Two new pillars lift my garden to new heights
Well, it certainly looks as if the obsession with honeysuckle pillars that I caught at Powis Castle Garden in North Wales earlier this month has already taken hold in my garden.
At the weekend, I...
Who knew Irish gardens could be this exotic and eclectic
When I went to see gardens in Ireland a few weeks ago, I really expected to see pretty much the same kind of plant material we have in our gardens here in Vancouver.
I knew...
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...
Five terrific specialties for your garden
Here are five garden specialties that I stumbled upon while wandering around one of my favourite local nurseries, Western Independent Greenhouses, here in Burnaby.
Wired hen composed of houseleeks. This is wire framed chicken is...
Perfect small tree for a home garden
There are dozens of excellent trees for the average sized home garden, but forced to choose just one tree, I would pick this one - the Japanese snowbell tree (Styrax japonicus). It's the perfect...
Gorgeous rose collapses under weight of blooms
My Reine des Violettes old-world rose has collapsed under the weight of abundant blooms and smothered the little wooden bench below.
I never expected this rose to produce such an avalanche of flowers, particularly after...
Honeysuckle pillar is a great space-saving idea for all gardens
I have been agonizing over what to do with a space in the garden that has become an eyesore since a large Clematis montana growing over a Viburnum Summer Snowflake collapsed and died over...
Back in the garden and lots of morning glory to pull
Back in my garden today after five weeks away, leading garden tours in England, Wales and Ireland, and I already see how much work I need to do.
There is so much morning glory. It...
Last days in Ireland spent in great gardens, Dublin delights
Our last few days in Ireland were spent, first, going down to Wexford and Waterford and seeing some lovely gardens on the way there and back, and then finishing up in Dublin with last...
Into Altamont, one of Ireland’s great garden treasures.
Altamont is one of Ireland's loveliest gardens, largely due to the work of Corona North who continued the work of improving the garden started by her father.
Before we stepped foot in the main garden,...
Two lovely gardens are Ireland’s dynamic duo
Killruddery, a large estate outside of Dublin, has been in the Brabazon family for the past 400 years.
We arrived early Sunday morning and immediately headed to the border with the superb stand of echium.
There...
In Dublin fair city where the gardens are so pretty
Dublin is not a huge city. It takes no time at all to walk from St. Stephen's Green to Grafton Street to the River Liffey and O'Connell Street and into the Temple Bar area. Trinity...
Goodbye Wales, hello Ireland: Back to delightful Dublin
People ask me how does it feel to do back-to-back tours when you end up going to the same places twice and seeing the same things one more time.
My response is always the same:...
Ode to Gelert and Powis revisited
From Llandudno, we again headed down to the village of Beddgelert to visit the grave of the dog, Gelert, who lost his life defending the children of Prince Llewellyn against a huge wolf.
When I...
Second Wales-Ireland tour begins in brilliant sunshine
After the Chelsea Flower Show, which was magnificent and so much fun, we headed back to Manchester to meet our new group to start the second garden tour of the Lake District and North...
Fewer feature gardens but Chelsea Flower Show still fabulous
It is always a joy to attend the Chelsea Flower Show. This year's show was no exception. It was a delight in every way with stunning display gardens and immaculate plant exhibits and a...
Top new plants and flower displays at Chelsea Flower Show
It's always tricky to decide which are the key plants at the Chelsea Flower Show because there are literally thousands on display.
But it did appear that purple and blue were favoured for flower and...
Quirky, whimsical and imaginative touches at the Chelsea Flower Show
There are dozens of quirky, whimsical, imaginative items on display at the Chelsea Flower Show. The pity is that you can't buy some of it and get it home, although some retailers do ship.
But...
Last day in Dublin: Book of Kells, Guinness and literary pubs
Our last days in Dublin were spent making a few important visits - one to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College, another to tour the Guinness factory and a few key sights...
From Waterford to the glorious garden of Mount Usher
Waterford, which is said to be Ireland’s oldest town, dating back to the time when it was a Viking settlement, was a delight.
We toured the famous crystal factory and saw some amazing crystal pieces....
