In The Afternoon,

it was time for Diana to leave for the Philippines, 

what was the song?

All My Bags Are Packed And I'm Ready To Go, and here it is,

by Peter, Paul and Mary,

and Diana is on her way, 

later I too took a taxi, 

to just past the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, 

to a piece of open ground opposite it, 

where the weekend plant market takes place, 

the first stalls selling garden ornaments, 

near the coffee stall,

the market covers quite an area, 

not only plants, 

but lots of garden hardware, 

pots galore!

all of course aimed at the locals and expats, 

I started looking at a few plants, 

and shrubs, 

like these Bougainvilleas which are named after the eighteenth-century French admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who led a voyage of circumnavigation around the world. His expedition was part of the race between the British and the French to make new discoveries in the South Pacific. Bougainville’s expedition was the first one to include a government-sponsored naturalist on board, Philibert Commerçon,

keeping to the Pacific, Japan, 

known for its bonsai, 

but these all from Thailand, 

many of the ones from Japan would find it too hot here in Thailand, 

but many of them can adapt, 

like these, 

moving on, 

a couple of nice almost prehistoric cycads, 

this one (Dioon spinulosum), as it happens the cycads and their look-alike ancestors have been around 280 million years and have survived several mass extinctions,

I ma not sure what these are, they almost look like bonsai, 

on to the next section,

where the larger palms are kept, 

and if it all gets too much, all this walking around, 

relief is at hand, 

I went back to the start of the stalls, 

these carved numbers needing a few hands to pick them up, 

lots of fruit trees, 

all under sun awnings, 

a couple deciding on a purchase, 

grow your own coconuts, always popular here, 

I do like these palms, 

with their red stems, 

there were lots of them here,

I carried on walking, 

turf is often on sale here but the climate is so hot, watering is usually done by timed sprinklers a couple of times a day, 

one of my favorite stalls here, 

the one selling waterlilies, 

it also has a few cats the owner keeps here, 

there are so many different types,

and hybrids here, 

unfortunately, 

most will not tolerate our cold winters, 

this white bloom huge, I am guessing some 8 or so inches across, 

walk on, 

past some hanging lobster claws, (Heliconia rostrata),

it is often known as the false bird of paradise,

a few roses somehow looked slightly out of place amongst all of these exotics, 

anther group of plants I really like, 

insectivorous ones, 

like these monkey-cups, (Nepenthes),

the cups actually collect water that insects drown, the plant then gaining nutrients from the water, and also make handy cups for monkey's to drink from, allegedly, 

naturally lots of banana plants for sale, 

I was arriving at the large plant/palm section,

a tad too tall for the average car to pick up!

I had to have a look at the aquatic section,

fish in containers over the ground, no heater/thermostats needed here! at the top left, 

a young lad indulges his fish keeping hobby,

next,

a few air plants, 

amazing that they seem to live on air!

I found myself back at the waterlily stall, 

and the black cat, the ginger mother and kitten seems to have done a Cheshire, 

a few stalls along, 

I was offered this cutie, 

free of charge!

the owner wanted it to go to a ex-pat, evidently that would mean it would be cared for,

if we still lived here I would be coming home with kittens every day!

cactus, 

lots of them,

so easy to grow out here, well most plants are as it is so hot and sunny, 

was this the same black cat that had beat me to this stall, or a totally different black cat?

we grew so many of these, 

small orange like citrus fruits, 

a new air plant for me,

 funckiana plant is a type of air plant, (Tillandsia funckiana), it is known for its slender, spiky green leaves and beautiful red flowers,

nearing the non plant section,

a number of stalls here,

with all manner of garden ornaments, 

and fun figures for the garden,

no ugly ducklings here, in grey,

or blue, 

a couple of rabbits, 

and relatives, 

their first kiss?

miniature gardens were also catered for, 

all of these just a few inches each,

 

and these really small,

many just a half inch or so, 

10 baht each or 6 for 50 baht, just over a UK pound, 

back to more cactus, 

these a little bit specialized, 

living stones as they are known, 

or Lithops to give them their Latin name, 

they look similar,

but they are all, 

slightly different,

a couple of porous stones suitable for a rock garden,

back to a few figures, 

and a very exotic water display, 

on to one of the orchid stalls, 

a couple of nice ones,

here, 

looking along one of the aisles, 

the stall that sells cut orchids, 

when we used to live in Thailand, 

when ever we visited this market we would always buy a few for our dinner table, 

another cactus stall, 

but this one featuring, 

trays of plants which are not the normal colour, 

the green chlorophyll missing in the plants, 

replaced by red or yellow, 

which makes for a totally different look,

a few euphorbias, 

next to a stall specializing in desert roses, (Adenium),

so many color variations, 

just like their namesakes, 

although many, 

red in colour, 

back to the pots, 

in vibrant colours, 

and a section with all manner of gardening help, seeds, tools fertilizers, etc.

the orchids in this stall receiving some TLC

from the owner, 

so many colours, 

and shapes to choose from,

many sold in hanging baskets,

if only we still lived in Thailand, 

I would be bringing these home by the armful!

talk about spoilt for choice, 

what a picture, 

on to bonsai, 

all lovingly taken care of, 

because of the heat in Thailand, 

many of the spices kept in colder climate do not do well out here, so local ones are used, 

passing a repurposed wood stall,

turning the corner, 

another garden ornament stall,

the shelves almost overloaded with them, 

whole families, 

and hundreds of miniatures, 

the owner,

happy in her work,

a look along one of the aisles, 

where there were a few more dessert roses,

on display,

next door some bromeliads,

lots of them,

in so many different colors, 

and shapes, 

some like this one,

have water that collects in it, and occasionally has a frog in residence in it, 

further along the aisle, 

a few repairs to the sun screen over the market,

a few orchids for sale in bulk,

60 baht a pot,

 

or 2 for 100 baht,

repairs continue, 

outside a new metal frame takes shape,

easy does it, 

a final farewell from the ducks, 

as I make my way to the coffee stall, for a ice latte, 

next door the buying in price for gold,

 

as I make my way back to the main road and wait for my Bolt taxi back to the hotel.