drtreelove Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Yesterday afternoon/evening I had the opportunity to participate in a Chiang Mai Garden Club meeting and visit to Dokmai Garden near Hang Dong, a relatively new botanical gardens, run by a Swedish horticulturist and his Thai wife and family. It is a very well organized project with sections on Thai native plants and trees, edible plants, herbs, butterfly attracting plants and other features, all with educational plant identity signs in English, Thai and Japanese. And of course one of the highlights for me is the large, mature, native forest mango tree; one of the largest of this species that I have seen in northern Thailand. They have horticultural books and gifts too. www.dokmaigarden.co.th Check it out. don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Is there an entry fee? I drove past there last week but it seemed completely empty.. big parking lot and nobody there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterisbetter Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 I just visited dokmai gardens on tuesday, july 20 and i wasvery impressed. For one thing I got to see my first live cacao tree.Granted it was a sapling but I thought I could detect incipient cocoa podsalready.For me it was something on the order of "See Naples and die" I think currently they have over 900 species and more than half are veryclearly and informatively labeled. So much so that if Eric, should beoccupied elsewhere, you could learn a lot on your own. Eric did accompany on mytour so I got to pepper him with questions including questions about pepper. I don't know if anybody else has noticed large chunks of wood in the foodmarket. Turns out they come from a relative of the vine that producespepper. The wood has its own peppery taste and I think is used in soupsup here. Anyway, I was so impressed by the place that I got me a yearlymembership for 600 baht. Which allows me not only unlimited access toharass Eric with questions (he is really very gracious and enthusiastic aboutsharing his passion for plants) but it also allows me free access to hisswimming hole (an abandoned quarry) and the right to fish it. L Oh, and the grounds arebeautifully landscaped as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainiain101 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 From the web site Tariffs at Dokmai Garden: 300 Baht: Entrance fee. You pay for knowledge. 600 Baht: VIP card, unlimited entries during 1 year, including 1 guided tour. 3000 Baht: Lifetime membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaihog Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The directions on the website are not clear. When driving south along the canal road after the Samoeng junction, is this the same road that takes you to the Moo Bans 'Home in the Park' and 'Lanna Pinery'? Cheers :jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sansai Sam Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Is this the same place that used to be called Krisdadoi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenside Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The directions on the website are not clear. When driving south along the canal road after the Samoeng junction, is this the same road that takes you to the Moo Bans 'Home in the Park' and 'Lanna Pinery'? Cheers :jap: Yes. Keep going until you pass the Masterpiece Moo Ban and then it's about the fourth or fifth bridge over the canal. There's a sign. I enjoy going there. Eric has started to assemble a collection of academic value rather than a pretty flower garden and you never fail to learn some interesting stuff from a visit. The signage is very informative and as it's in Thai, English and Japanese its more helpful than that at say Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens (although they have more exotics there). He's also very generous with his time and has given me all kinds of useful advice. Two pictures above - the top one a lucky shot from last week and the other a couple of (wooden) tigers asleep under a spectacular tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 (edited) Awesome photo! Apparently I live near this (by McKean hospital?) - as I've noticed road signs... I'm eager to visit... Perhaps someone will someday stick a link to google maps for directionally challenged folk like myself...(or maybe I just hate the thought of being stuck on a scooter under a hot Thai sun finding a destination) I'm currently cultivating my own mini botanical garden with seeds from Europe. My sweet peas are going for it, as are my English country garden plants. Even have foxgloves on the go... p.s: check for fireflies tonight... got a gang floating around my garden now... awesome! Edited July 22, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomchaiCNX Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Awesome photo! Apparently I live near this (by McKean hospital?) - as I've noticed road signs... I'm eager to visit... Perhaps someone will someday stick a link to google maps for directionally challenged folk like myself...(or maybe I just hate the thought of being stuck on a scooter under a hot Thai sun finding a destination) If you live near Mckaen than you are about 25 km away from Dokmai Garden. If you hate the scooter why not take your bicycle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firelily Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 (edited) I remember driving past a sign to Dokmai garden on the way to Ob Khan national park / gorge, not very far from the canal road. no idea how far down the soi or exactly where, but thereabouts. from their website: Latitude and longitude for GPS owners: N18 40.634 E 98 52.749 that should help with google maps too Edited July 22, 2010 by Firelily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterussian Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 (edited) 25km? Blimey!!! Why on earth are they directing traffic down my little road?? - Maybe I am misreading the signs of course... Ah well... sounds like a trip on the chopper is in order! Still need a map - Done enough random bike touring around here... it's fun out in the high country, but around here... the thrill is gone... Sounds like the place really needs a google map here... hint hint... Thanks! Edited July 22, 2010 by whiterussian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaihog Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 (edited) Ah well... sounds like a trip on the chopper is in order! Thanks! If you have a Bell JetRanger http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/aircraft/commercial/bell206B-3.cfm then you'll find it in a jiffy Edited July 22, 2010 by Thaihog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenside Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Google Map Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drtreelove Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 Google Map Talk on medicinal plants scheduled for this Sunday, July 25, 3pm. Register early for discount entrance price. http://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/activity-on-medicinal-plants-sunday-july-25th/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 We visited the gardens a few months ago and the taxi driver insisted that we wanted to go to the Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens . That is where he takes all farung who want to see gardens. Luckily i had printed out some pages from the Dokmai website and a google map we were able to convince him to take us there and once off the main highway it was signposted so we managed not to get lost. Fantastic place it is and Eric is so knowlable. Spent about 3 or 4 hours there making everybody bored except me. It is great to see such a collection of plants especially economic plants . A great assett to not only Chaing Mai but to the whole of Thailand. I would also love to see it in 30 years time when it really has developed to maturity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLock Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 This thread is worth bumping. We really enjoyed Dokmai Gardens and Eric's generous time explaining each section and plant. You have to be in to plants and gardens to enjoy it, but if you are it's highly recommended. Great little garden seating area with freshly mades juices and drinks as well. Worthy of a Sunday afternon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkles Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 We went there a year ago and were a little disappointed only in that most of the trees were in their infancy and I guess a year on there is a huge difference . Its on the list of places to go again. Just an idea, wouldn't it be nice to see local schools sponsor a plot where they could plant various species and watch them grow. Geting their hands dirty ,weeding and trimming, under supervision of course, could aslo get them out of the classrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidOxon Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 We visited the gardens a few months ago and the taxi driver insisted that we wanted to go to the Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens . That is where he takes all farung who want to see gardens. Luckily i had printed out some pages from the Dokmai website and a google map we were able to convince him to take us there and once off the main highway it was signposted so we managed not to get lost. Fantastic place it is and Eric is so knowlable. Spent about 3 or 4 hours there making everybody bored except me. It is great to see such a collection of plants especially economic plants . A great assett to not only Chaing Mai but to the whole of Thailand. I would also love to see it in 30 years time when it really has developed to maturity. Lovely new word Thanks Xen David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 We visited the gardens a few months ago and the taxi driver insisted that we wanted to go to the Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens . That is where he takes all farung who want to see gardens. Luckily i had printed out some pages from the Dokmai website and a google map we were able to convince him to take us there and once off the main highway it was signposted so we managed not to get lost. Fantastic place it is and Eric is so knowlable. Spent about 3 or 4 hours there making everybody bored except me. It is great to see such a collection of plants especially economic plants . A great assett to not only Chaing Mai but to the whole of Thailand. I would also love to see it in 30 years time when it really has developed to maturity. Lovely new word Thanks Xen David Sorry, a spelling mistake that i didn't pick-up on when i reviewed what i wrote , but, yes , it may be appropiate too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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