Ratchaphruek (or Pudding Piper Tree) is a deciduous tree that stands some of 9 to 15 meters high. It has a straight trunk, a scaly bark that is grey, white or grey-brown, leaves that resemble features, and cylindrical pods. It is most attractive when its brights yellow flowers are in full bloom between February and May.

Also known as Lom Laeng in the North of Thailand, Khun in the Northeast (Isan), and Chaiyaphreuk in the central region, the Ratchaphruek thrives well in almost any kind of soil, and hence it is found in many parts of Thailand.

Thais consider the flowers from the Ratchaphruek tree very auspicious. Thais is because, with their bright yellow color, the Ratchaphruek flowers not only represent Buddhism, but is also signifies Monday, the day of birth of His Majesty the King of Thailand. The blooms are therefore used in various important ceremonies such as those that mark the foundation laying of major city structures, or when the main house post is installed. (This also explains why so many houses are build between February and May.) The flowers are also often found in celebrations that mark a promotion to the senior ranks such as that of a field marshal.

Wild flowers are gaining popularity rapidly, as cultivated plants for arranging or as a pocket of countryside within a garden. If you have only a tiny garden, you can grow wild flowers in containers on a patio, in the cracks in old walls, around a small pond or even in window-boxes. If you have more room, you could create a wild flower lawn or garden or dedicate a small corner especially for wildlife.

Growing Wild Flowers

For a wild flower hedgerow, sow or plant shade-loving species in informal clumps underneath the garden hedge. Suitable kinds include primrose, violet and wild daffodil. Larger plants such as cow parsley can be grown in a large clump in a hedge near the bottom of your garden, well away from the cultivated plot.

Create a wild landscape around a pond with moisture-loving wild flowers. Suitable types include lady's smock, reed-mace (bulrush), hemp agrimony, kingcups, comfrey, and rosebay willow herb. Cultivate any types of wild flower in containers filled with a suitable soil mixture. For good results, grow plants with the same needs in the same container – such as groups of woodland, meadow, or wall plants. Keep them moist or dry as required. You can even grow waterside plants in a pot if you use the kind without drainage holes in the base, and keep them well watered as the soil needs to be permanently moist.

It's almost impossible for tourists not to not receiving the puang malai or flower garland when in Thailand. Puang malai vendors are seen virtually everywhere, especially at outdoor markets, by the streets and even on Bangkok's main roads at major intersections. These garlands are very popular – Thais use them for virtually every occasion – to say everything from “I'm sorry” to “Thank you”.

Buddhists offer them to monks when they make merit, placing one inside a monk's alms bowl before praying for prosperity.

A flower garland is a part of Thai culture and its purpose varies. Usually presented as an offering to Buddhist deities, alongside candles every-time a Buddhist prays, a flower garland is the symbol of love on Mother's Day. They are usually made from the most exotic of Thai flowers, such as Jasmine – Thailand's symbol for Mother's Day – the Gardenia, the Champaca and the Dok Rak, which literally translates as the flower of love, otherwise known in English as the Crown Flower. These are skillfully hand-woven into intricate patterns and offered to a mother by her child as a symbol of their undying love.

When you are selecting the stems to make a vertical design, study each stem carefully before you cut or buy it. Choose Trachelium when only a few of the flowers on the cluster are starting to open; irises when the buds are showing color; Phlox when most flowers have opened; Campanula when the lower buds are just opening; and Feverfew when the flowers are beginning to open.

Choose flowers which have exactly the length and width you need. If you choose stems and flowerheads that are too slender or look very regular, your design will appear very stiff and formal. Keep the container you are using in mind so you don't select material that is too long and has to be discarded or wasted. It also saves time when you are about to arrange the material if it is already the right size for your requirements.

A silver wedding in the family, marking twenty five years of marriage, is cause for a special celebration – and also the perfect opportunity for family and friends to 'say it with flowers'.

The designation of silver to mark this occasion gives the lead both to the choice of container and the color impression created by the flowers. An arrangement of glossy white lilies or cabbage-like roses blended with shiny foliage and set in a sparkling glass vase has all the glamour of solid silver and sets the scene for a family party.

Compose an arrangement as part of your anniversary gift. A tiny silver vase or miniature jug with a collection of helipterum and pearl everlasting, together with a sprig of dried silver santolina or artemisia foliage would make a charming anniversary present.

A flat-weave basket sprayed with ozone-friendly silver spray paint would make an equally appropriate and long-lasting container for an arrangement of pale blue and white everlasting, grey foliage and sparkling silver honesty. To finish, tie a huge silver, white or pastel satin bow to the basket handle. Present your gift in good time and it can be displayed at the celebration party.

During his three visits to Java in 1870, 1896 and 1901, King Chulachomklao (Rama V) went as often as time allowed to the Bogor Botanical Garden in Buitenzorg (today known as Bogor) about 65km south of Jakarta in West Java, Indonesia.

Bogor Botanical Garden, a research center equipped with a laboratory, lecture hall, library, museum and so, forth all open to the public, covers an area of 87 hectares and abounds with excellent examples of floral and fauna. Build in 1817 by Java's Dutch Governor-General Gustaaf Willem, Baron van Imhoff, the objective was to create a research center built around tropical cash crops like coffee, rubber, quinine, tea and others, while acting as a demonstration center for growing heven brasiliensis rubber plants. At that time, Bogor Botanical Garden was the most modern and largest in Asia.

King Chulachomklao's keen interest in agriculture and botany later became an important part of government development policy in Thailand. By the end of his reign, agricultural development had made a great leap forward.

Historical evidence gives us an account of the discovery of dried lilies in the mausoleum of Egyptian kings some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.. Apart from wall paintings depicting lily ponds and other simulations of lily stalks in building ruins, the excavation of ancient monuments and artifacts in the Sindhu River basin of India also found lily and lily petal designs. In addition, royal lily seeds found in coal-mines in Manchuria and China resulted in beautiful pink lilies 18 months after their discovery.

Until today, therefore, the lily is a type of water plant that has been around for more than 4,000 years. In Thailand, there are two variations of royal lily, namely white and pink. They both have the botanical features shared by other water plants, marked with giant round leaves of dark green. Long stalks that rise above the surface of the water support the leaves, while the flower comprises different layers of petals. The cone-shaped buds contain seeds of lily cones. In the meantime, the roots grow deep into the soft soil. In general, royal lilies propagate using seeds; only a few species propagate using stalks.

With garden centers stocking container-grown roses all year round, you can now plant them at any time. There’s no need to wait until it is the right time, just start filling that gap with a bare-root rose, although you’ll certainly find a better range of varieties available at the usual centers like Chackuchak market or 2^nd Sanam Luang weekend market. I built a low screen across my garden to keep my cats, out of the plot.

The wooden trellis provided support for the climbing rose ‘White Cloud’, which flowered freely within three months of planting. The 'White Cloud' rose may be grown as a climber to 8 or 9 feet or grown as a shrub to 6 feet with selective pruning. Lovely buds of crisp white open into beautiful, double blooms with eye-catching rich golden centers. A rose of delicate simple beauty in today's rose world where most interest is put into breeding more striking colors. The simple beauty of 'White Cloud' is most refreshing.