68 replies to this topic

[Licuala]

I went to Thailand last month and spent a week at Nong Nooch, which will be home base for the upcoming Biennial in September. Despite being there a week, I did not see everything and am looking forward to going back to try and see more of the incredibly impressive Gardens.

Nong Nooch covers 600 acres, part of which is an amazing nursery, but mainly full of Gardens with a little Disney thrown in. 1.7 million people visited last year with the majority coming from China, Russia and India. There are over 1000 species of palms planted, some of which will not be found in any other Garden in the world. There is also a major collection of Cycads as well as extensive collections of bromeliads, cacti, heliconias, cordylines, crotons and other plant groups.

Attendees of the upcoming Biennial are in for what promises to be one of the best, if not the best Biennial ever.

I did manage to take over 1200 photos while there so over the next few weeks I will post some of them here. There was lots to see!

This is an Entrance sign to Nong Nooch

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[Licuala]

The growth of the palms is incredible. Many of the first ones planted less than 25 years old including these Copernicia hospitas.

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[Licuala]

The Gardens are very diversified with palms always being a part of nearly all of them. This is the sight from a little cafe area with Copernicia baileyanas, Copernicia hospitas and a Lodoicea maldivica sprouting up in the back under the baileyana to the right.

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[Licuala]

Here are a couple overviews of small parts of the Gardens.

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[Licuala]

You never know what you may find when strolling around!

Perhaps a Mammoth or 2!

Giant ants or herds of ants!

Giraffes protecting cycads!

or

a giant spider!

Regardless, palms are always close by!

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[Licuala]

For those want to see the sites from a different perspective, there are always the elephant rides

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[Licuala]

These pigs seem thrilled by the sight of this Corypha utan

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[Licuala]

This is the formal European Gardens. The shrines are replicas of ones found throughout Thailand.

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[Licuala]

Of course what would a Garden be without its very own Stonehenge

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[Licuala]

Here is a tease of a few palms. This walk is a new feature only a year old. One could spend easily a half day wandering through and seeing all the species planted

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[Licuala]

A couple of interesting scenes!

I will be adding more photos very soon!!!

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[Lowey]

Wow, looks like an amazing place, cant wait for some more pics
The biennial looks like a must if this is anything to go by.

[Moose]

Wow Paul! Thanks for the photos.

Did you get any croton shots?



Ron

[Licuala]

Wow Paul! Thanks for the photos.

Did you get any croton shots?



Ron

Sorry Ron! For some reason I have a bit of an adversion to crotons, so did not take any photos of them. They do have an extensive collection, I just did not pay much attention to them .............

[Licuala]

Well, I reckon it is time to show a few palms!

These are Borassus flabellifer planted in a grouping. Not something most of us would ever think of doing with such massive palms!

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[Licuala]

The golden Adonidia merrillii, which you either love or feel like dumping tons of fertilizer on. I kinda started liking them more seeing them in Thailand. They are most golden in full sun.

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[Licuala]

Here are some Arecas.

First is the nicest Areca triandra I have ever seen anywhere.

Second is the yellow crownshaft form of Areca catechu.

And last is Areca macrocalyx.

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[Licuala]

Here is a palm you will not see much anywhere outside of New Caledonia - Saribus jeanneneyi (use to be Pritchardiopsis jeannenyi) There are 2 of them doing quite well in Nong Nooch.

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[Licuala]

A couple of Seychelles natives:

First is Phoenicophorium borsignianum followed by Verschaffeltia splendida

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[Licuala]

Being an absolute Licuala freak, I did see lots of them, many that I had never seen before. I will be showing many more of them later, but here are a couple growing in various parts of the Gardens.

First is Licuala peltata var. sumawongii, which is native to Thailand and neighboring Malaysia

Second is Licuala paludosa. This form was originally named L. aurantiaca, which has been reduced as a synonym of L. paludosa. The main difference I saw was the old L. aurantiaca has orange petioles.

Last is a very attractive unidentified species.

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[Licuala]

Speaking of Licualas, this is South America's closest looking version, Itaya amicorum, which is actually more related to Chelyocarpus.

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[Licuala]

These are some 'blue' palms that can be found in the Blue Palm Garden.

