Chom Dong Villa and Garden
During the cool, dry season from November to February, the bougainvillea are at their peak flowering time and the garden is a mass of colours ranging from white, through to pale pink, yellow, orange and magenta.
The blue-grey and darker blue of the plumbago is also prominent at this time, although, together with the adenium, they flower throughout the year.
November to February
Designed by Lookrai
Laegerstromia loudonii Teij. & Binn pride of India เสลา
Plumbago auriculata ‘royal cape’ leadwort พยับหมอก
Jacaranda filicifolia jacaranda ศรีตรัง
Brownea grandiceps rose of Venezuela อโสกสะปัน
Taberbuia argentea Britt. silver trumpet tree เหลืองปรีดียาธร
From October to December the two reservoirs of water, which form the central spine of the property, are full to the brim and the lotus and water lilies are at their best. A walk from the main villa down towards the dam separating the two bodies of water will bring the visitor to the topiary garden of strange animals including a giraffe, Tyrannosaurus rex, a couple of dragons and a buffalo. The toothbrush tree ‘koy’ Streblus asper Lour. is used extensively to shape the topiary animals.
Along the dam one passes under arches of flowering creepers such as the white herald’s trumpet ‘hiranyika’ Beaumontia murtonii Craib, Rangoon creeper ‘leb mue nang’ Quisqualis indica L., afgekia ‘kanpai mahidol’ Afgekia mahidolae and purple bignonia ‘muang maneerat’ Saritaea magnifica. From the south end of the dam, one can sit in the jasmine-covered gazebo and see the herd of life-sized topiary elephants on the other side.
Plumbago auriculata Lamk. leadwort พยัยหมอก
Bauhinia galpinii nasturtium bauhinia ชงดคสีส้ม
Rose in the secret garden
Melodorum fructicosum Lour. lamduan ลำดวน
Euphorbia sp. snow-in-summer คริสมาสขาว
Afgekia mahidolae กันภัยมหิดล
By mid-December many trees have shed their leaves, whilst those on others turn various shades of brown. The bamboo groves on the hill are pale gold in colour, and the native grass on the lawn and golf course, green when there were occasional showers in November, now turn golden brown and dry.
We try to use only rain water trapped in the two reservoirs to maintain the garden during the dry seasons, and there is not enough to water the grass. Fortunately the green and leafy bougainvillea start to bloom, adding splashes of colour to the landscape.
Parameria laevigata ช่อมาลี
Melodorum fruticosa lamduan ลำดวน
Jasminum nobile royal jasmine ปันหยี
Laegerstromia loudonii pride of India เสลา
Late February: in the foreground, bougainvillea are bursting in bloom, with jacaranda (right), frangipani and pride of India in the background
Plumbago zeylanica wild leadwort เจตมูลเพลิงขาว
Plumbago indica rose leadwort เจตมูลเพลิงแดง
Plumbago auriculata Lamk. leadwort พยับหมอก
Laegerstromia loudinii pride of India เสลา
Hibiscus mutabilis confederate rose พุดตาน
Quisqualis indica L. Rangoon creeper เล็บมือนาง