Khun Attachai Poonsen, or Khun Chai, is the manger of Samui Dream Gardens and he’s been designing and landscaping private gardens for 20 years. Khun Chai has developed this professionally organised company to help people create their own piece of paradise on Samui.

The two most important things for Khun Chai are, firstly, to listen to the customer and create a garden that matches perfectly with their vision. And, secondly, he hopes that by creating wonderful natural gardens for people he will be restoring some of the island’s beauty that’s been lost to development. He explains, “It’s a company that sells dreams – not just plants.”

This is extremely important for Samui, and it makes good sense. For example: if an area of forest land is cleared to build houses, the island loses an area of natural beauty. However, if the houses are built in a style that complements the surroundings and each house has its land area landscaped appropriately, then at the end of the construction work the area will once again look beautiful.

An extensive list of services and products are on offer to meet all your gardening requirements. So, if you want to buy individual plants, pots or sculptures; if you need a garden to be planned, designed and completely landscaped; or if you need your garden to be maintained, Samui Dream Gardens can assist.

Khun Chai has ensured that at each stage the customer is dealt with by an expert and not a multi-purpose staff member. The 3D plans are prepared by experts and a professional sculptor designs and makes each ornament to your specifications.

The 3D plans are very impressive with basic designs prepared initially and, after consultation with the customer, the finishing touches and plants are added to the plan creating a photo-like appearance of how your finished garden will look.

No garden is too small, or too big, to be improved by this company. At present it’s designing a Tibetan-style meditation garden of immense proportions, with salas, specifically-designed sculptures and features created to use the natural elements that will cater for all the senses. Khun Chai usually deals directly with the individual house owners. However, he will also work with developers and spa or resort owners who require larger areas of landscaping, or work on several gardens.

This is a Thai company with native workers who have an understanding of tropical plants; of what works, where and why. But the company has a very western structure and the gardens are completed, in many cases, to appeal to western home owners.

The business is located in separate areas to maximise its potential: a grass farm near Bangkok; a plant nursery and workshop in Lamai; and the show-garden and shop in Choeng Mon. The grass and any imported plants are initially delivered to the nursery in Lamai where they’re cared for over a period of time before being planted into your garden. This ensures that the plants have fully recovered from any journey and are in the best possible condition when planted. All furniture can also be made here without being on show or affecting the peacefulness of the show-garden.

The show-garden, shop and coffee area is on the road from Chaweng to Choeng Mon and here you will see examples of the sculptures, planting and landscaping on offer. And you can enjoy all of this whilst having a coffee and chatting with Khun Chai about your needs. For Khun Chai, this is a chance to turn his talent, and lifelong hobby, into a business opportunity. It’s clear that he cares about the services and products he provides. And, more importantly, he cares about how the island looks and how best to restore damaged areas that would otherwise be left untended.

He explains that people spend a lot of money buying houses and having swimming pools. But, many neglect to allocate a budget specifically for the garden. And he points out that the garden will be what creates the important first impression of your home. It’s not an area that should be ignored; the dressing of the garden can be equally as effective as the furniture inside the house.

Home owners should be realistic when planning a garden and work out a suitable budget. If you’re spending Bt40 million on a luxury home then would Bt1.5 million, spent on creating a dream garden to match the house be that much. Probably not, and the overall effect of a well-tended garden can vastly increase a home’s attraction for rent or for re-sale. And, in addition to this fact, Samui has a tropical climate where the garden should be an area that can be used and enjoyed for relaxation or play during the day and for outdoor dining at night.

Once the dream garden has been finished it will undoubtedly need to be cared for. If you’re a full-time resident then maybe this is something you can do yourself with some tips and advice from Khun Chai. If not, his team can take care of things for you on a regular basis.

So, it seems that Samui Dream Gardens has thought of everything it can do to help you get a beautiful, and well-maintained, garden that best represents your own vision of a tropical paradise.