This is not really a gay Thailand issue, but I thought it worth an airing as Bangkok is often regarded just a traffic-clogged concrete jungle that occasionally gets flooded. Walking around the other day, parts of the city were bursting into bloom with blossoms almost everywhere. Here are a few photos.

Very nice.

 

I'm sure we have some bursting blooms up here in the boonies. In fact, I'm sure of it (can't see them because of the bad air but I can hear them gasping....).

I've heard that gasping, but always thought is was you trying to do it for the 3td time in one hour.

I know nothing about plants, flowers or horticulture, but since Thailand is warm all year long, what influences plants to bloom? Is there a spring season that is triggered by something other than warmer weather in tropical climates?

 

They are all very beautiful pictures, Fountainhall.

I've heard that gasping, but always thought is was you trying to do it for the 3td time in one hour.

 

Nah, for that you'll hear the ambulance...

Is there a spring season that is triggered by something other than warmer weather in tropical climates?

I believe there are two periods when the trees blossom, as I seem to recall another later in the year. In addition, there is the wonderful flowering of what I call the 'flame trees' - bright orange-red blossom made up of orange-like segments that covers entire trees and seems almost to flood Bangkok in mid-May for a couple of weeks. (My use of the term 'flame tree' may be inaccurate as I know 'flame trees' are generally found in Africa. Whatever the true name, 'flame tree' always seems to me a pretty accurate description).

Is there a spring season that is triggered by something other than warmer weather in tropical climates?

 

May be rains after the dry season?

I know nothing about plants, flowers or horticulture, but since Thailand is warm all year long, what influences plants to bloom? Is there a spring season that is triggered by something other than warmer weather in tropical climates?

 

I was quite surprised when I was in Laos in February 2011, I found out that trees (teak trees more precisely) shed their leaves during the dry season to reduce evaporation. The dry leaves are left on the ground and finally burned by the natives to give ashes used as fertilizer.

 

For more information about flowers in Thailand, with botanical background, look here: http://www.orchids-flowers.com/ (As far as I know, they are based in Chiang Mai.)

Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing. It really reminded me of my first trip to Thailand. I went there with a professional photographer and he was taking tons of photos. We went to every Orchid farm that we could find and since we were there for a long holiday, we had time to take tons of pics. Here are some from me from that trip. His was more pro but I can't post without his permission.

Thanks fellas for sharing your photos...

very beautiful indeed!

 

tj

I love the orchid farms, but have not been to one since I got a digital camera. They offer so many photo ops. Perhaps on my next visit . . .

Last note on the subject. Having been to Japan recently specifically to see the cherry blossom, I hadn't realised that Bangkok actually has quite a number of such trees. Unlike Japan, Washington etc. they are individual trees rather than clustered together, and that's perhaps why I have not noticed them before. But over the last couple of days I have seen several just in my area and managed to get some photos before the blossoms were blown away in the hot winds.

 

 

Going to college near DC, I always loved seeing the Cherry blossoms bloom in the city. It was so beautiful and I never missed a year going down to see it. I wish I had photos from back in those days.

In the last 10 years, I must have been going around Bangkok with my eyes facing down the whole time! There are now trees with the most glorious red blossom. It is bright red for a couple of days, and then turns a weaker orange-red for a day or so before blowing away. Does anyone know what its name is? It's not what I call the flame tree which will starts to blossom in a couple of weeks - the trees with red blossom that looks a bit like segments of a large orange (the fruit, that is!)