In my newly purchased Lonely Planet Thailand Tour Guide 2003 book, I spotted a pitch for the Sunshine Orchid Nursery that features specialty hybrid orchids plus a plant that supposedly responded to music by waving its leaves to and fro. The book advised arriving before 9 AM to see the music loving plant perform while weather was still cool. We got up and going early, found the nursery and by 9 AM I was playing my mandolin to the plants. The plants did indeed fold their leaves in response to the music. Thip called the plant a “Sawasdee Plant” because to her it looked like it was performing the classic Thai “wye” – putting the palms of your hands together with fingers straight in a prayerful stance. I’m still not sure the plants weren’t making a negative statement instead, trying to cover their ears to block my feeble, screechy mandolin playing. I guess I’ll choose to go along with Thip’s interpretation since the plants themselves were otherwise silent on the matter.

I’ve played music in times past for folks at retirement homes who didn’t respond in any perceptible way. I found it more gratifying to play for these plants – which did respond. An amazing experience indeed! By the way, not all the orchids in the nursery were in full bloom yet - but the ones that were in bloom were beautiful. Dr. Pradit Kampermpool, the London educated, English language fluent, botanist owner of the nursery, appeared from his lab to check out the mandolin concert. He was quite complimentary, bless him. “Bak wan” is a Thai statement meaning “sweet mouth”. I’m choosing to believe he was serious with his compliments. Dr. Pradit has also cross-bred an orchid with a sweet smell (most orchids have little odor) and he has figured out how to make perfume from this orchid. I bought a bottle of the orchid perfume in appreciation for his well done and resourceful work (the compliments helped too). If you like flora, even a little bit, this is a must see-to-appreciate attraction when you’re in the Udon Thani area.

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