First is Livistona victoriae

Second Sabal uresana

and third Hyphaene petersiana

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[Licuala]

These are Pigafetta filaris with white spines.

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[Licuala]

Here are a couple Raveneas:

Ravenea sambirinensis and Ravenea xerophylla (a really slow growing species).

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[Licuala]

Arenga caudata has always been a bit of a mystery. When I had the nursery, I sprouted 3000 of them one time from wild collected seed and found that I had everything from the typical A. caudat to A. hookeriana and everything in-between. These 2 forms of A. caudata only solidifies my belief that it is a highly variable species and, like some taxonomists believe, that A. hookeriana is but one form.

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[Licuala]

These are some young Corypha umbraculifera. Note the person sitting on the bench to the left of the palms. Even though he is sitting back about 20 feet beyond the palms, you can get a sense of just how big these are!

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[Licuala]

Livistona carinensis is a rare species from Africa and Yemen. The leaf bases are quite attractive, particularly in contrast to the cream colored inflorescences.

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[Licuala]

And last, for now, a few more shots of various palms found here and there in Nong Nooch.

Carpoxylon macrospermum

Livistona muelleri

Saribus rotundifolius

Dransfieldiana micrantha

Iguanura wallichiana

Kerriodoxa elegans

and Corypha utan - a different form that is found in Thailand

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[dalmatiansoap]

Beautifull.....

[Licuala]

Nong Nooch has a brand new resort hotel, where most of the attendees will be staying. There are 70 rooms here. Once these rooms are filled up, there are 25 rooms in another area of Nong Nooch and if we fill those up, the remaining attendees will be in an offsite hotel very close to Nong Nooch.

Here is a couple photos of the new resort:

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[Licuala]

There are several restaurants throughout Nong Nooch. This is one that I found myself at most of the time. It has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking a lake. Sometimes they have buffet style and other times you order from a menu. There is a wide assortment of food to suit any taste. The Thai cuisine, as everything they served, was quite good.

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[bgl]

Paul,

Thanks a lot for all these great pictures! I know this is just a small fraction of what we will see there in another six months. It will definitely be the palm experience of a lifetime!

Bo-Göran

[apaandssa]

As if the palms weren't enough, I now see I should pack a swimsuit!

[Licuala]

There are several restaurants throughout Nong Nooch. This is one that I found myself at most of the time. It has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking a lake. Sometimes they have buffet style and other times you order from a menu. There is a wide assortment of food to suit any taste. The Thai cuisine, as everything they served, was quite good.

I'm not done yet Bo! Got lots more to post

[bgl]

Paul, I was hoping you'd say that! And Cindy, there's so much more to a Biennial! Yes, the "palm experience" will be close to overwhelming for most of us but the social, cultural and recreational aspects will also be truly unique.

Bo-Göran

[_Wal]

The Gardens are very diversified with palms always being a part of nearly all of them. This is the sight from a little cafe area with Copernicia baileyanas, Copernicia hospitas and a Lodoicea maldivica sprouting up in the back under the baileyana to the right.

Long Live the King ? Elvis ?

[Licuala]

The Gardens are very diversified with palms always being a part of nearly all of them. This is the sight from a little cafe area with Copernicia baileyanas, Copernicia hospitas and a Lodoicea maldivica sprouting up in the back under the baileyana to the right.

Long Live the King ? Elvis ?

lol, I was wondering how long someone would catch that and bring up Elvis

You find signs all over Thailand along the roads and elsewhere with "Long Live The King" and "We Love The King", which refers to the King of Thailand.

[Licuala]

Paul, I was hoping you'd say that! And Cindy, there's so much more to a Biennial! Yes, the "palm experience" will be close to overwhelming for most of us but the social, cultural and recreational aspects will also be truly unique.

Bo-Göran

Can't wait to see you on an elephant Bo

[bgl]

Paul, I was hoping you'd say that! And Cindy, there's so much more to a Biennial! Yes, the "palm experience" will be close to overwhelming for most of us but the social, cultural and recreational aspects will also be truly unique.

Bo-Göran

Can't wait to see you on an elephant Bo

Well, back in 1998 I had an elephant pick me up with his trunk, so I'll definitely go for that! Should be fun!

[realarch]

Thanks for all the great photos and for the id's as well. Fantastic.