Once I was completely bored by a trade show in Paris. I left the venue early and found myself sitting down in a green area near the exhibition hall. I saw some beautiful honeysuckles. I always adore the scent of honeysuckles in perfumes and soaps. What could be better than honeysuckle seeds from Paris. I didn’t take the tree or even the flowers but I took some seeds and saved them in tissue paper. Now we have 2 trees in Khao Yai that are honey suckles from Paris. Their flowers are blooming well this year and the vines are climbing wildly.
Here’s what my mother-in-law sent me as a present. Some seeds she has collected over many..many years but never had the opportunity to grow. Some also came from my in-law’s travels and others from the magazines and local shops.
We went to Loey Province recently. I had my mind set on acquiring the seeds two different plants given opportunity to do so. I give you a clue- What constitutes denim cloth? They are cotton and indigo. Here’s what I got from the Tai Dum village in Loey.
Cotton- Some are naturally brown and others are classic white.
Indogo seeds
I didn’t know whether to separate the wooly bit of the cotton from the actual seed or not before planting. I ended up planting them with the wool. The indigo seed came in pods and I scrunched them in my hands before scattering the seeds in the soil.
Positive results but this is just the beginning. How little do I know these plants after so many years in the fashion industry. I don’t know how many cotton plants yield enough to make a meter of woven cloth. I do not know how to use indigo dye and make them color fast. I have a fantasy to try to at least see these plants grow organically to maturity. Who knows what may happen after. This might be a platform for my creativity.
Thai people don’t grow a lot of cotton for weaving any more. They buy their raw cotton probably from India- One of the biggest grower in the world. I hope that eventually all the cotton in the world would be ecologically safe (no pesticides and chemical fertilizers) and socially sound (fair and sustainable business for farmers). Too many people suffer and die from cotton cultivation. Here is a video about why organic cotton is a better option. You don’t have to know Japanese to understand the message.
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