Departing Dublin: Gardens of Killruddery and Powerscourt
On our last day in Dublin before we head into southern Ireland, we went out to see the gardens at Killruddery and Powerscourt. We will be returning to Dublin before we head off to London for the Chelsea Flower Show.
Killruddery House has been the home to the Brabazon family since 1618 and the gardens have been preserved in their...
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...
Check out these marvellous magnolias
We make a big fuss over cherry blossoms in Vancouver. But we ought to be making just as much fuss about magnolias since they are just as magnificent.
Some years ago, I planted a beautiful Yellow Bird magnolia in front of my house. After a harsh winter, I thought it had died but up from nowhere sprang a whole new tree.
What I didn't expect...
How beautiful to sight those beams of morning play
Don’t you just love seeing heavenly beams of sunlight.
I started taking photos of them when I was in South Africa recently and have not stopped snapping shots whenever I see them.
The beams always remind me of evocative Turner skies or the swirling spiritual skies of El Greco.
But I also always think of these wonderful words by Housman...
Back to the good life on Rome’s Via Veneto
We arrived in Rome a couple of days ahead of the start of our Italy-Croatia Tour and checked into the elegant Grand Hotel Palace on the Via Veneto, a street famous for the film La Dolce Vita. This location is ideal with easy access to the Borghese gardens and a short walk down to Piazza Barberini and...
Into Villa Lante, the Sacro Bosco and Lugnano
To the sound of Claudio Villa singing Arrivederci Roma, we left the Eternal City in our maroon coloured coach and headed north to Umbria.
Villa Lante guide Iza with frescos
But first, we stopped on our way to visit the famous garden at Villa Lante in Bagnaia just...
Why I blame Antonio Banderas for the way I am thinking
I’ve been thinking about my death a lot this week. I blame it on Antonio Banderas.
I read an interview with him in the Guardian about his work on Picasso in which he said, “I don’t want to live like I’m already dead. I’m just going to live it, and if I die, I die.”
Antonio’s words stuck in my mind....
SOUTHERN ITALY 2013
In May, 2013, we returned to Rome for another Italian tour, only this time out of Rome and down to the Amalfi Coast and then farther south to Sicily. This turned out to be one of the most fun tours, partly because we ended up with an exceptional guide, Max, a former TV soap star, who was always very...
Rediscovering love for Isola Bella and Isola Madre and more
Twenty years ago, I picked up a book by Penelope Hobhouse and read about a fantastic garden called Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore.
I remember looking at the beautiful pictures of this garden, and saying to Loraine, “Wow, how I would love one day to stand there.”
Who knew that just a few years later, my dream would come true and...
Life lessons and art treats in Russia’s classy St. Petersburg
We came to St. Petersburg for a few days rest and relaxation after the bustle of the Italy Islands and Lakes Tour, which we think was a big success.
Everyone one told me that I should be wary of petty thieves in Russia, especially St. Petersburg.
I scoffed a little.
I said I had been to Napoli, for goodness sake. If I...
Walking to the Summer Garden where they drank vodka on the Fontanka
Chizhik-Pyzhik, where've you been?
I’ve been drinking vodka on the Fontanka
- Russian folk song
When you go on a canal cruise in St. Petersburg, they usually take you down the Fontanka River alongside the Summer Garden.
And they teach you this little rhyme, related to the yellow feathers of the siskin bird that matched the colours of the uniform of the students...
There’s a seaside town called Sopot, noted for fresh air and fun
Let me tell you about Sopot. You may not have heard of it. I didn't know about it before now. Most of my friends have never heard of it either.
I wouldn’t have known about it at all had it not been for my brother, Raymond, and my sister-in-law Helena.
They come to Sopot often to see Helena's Polish relatives and...
Six garden wonders that continue to inspire and delight
The six wonderful garden projects featured here have inspired and delighted us for years. They are still among the most creative, original, artistic works of landscaping the world has seen.
I don't think it's going too far to call them six of the top garden wonders of the world. Let me know if you know other projects worthy of...
Fun time discovering London at its sunny best
We just spent a wonderful week in London showing our granddaughter, Maya, the sights. It was her first time in London, so everything was amazing for her.
We started with a ride on the Tube from Russell Square in Bloomsbury to Covent Garden from where we walked into Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery.
We went on the London Eye, visited...
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,...
Always a pleasure to explore calm, quiet, creative Tokyo
The ANA flight from Vancouver to Tokyo leaves at 3 in the afternoon, which means with the 17 hour time change, you get into the Japanese capital at 6 pm the following day.
This is perfect because by the time you get through customs and make the ride into town from Haneda Airport, you have just enough time for a...
