Today the engineers arrived from Bangkok and installed the first batch of our new solar system at Discovery Garden Pattaya. Inverters, powerful batteries were installed and connected and an elevator brought in: Tomorrow the elevator will carry the 36 heave panels on the roof, they will be properly installed and connected and then we should be energy independent to a high degree.

We have six “pepper” varieties at Discovery Graden Pattaya and Nong Khai. White, green, red and black pepper all come from a single plant called Piper nigrum or Black pepper. Long pepper or Piper longum is a different plant from the pepper family. Whereas Brazilian or Pink pepper grows on a plant called Schinus terebinthifolia which is not related to the Piper family, but produces pepper-like seeds.

Cinnamon can easily be grown in Thailand. At Discovery Garden Pattaya and Nong Khai we have several Cinnamon trees thriving and such fascinating plants for sale. Are the Cinnamon sticks like fruits growing on the trees?

Confederate rose, Hibiscus mutabilis or “dog putan”: There are several names for the unique flower that changes its color during one day. It is white in the morning, pink around noon time and red in the evening.

Westerners are called farangs in Thailand. But there is also a popular fruit called farang in Thai: Guava or Psidium guajava which originated in South America and was a stranger here initially. Hans Fritschi grows many types of Guavas at Discovery Garden Pattaya and Nong Khai, but his favorites are the bird shit farangs. A tale of living cannibalism….

European olive trees are available in Thailand, but at high prices and it is dubious that they ever will bear fruits. Chinese olives (Canarium album) are much easier and very well suited to grow in tropical countries. But do those large black Chinese olives taste like the real stuff? Yes and no. But you can create a tasty meal with them.

Eggfruits, Canistel or Pouteria campechiana are not very common fruits in Thailand. They can easily been grown from seeds and never need much care, water or fertilizer. It is advisable to harvest the yellow fruits shortly before they are completely ripe and fall to the ground. Hans Fritschi shows you how to ripen hard Canistel fruits with a pinch of salt.

4 Aufrufe • 30.10.2021 • One of the most attractive tropical plants is the cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis). First it produces fragrant flowers of incredible beauty. Later it forms a heavy round seed pod that looks like a cannon ball. Its flesh is edible though hardly ever eaten by humans because of its foul smell. We offer cannonball trees of all sizes at Discovery Garden Pattaya and Nong Khai.

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Valencia oranges are very popular all over the world. No wonder Hans Fritschi wants to grow them at Discovery Garden Pattaya as well. He therefore buys two Valencia oranges imported from China at the local supermarket and plants the seeds. Will that be a success? In the end one original Valencia orange can be spotted at Discovery Garden Pattaya.

After more than four months absence Hans Fritschi returns to Discovery Garden Pattaya. A lot has happened: The first Valencia orange has grown. New giant hybrid geese have arrived. Buffalo nuts (Traca bicornis) have finally developed. An expensive Monstera deliciosa Thai Constellation was sold, some more are for sale. And the Chinese olives are thriving.