14 Feb
2010
- Look at this fruit, it came to Europe before the orange "says Eric, and points to a citrus fruit that looks like the combination of an octopus and a lemon.
The fruit is Buddha's hand, a fruit that Chinese and Japanese people have had in their homes throughout history to create a nice scent and fragrance in their homes. Buddha's hand is the logo of Dokmai Gardens.
Dokmai Gardens is a creation Ketsanee Seehamongkol (Kate) and her Swedish husband Eric Danell, who is the scientific consultant behind the project. They are located just south of Chiang Mai city (map coming).
Eric describes the place as a paradise for botany geeks but a visit here offers something for everyone, even for people with just a minimum of interest in horticulture and botany.
According to Dokmai Gardens website, there are now over 800 different species of plants in the garden which is divided into different sections of interest. Here are some species that are extremely difficult to find elsewhere, and there are more common garden plants and vegetables. Eric has also preserved some of the old forest trees that were previously common in the monsoon forests here in the valley, such as dipterocarp and teak trees. Yes, before all the land became rice paddies and longan plantations.
- This is how it feels to be a beetle, he says, pointing to a high bamboo. Bamboo is actually a kind of grass and not a tree that some people believe. So when we look up at the bamboos, it is almost like when an insect is peeking up on a blade of grass.
Dokmai garden also has a collection of poisonous plants. Eric can show you a plant that kills more people annually than AIDS and malaria combined. Take a good guess*?
The tour around the garden took us about 45 minutes. But it is a visit that encourages a follow up.
At this moment around 500 of the plants have multilingual signposts, so you can go and study trees and flowers in peace and quiet yourself if you want. With Eric's guidance though you will understand how the plants are used and the cultural history of each plant. After the tour is finished you can relax in Dokmai Gardens restaurant with a fresh fruit drink and a good lunch. Round it off with a coffee and just enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Wireless Internet access is also available for those who might need it. Dokmai gardens also has a small shop with books on plants, as well as some other things that Eric and Katie loves themselves and therefore happily promotes to their guests.
Every now and then there will be interesting lectures held at the Dokmai Gardens. Just recently a lecture on orchids in north of Thailand was held by the Dutch Orchid specialist Folbert Bronsema.
Open from 10-17, Tuesday to Sunday. You can also check out the directions to Dokmai Gardens to get you there quicker.
Read more about the life at Dokmai Gardens on The Dokmai Dogma blog
Check out @DokmaiGarden on Twitter
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* (Tobacco)
© Text by Per Sundberg and © Photo by Jan Friman
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