Why my garden deserves a much better gardener
You might think I am making excuses, but I'm pretty sure all the problems I have with my garden today can be traced back to the fact that I wasn’t here to do work...
Do hostas look better with or without their flowers?
Do hostas look better with or without their flowers?
Many people don't like the flowers and cut them off the moment they appear on their long stalks.
Other love the flowers and would never think of...
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...
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...
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...
Grand Garden Tour Reunion Gala planned for Sept. 2
If you've been with us on a garden tour, you'll be interested to know that we have a Grand Garden Tour Reunion Gala planned for Sept. 2.
It will be held at the Shadbolt Centre...
Amazing art of stone balancing but is it garden sculpture?
Not sure what this has to do with gardening, except that I saw this demonstration at the Chelsea Flower Show in May and was quite amazed.
Here you see artist Adrian Grey balancing a very...
Return to Free Spirit to see old friends, buy new plants
It’s been ages since I last saw my friends Lambert and Marjanne Vrijmoed, owners of Free Spirit Nursery on 32nd Avenue in Langley.
I’m not sure why we haven’t seen more of each other over...
This hummingbird was worth waiting for
When I got this fabulous echeveria Blue Rose hanging basket the other day from WIG nursery in Burnaby, Alfred Kwan, the owner, advised me to cut off the flower stalks.
"The beauty is in the...
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...
