Setelah sabar seminggu menunggu selepas pulangnya dari Bangkok, Thailand akhirnya kiriman tiba dari kota gajah. Kiriman tiba ke destinasi pada waktu malam di rumah teman OdD. Malam ker siang ker....OdD redah juga pergi ambil. Fuuhhh lega....rasanya di hati...dapat juga buah tangan ini, tapi malangnya 4 pokok OdD lesap...entah ke mana pergiinya pun tak tahu. Apapun OdD bersyukur kebanyakan orchid OdD masih elok dan segar.

After a week since arrive Malaysia, I got a call! The shipment from elephant city arrived. Late at night. But I don't care even really early in the morning, I want to go to collect my 'prize' from elephant city. This time the orchid arrived at my friend house, after checked the list, I lost 4 plants, sad. But it is Ok, all of the orchid plants looks fresh and good condition. Thanks to god...

The box fulls of vanda dan allied hybrid orchids

The plants still fresh and the flower still ok ;-)

This is how the wrap the flowers...so the flower still OK even 1 week in the box

Hari ketiga pergembaraan diteruskan dengan menterjah ladang orkid seterusnya. Kali ini di wilayah Suphanburi. Untuk datang ke ladang ini, perjalanan  mengambil masa kurang lebih 2 jam dari tempat tinggal kami di Nakhon Pathom. Melalui kawasan sawah padi dan ladang tebu, akhirnya kami tiba di lokasi ini, yang mana lokasi nurseri ini terletak di tengah-tengah kawasan padi dan ladang tebu.

Third day orchid adventure continue. To go to this farm it takes more than 2 hours from our hotel at  Nakhon Pathom .  Along that road, we need to pass through rice field and sugar cane field...so peaceful.

Sebelum ini, OdD pernah melewati laman web Pachara Orchid Inter Trade Ltd. ini...akhirnya sampai juga ke farm ini ;) Seperti kebanyakan farm yang di lawati, mereka lebih banyak koleksi vanda dan allied hybrid. Mulanya rasa bosan juga...tetapi kebosanan terubat apabila terdapat kelainan pada ladang kali ini. Tillandsia dan Bromeliad serta beberapa spesis yang 'special' amerika selatan. Teruja sungguh lol ;)

Before this, I had been surfed the Pachara Orchid Inter Ltd, and at last I'm here. I never know that we will visit this farm. As previous visit in Chom Orchid and Sanphueng orchid garden, there are a lot of Vanda and allied hybrids. Here also almost the same, but there are something unusual...Tilandsia, Succulents  and Bromeliad and also some species from South America. I'm very excited!!!

Jika sebelum ini, ladang orkid yang kami lawati semuanya di letakkan pasir sungai di bawahnya, tapi kali ini terdapat air bertakung di bawahnya. Ini kerana ladang ini telah di ubah suai dengan menukarkan perusahaan sawah padi kepada penanaman padi. Kira ladang tebus guna lah ni.Di sini banyak juga OdD memborong...orkid spesis ada, orkid hybrid pun ada dan tak ketinggalan tillandsia. Syok sungguh memborong...banyak jugaklah berhabis.

Mari kita tengok apa yang ada di Pachara Orchid @ My exoptic farm ini.

Previous farm and garden, they put the river sand all over the place, but here there are water at the bottom of the orchid rows. Something interesting to looks. Actually, previously this farm is rice field, but they re-manage to build the orchid farm. So interesting to looks and this is the good idea! What ever it is, they just want to keep the RH% at more than 60%. Here, I bought a lot of orchid, since they also have many specis collection from South America and native species, besides I also collect Tillandsia, so this is the best way to add my collections...Bromeliad....may be next time.  Let looks what they have here, may be next time you want to visit...

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.  ~Author Unknown

Selepas melawat Chom Orchid sekitar Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, rombongan kami bertolak pula ke Suan Phung, Ratchaburi. Perjalanan dari Nakhon Pathom mengambil masa kira-kira 3 jam lebih, melalui perkampungan dan bukit bukau. Di fahamkan kawasan ini terletak berhampiran wilayah Kanchanaburi, iaitu lebih ke Utara, Thailand. Persekitarannya banyak berbeza dari Malaysia, yang mana ke Utara Thailand ia lebih kepada iklim tropika. Hutannya tidak setebal hutan di Malaysia, sebaliknya terdapat banyak semak samun kecil dan pokok buluh. Sesekali terasa seperti berada di perkampungan 'cowboy' pulak, sebab persekitarannya yang kontang dan berbatu.

