Come with us to Ireland on this exciting 15-day Grand Circle Tour
Today, I am delighted to announced the official launch of my 15-day Ireland Grand Circle Tour.It will start in Dublin on Oct. 1 and circle around the picturesque south coast and along the sensational west coast and up to Northern Ireland, Derry, Belfast and out to the Giant’s Causeway before returning to Dublin. We will be staying in excellent hotels including a...
Only a few weeks to the start of our Grand Ireland Circle Tour
It is only a few weeks now until the start of our fabulous 15-day Ireland Grand Circle Tour which will start in Dublin on Oct. 1. (THIS TOUR IS NOW SOLD OUT)The tour will sweep around the picturesque south and beautiful west coast of the island, up to the north, with visits to Derry, Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway and...
Japanese courtyard a lovely addition to Agnes Mendoza’s East Vancouver garden
I remember the first time I met Agnes Mendoza. It was back in 2004. I was driving west along McGill in East Vancouver when I spotted this garden at the corner of Slocan. I had noticed it once before but this time it had grown considerably.
I stopped and went and knocked on the door of the house and Agnes...
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...
Lovely gardens of Lawrence Johnston
What few people know about Lawrence Johnston, the great British garden maker, is that he was almost left for dead on the battlefield during the First World War.
A friend just happened to spot his body lying on the top of a pile of corpses and noticed that he was breathing. The friend called for help and Johnston was rescued...
A visit to Holland’s gorgeous Keukenhof garden
I have been to the Keukenhof garden in Lisse outside Amsterdam a couple of times. The first time was in early April when the giant blocks of colour created by mass plantings of tulips and daffodils, mascari and hyacinths were at their peak.
The second time was in May, just before I headed over to London for the Chelsea Flower...
Villa d’Este: The world’s greatest water garden
My first visit to Villa d'Este was a long journey. Loraine and I took the train from Rome and then a bus for the final few miles up to Trivoli, the hill town where the garden is located. It took about two hours to get there, as I remember it, because of waits for the train and buses.
The next time,...
