to look nice to be functional!!! We saved the nice pots for the flowers!

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[*Robert* 2]

I really miss all our orchids.

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[daboyz 36]

I really miss all our orchids.

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Nok loved those photos.

[*Robert* 2]

Scott, tell Nok I said thanks. I have tons more. I know if someone were to tell me they had around 400 potted plants, I'd think they were talking $hit, but in this case... I have photographic proof!!!

[*Robert* 2]

A couple more!

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[BishopMnA 0]

I really miss all our orchids.

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Brother Roi_Aggie,

Fantastic Fotos! I can understand why you miss the orchids...and all...

You fotos look a LOT like our house back in Chiang Mai (which I also miss a LOT...need to go back there soon). AAm potted a LOT of flowers/bushes/palms/etc in the front, and then she used her 'natural green thumb' to really make a spectacular yard...just like in your pictures. She's just now starting to do the same thing here...she's planted a bunch of things, but I can't remember what all they are...various palms/trees/and a lot of veggies...all in pots for the moment. And, just like you said, nothing fancy for pots! She's just starting the seeds in the pots, and then will transfer them later...

Peace and thanks again for the great fotos!

MarkNAAm

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

This was the front yard!

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Beautiful garden...

[anya-D 8]

I dont see no pic!

I'll have to take some picture of my front yard - just upgrade them with new flowers and bushes yesterday - still have more holes to dig went a little crazy plant shopping the other day

and my back garden.. I didnt plant them in the seeds starter thought.. so my holy basil grow in clusters that I'll have to seperate them when they are a little bigger. Bram's garden is doing a lot better than mine atm becasue I planted from seeds ( a little late) and he bought it grown

It's easy to plant lemongrass!! and it grows very quick too. Last year I started with 4 at the end of the season I had like 20! This year I started with just 2

You can just cut the top part of it, and put it in water until it sprout roots, then put it in soil... you can also do this with any kind of basil stalk.