After visited Chom Orchid Nursery around Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, we continue our journey more to the north of this territory. This journey took more than 3 hours from Nakhon Pathom. From our understanding this place is end of Ratchaburi territory which is very near to Kanchanaburi territory. The environment and the weather so different from Malaysia, because this place is more tropics. The forest is so different, which just have the small bushes and the bamboo. Sometimes feel likes we stay at cowboy area, the environment is look a like cowboy town!

Sanphueng Orchids Garden....situated between two hills

Small lakes just behind the orchid garden

Berbalik kepada pengembaraan orkid, kami datang ke sini kerana terdapat satu kawasan ladang orkid yang dibuka kepada umum iaitu Suanpheung Orchid Garden. 'Garden' ini terletak antara bukit dan berlembah, malah terdapat tasik kecil di antara kawasan berbukit ini. Ini memberi kelembapan semulajadi kepada orkid-orkid di sini. Malah kami yang berada di nurseri ini pun rasa agak kurang selesa kerana terlalu lembab menyebabkan berpeluh dan melekit. Apa pun kerana orkid punya pasal ini semua di tolak ke tepi.

Ok, back to orchid story, we come here because there are one orchid nursery which is quite famous here, Suanpheung Orchid Garden. This Garden is open to public. But i not ask from what time this orchid garden are open. So excited with orchid, make me forget about that. At least you know, here there are one orchid farm is open to public ;) This garden is situated between two hills and there are small lake between them. So it will give natural humidity to this garden.

The banner inside the garden...I don't understand ;(

The signboard beside the road

Rows of Rhyncostylish gigantea welcoming you at the main entrance

Rows of Ascocenda hybrids welcoming you at the main entrance

Rows of vanda hybrids welcoming you at the main entrance

Taman ini di buka kepada umum, tapi tidak pasti pula waktunya, terlupa pulak nak tanya, sebab dah terlalu 'excited' bila tengok orkid di sini. Kami di sambut dengan haruman dari Rhyncostylish gigantea yang sedang berkembang mekar di sini. Kami di hidangkan dengan pelbagai variasi warna spesis ini serta hybrid vanda, rhyncostylis dan ascocenda.

Di sini masih banyak vanda dan hibrid seangkatan dengan nya, OdD kurang lah sikit nak menanam orkid jenis ini. Jadi OdD dan teman banyak mencari spesis jenis lain untuk di bawa pulang. Banyak juga spesis dan hibrid orkid yang kami 'borong'...bolehlah...harganya pun memang lebih murah jika dibandingkan dengan negara sendiri. Marilah kita tengok apa yang ada....dan berakhirnya hari ke dua di Thailand. Selebihnya bersambung lagi...

At the main entrance we are welcome with the fragrant of Rhyncostylish gigantea with many variant of colors and side by side with vanda and asco allied hybrids. So beautiful and the fragrant so nice. Here still have many vandas hybrid to be choose,  but for OdD and friend, this is not our intention. So we explore this garden to find what we want...and at last we found some species and hybrid to buy. Worth it...so cheap :) So we see what do we have here and end of second day of the trip. More of this orchid adventure will be continue...

Pada paginya setelah ke ladang utama Chom Orkid, kami di bawa pula ke 3 lagi ladangnya. Sistem ladangnya cukup kemas dan teratur. Terpegun sungguh! Sistematik! Kualiti orkid-orkid nya juga amat sihat dan memenuhi world standard. Nak cari cacat sikit pun susah pada daun-daun orkid malah pada akarnya pun susah... pendek cerita 'everything perfect!!!' Dari akar ke pucuk...memang cukup cantik dan segar. Atas alasan ini mereka dapat mengeksport orkid-orkid ini ke luar negara. Di fahamkan sewaktu rombongan kami datang ke sini, ada banyak pesanan dari Jepun, sampai ada antara kengkawan yang nak beli satu pokok pun tak nak di lepaskan...katanya dah di tempah. Sadis sungguh ;( Tapi apa nak buat orkid dia, duit kita...kalau dia tak nak bagi nak buat macam mana...dan duit kita pun dah tak laku,,,huuhuu

After we visited through the main nursery at their backyard, Mr Chom son take us to their  other farms...another three, which is located near by their house. WOW...that is the first word I can say...really high standard. Systematic! Really difficult to find any weakness/ sickness at their orchid plants. PERFECT!!! From roots to the young leaves...everything looks so healthy and green. From that reason, that why they can export their orchids around the world. Before we  arrive at their farm, he said they already got an order from Japanese customer, so our friend cannot even buy any plant from that batch...so pity ;( So my friend just take a look ....just look cannot buy haa!

