Fancy a spot of quarantine gardening?

Chiang Mai has a new art gallery, but in this one the pieces are not static, but green and thriving.  This is the garden of Dr. Pawin Manochai, Assistant Professor and V.P. of Research and Academic Services at Maejo University.  Seeing his garden, it’s hard to imagine that he has only been gardening for four years; to this veteran gardener, it seems more like forty.  What started as a pastime has become a passion; just about any day after the work-day, you will find him puttering in the yard, imagining, designing and creating new additions to the garden.

When he built his house, a few kilometres north of Maejo University, Dr. Pawin started adorning the yard.  His property is located next to a creek that lines a rice field, so he felt compelled to add to and enhance that natural beauty.  And he hasn’t stopped yet, as you can see from the pictures!

Although it is obvious that these living art forms are labors of love, there is logic to his efforts; he envisions creating a garden coffee shop, where customers can enjoy the colorful displays of living sculpture as they sip gourmet coffee and nibble on their favorite sweet snacks.

Strolling along the garden paths, and talking to Dr. Pawin, it becomes quite obvious that his garden is a labour of love.  There is a mission underlying all this dirty work: he loves to inspire and uplift people through his living creations.  The quiet kindness and generosity of this man imbues the garden with the soothing energy of sanctuary.

A couple things that have inspired me as a gardener; one is the wide variety of plants he uses and the second is the use of found objects to create “living sculptures.”  You will find a unique range of trees, some of which are fruit trees, such as Purple Orchid, Cassia Fistula, Garden Croton, Cape of Good Hope and Cork Wood.

Dr. Pawin buys most of his plants from local plant and flower markets, such as Kam Tiang, Meechai Kranset, Suankwan Puami and others in the areas around his home.  He also gets plants from his gardening friends and from his own on-site nursery!

As we are still staying home these days due to the coronavirus, and as the rains have just arrived, why not pick up a new hobby – gardening!

If you would like to visit, please contact Dr. Pawin via Line: 081 881 9694.