Uncle Grai sings to his veggies.
On our recent travels around Khao Yai, we stopped at the market garden owned and run by a local character known as Uncle Grai.
He sits in a large open-sided shed, surrounded by a sophisticated sound system, and sings Thai songs and slightly mangled versions of Western songs. Around the shed his staff work on, weeding, digging, planting and watering. The farm is dedicatedly organic.
Uncle Grai says that dousing plants with water gets rid of caterpillars. Sprinklers don't.
Uncle Grai’s usually got a good audience of people. But it’s to the vegetables that he primarily addresses his songs, believing that his vibes make them grow stronger, greener and more delicious. The plants seem to be able to appreciate his singing at quite a distance – and they certainly look very healthy.
Inside the shed there are plenty of vegetables for sale, not just from his garden but also from neighbouring ones, along with hats, homemade jewellery, ice cream and cold drinks,
Gardening hint from Uncle Grai: Don’t use sprinklers. It’s better to use a hose with a rose on the end to give the plants a good shower. In addition, the water knocks caterpillars and other plant-eating grubs off the leaves onto the ground, where they drown.
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Garden in Siam 