Goodbye Wales, hello Ireland
From Portmeirion, we travelled across the Llyn peninsula to Caernarfon to see the castle and wander the town.
But first, we popped into what is one of the meccas for lovers of rare and unusual hardy plants, shrubs and trees - Crug Farm, a speciality nursery, owned and run by Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones.
Bleddyn started out as a beef farmer...
Protected: Longwood introduces another winning clivia
Longwood Gardens, the magnificent 1,077-acre garden estate built by Pierre du Pont, is a wonderful place to visit any time of year.
When I visited in March, the conservatory contained thrilling displays of orchids, echium, bromeliads and clerodendrum.
But for the past forty years, the garden has been doing outstanding work hybridizing clivia. It was a breeding program started in 1976...
In memory of my friend Umberto Garbuio
My friend Umberto (Bert) Garbuio died Friday, March 13 at his home on Cambridge Street in North Burnaby. He was 90.
Born in the Veneto region of Italy, he came to Canada on a ship with other young Italians in the 1950s. (You can see a photo of him below on that...
SOUTH AFRICA 2012
In October, 2012, we went for the first time to South Africa with an ambitious plan to take the Garden Route from Cape Town before moving on across the Little Karoo to Knysna and George and then on to Durban, Swaziland and Johannesburg. In addition, we had a stopover at Kruger National Park for a game-drive.
Forty people came with...
Exciting new plants for spring
Looking for some new plants to add to your garden this spring? Here are some new varieties being offered by Heritage Perennials, of Abbotsford, one of the prime suppliers of top notch perennials to garden centres across Canada.
New varieties of Itoh peony. Paeonia - This new breed of peonies, offering the hardiness of garden types plus the exotic flower colour of...
European river cruise celebration for 2020
For 2020, we are planning a special celebration European River Cruise.
The idea is to bring together people for a unique celebration/adventure with special on-and-off boat events and activities as we cruise through some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe as well as visit towns, gardens and places of historic...
Look what can happen when you go to Point Roberts to see beautiful gardens
Over the years I’ve had a lot of fun going to visit private gardens on special tours organized by Point Roberts Garden Club.
One of the most memorable was in 2014 when I ended up meeting Dave and Jenny Stumpo for the first time.
They have a beautiful garden overlooking the ocean. At that time, their garden was full of ornamental...
Why my life in the garden is still an endless joy
Am I still having fun in the garden? Yes, gardening is still a wonderful pastime. And, hard to believe, I am still getting excited about new plant acquisitions and new planting ideas.
This week, for instance, I saw for the first time a Tasmanian blueberry vine (Billardiera longiflora) in the garden of a friend on Salt Spring Island.
This vine,...
Now’s the perfect time to plant new bulbs for spring
What bulbs should you plant for a beautiful display next spring?
You'll find hundreds of varieties on offer at your local garden centre, but I found all the ones I need - all the ones I find perform best - are available, for much less, in nice packages at Costco.
I popped into my local store this week and picked...
10 favourite shrubs
Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’ (butterfly bush)
Walk into any garden and most of the plants you see come from other parts of the world. Buddleia, the butterfly bush, originates from the Sichuan and Hubei areas of China. It gets its name because it has the uncanny knack of attracting butterflies. ‘Black Knight’ is one of the most beautiful and reliable...
See the wonders of India on this exciting 14-day tour
July 9, 2017
Today, I am happy to announce the launch of my next garden tour - an exclusive 14-day trip to India in February with the option of a six-day add-on to explore the spectacular Kochi backwaters.
This is the most exotic, colourful and spicy destination we have ever visited.
In the past, we have taken tours to China, Japan, South...
Time to see great gardens in England, Wales and Ireland
Today I am heading to the UK to lead two garden tours in England, Wales and Ireland, starting in Manchester, then to the Lake District and North Wales, then over to Dublin and southern Ireland and from there down to London for the magnificent Chelsea Flower Show.
More than 60 people are coming with me; 30 on each tour. It is going to wonderful.
To get...
How to make a grand entrance because first impressions matter
What kind of first impression does your garden make?
The entrance is an important first feature. Being the first thing visitors see, it sets the tone for what is to come.
Like all first impressions, an entrance can say a lot about who you are. In a glance, it give ups clues to the kind of style and detail likely...
Putting the garden to bed for winter and I need help
Oh my, time once again to put the garden to bed for winter.
Kew has mighty forklifts to place heavy citrus box planters into storage. But I have my own heavy-lifting apparatus - my son, Peter, who comes, without complaining every October, to help me lift heavy pots of tender plants into their winter quarters where they will be protected...
Can you repeat that – it looks so good, just keep doing it
Visual repetition always catches my eye. I love it when it is done well. In the garden, it is a very clever way to create rhythm and add impact.
On Beatty Street in Vancouver this week, I found this repetitive planting of variegated Carex ‘Ice Dance’ grasses used in a series of rectangular concrete planters placed to divide the...
CHINA 2015
In April, 2015, we went to China to lead a 16-day garden/culture tour, from Shanghai to Beijing, stopping on the way to visit Suzhou, Luoyang, Xian and Guilin. This included a boat ride on the Li River, time at the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army and time tasting and picking tea in Guilin.
Our adventure began in...
Next stop, Cape Town, South Africa for a 15-day tour
In September, I will be heading back to Cape Town, South Africa, to lead my second garden tour there.
In 2012, I led a tour out of Cape Town along the Garden Route, calling at Stellenbosch and Knysna on route before leaving the Western Cape to jump over to Durban and Swaziland and on to Johannesburg.
This time, we will...
Italy Islands and Lakes Tour 2018 – NOW SOLD OUT
October 6, 2017Today, I am delighted to announce the launch of our 15-day Italy Islands and Lakes Tour for May 6 to 20, 2018. THIS TOUR IS NOW SOLD OUT.There is no other tour like this being offered anywhere. It is one of a kind - unique in design, pacing and content.The tour will start in Lugano, Switzerland, where...
Love me tender: it’s the hottest new trend in clematis and exotic vines
People don't care anymore when they buy a clematis if it dies at the end of summer. They just want to have good flower impact on their patio, balcony or deck for a few months.
After, they don't care what happens to the vine.
This according to Rob Wein, one of the owners of Clearview Horticultural, the biggest grower of clematis...
Three’s company: Fibonacci knew all along it would add up
Who knows why things always seem to look better when they are arranged in threes.
I always tell people it has to do with Fibonacci numbers. Fibonacci was the 12th century Italian mathematician who figured out that a certain sequence of numbers somehow mirrors patterns that happen naturally in nature.
The numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,...
