Be embowered in ‘The Garden VII’ extravaganza

Our life is blessed with the pleasurable coexistence of floras that paint colors and beauty to the surroundings. They keep us mentally enlivened and also provide the inspiration behind ‘The Garden’ fair to be hosted for the 7th consecutive year by Fashion Island on November 20 - 29 on the first and second floors of the shopping center.


Mr. Prasert Sriuranpong, Executive Director of Siam Retail Development Co., Ltd., the operator of Fashion Island Shopping Center, says: “Fashion Island is playing host to ‘The Garden VII’ fair in collaboration with Nong Nooch Garden & Resort and Air Orchid & Lab under ‘Green World’ concept on November 20 - 29 this year on the first and second floor of the shopping center. The fair highlights the magnificent beauty of ‘Chompoonakarin’, an orchid named by HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajnagarindra, plus an impressive collection of floras on exhibit. This year, Fashion Island’s Center Court will be turned into an impressively large garden that houses some 3,800 prehistoric cycads and palms of 210 species, and an orchid contest will be held by the Botanical Society of Thailand under Royal Patronage of HM the King. Visitors can expect to wind down amid plants in a relaxing ambience enhanced by pleasing music in the garden, bring home golden teak and auspicious sprouts prepared as giveaway, and learn and experiment with simple garden design and maintenance tips as well as creative decoration of baked clay pots, among other things.”
Splendor of Cycads and Palms

According to Mr. Niroj Chanta, Assistant Operation Manager at Nong Nooch Garden & Resort, cycads and palms are popular garden plants because the unique form of their leaves and trunk. Cycads have tapered, narrow leaves like those of palms. They prefer sunny environment and are easy to rear. Their beautiful leaves make them popular as decorative garden plants alongside foliage and aquatic plants by a garden cascade or fountain. Palms are, on the other hand, distinguished by their unbranched, intermodal segmented stem with the leaves arranged at the top. Their leafstalks are large and long. The leaves of all palms extend from the tip of the leafstalks, but the form of the leaves may vary from species to species. Some of cycads and palms on exhibit at The Garden VII fair are:

Carpoxylon or Valentine Palm is a popular species with trunk that grows to 18 meters tall and 25cm in diameter. It has striking green crownshaft and leafstalks that form pinnate arches of a heart, making it a garden favorite as symbol of eternal love.White Elephant Palm is among rare and pricey palms. It has thornless, all-black leafstalks and leaves that are green on the top side but white on the underside. Its fruit, about the size of a golf ball, is born white and turns orange when ripe. The species is limited to only one method of growth – seeding.Macrozamia is hailed as the most beautiful cycad of Australian origin because of its peculiar appearance with underground stem. Another distinctive feature is the white dots, more than a hundred if counted, seen at the point where the leaves extend from their leafstalk. These leaves are measured up to 2 meters in length when fully grown.Debaoensis is a species that traces its history back 100 million of years ago. It was discovered for the first time in 1997 in a remote Chinese countryside. With a population below 200, debaoensis is on the list of endangered species under conservation program of Chinese Forestry Department.Chamaoensis is the only species whose only known habitat is in Thailand – on Khao Chamao mountain in the eastern province of Chanthaburi. A rare species, the cycad is a much sought-after item among collectors of exotic plants around the world. A conservation effort is currently underway to experiment with breeding and growing this endangered cycad outside its natural habitat.

Don’t miss the chance to admire the beauty and fascination of plants in ‘The Garden VII’ from November 20 until 29 at Center Court, first and second Floors, Fashion Island Shopping Center.