Jika di lihat dari keseluruhan ladang dan keadaan sekelilingnya...semua nya berada dalam keadaan yang amat teratur. Suasana di dalam ladang juga mempunyai kelembapan yang cukup tinggi...di fahamkan RH% mesti (70-80)% dengan kadar siraman 3 kali sehari. Jadi yang nak tanam vanda ni...kena fahamlah yer...jika setakat siram sehari sekali tak payah dok harap lah pokok nak hijau dan segar macam dalam gambar ni...OdD memang tak mampu nak buat macam ni, maybe peminat di luar sana mampu untuk buat begini...jadi boleh lah OdD tumpang tengok ;)

If we can see from the picture, the farm looks so need, everything in good manner. Here, the environment also so humid...RH% is ~ (70-80) % and must watering the plant 3 time per day except in rainy day. So if you want to plant the Vanda and allied hybrid...you need consider this thing in high priority! Another tips that they share with us. OdD cannot manage to do that at this moment...How about you? Ask yourself.

Jika di lihat pula keadaan permukaan di bawah nya...di letakkan pasir sungai...mudah untuk buat maintenance dan juga kelembapannya dapat di kawal dengan mudah. Selain itu senang juga nak elakkan rumput dan semak samun ...mudah untuk dibersihkan. Yang ini, memang OdD dah praktikkan dah lama di tempat OdD! Jadi peminat-peminat orkid kat luar tu...boleh lah tiru sistem ni pula! Tips lagi ni....Ada banyak lagi nak cerita ni...rasa panjang pula nak tulis kat sini...tunggu post akan datang pulak yer ;)

Garden are not made by sitting in the shades ~Rudyard Kipling (1835-1936)

Hari kedua...Sabtu pagi...perasaan amat gembira kerana nak bertolak ke ladang orkid. Fuhhh...seronok giler....difahamkan cuma orang tertentu saja boleh masuk di kebanyakan ladang di Bangkok ini. Acara pertama lawatan ke Chom Orchid Nursery. OdD tak lah punya banyak koleksi Vanda dan allied hybrid, dan belum lagi nak buat tambahan koleksi ini , kerana belum bersedia sepenuhnya. Jadi peluang ini di manfaatkan, dengan melihat sistem rumah orkid, siraman, pembajaan dan penjagaan yang sistematik di sini. Ini peluang terbaik bagi OdD untuk memperbaiki sistem yang sedia ada. Masa ini jugalah nak korek rahsia dari pengusaha yang berjaya ini. Chom Orchid memang terkenal dengan variasi vanda, ascocenda dan allied hybridnya, malah hybridnya telah mendapat macam-macam 'award'. Kami dibawa ke semua ladangnya di sekitar Ratchaburi. Post ini memuatkan perjalanan kami di ladang utama Chom orchid yang terletak di belakang rumahnya.
Macam-macam tips dan ilmu baru yang OdD dapat...kalau nak cerita kat sini satu hari pun tak habis ;-) Jadi OdD rakamkan beberapa gambar untuk dikongsi di sini. Perjalanan OdD untuk hari seterusnya akan di muatkan untuk post akan datang.

Second day...Saturday morning....ahaa so happy, we depart to go to first orchid farm...Chom Orchid Nursery. FYI most of the orchid farm here in Bangkok, are not allowed for public! But we are so lucky that we can visit their farm. Chom orchids are very popular with their vandas and allied hybrids, most of their hybrids got awards and merits. OdD don't have any intention to expands the collection in this varieties yet. But the chance to visit this farm give us opportunities to 'digging their secret' to be the successful orchid breeders and growers. Our first journey, we visited the main farm of  Chom Orchid, just at their backyard!
So many thing we learn from growing the orchids form tissue, hybridation and many more, even end of the day cannot finish to write it here. So OdD just captured few pictures to share here and the rest of the journey will keep for the next post!

Chom Orchid Nursery...just @ their backyard

Automatic watering system

Automatic watering system

'Babies' Vanda keep nicely in the row

Matured Vandas with flower covered by plastic - to avoid from water

More Vanda Pachara Delight...keep in the rows. These rows are for cut flower.

Here are special vandas they kept for new breeding and/or for meristem and NOT FOR SALE!!!

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

NOID Vanda...for meristem or new breeding

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.  ~Author Unknown