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Falling in love with my electric blue rhodo all over again

There are hundreds of varieties of rhododendron. But I always fall in love every spring with the one in my front garden, Rhododendron augustinii.It is a mesmerizing, electric blue and looks amazing set against...

Time to fall in love with rhododendrons

Williamsianum Taurus Sappho PJM Ken Janeck Cinnabarium Impeditum Hotei Dora Amateis Rhododendron augustinii, lovely rhodo for any garden 10 OF THE BEST FOR YOUR GARDEN AND WHERE TO GO TO SEE MOREApril and May are prime months to see rhododendrons at their best. Since it...

Why planting bulbs with kids is always so rewarding

I've always enjoyed planting bulbs with my kids. Now I enjoy bulb planting with my grandkids. And Jake, 8, is always very enthusiastic.There is so much we can learn by planting spring flowering bulbs...

Why October makes me think of the beauty of spring

When October comes around, I can't help thinking about spring. Yes, fall is fabulous with its magnificent colour changes and calm days, blue skies and mild temperatures. But October is the perfect time to plant...

Words for a little boy from a dragonfly master

I was chatting wth my grandson, Jake, 8, the other day about dragonflies.“They land on you and they bite,” said Jake.I said I had never had a dragonfly land on me, not once in...

I’ve always had a soft spot for well-clipped boxwood

I've always been partial to clipped boxwood. I'm English, but that is not the reason. You will find beautiful trimmed boxwood in many Dutch, French and Belgian gardens as well as...

Stories, photos of our 28 tours

Since 2009, we have led 28 garden tours to numerous countries, including the UK, Italy, France, U.S., Ireland, South Africa, Japan, China, Brazil, the Netherlands, India, Spain, Belgium, Morocco, Singapore, Myanmar, Croatia, Montenegro and...

We have the joy of spring . . . then comes summer.

If things were normal and we were not in the middle of this awful pandemic, I would be getting ready right now to go to Europe for a divine river cruise on the Danube,...

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...

Never tire of doing this fun project with paperwhites

I’ve been growing paperwhites in glass vases for more than 20 years. I remember buying a bag of these amazing little bulbs...

Farewell to Ljubljana as our tour comes to a happy conclusion

In Ljubljana, we started the last day of our tour with a walk around the old town centre. Colourful building outside our hotel in Ljubljana

From Zagreb to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia

On our last day in Zagreb, we walked from our hotel to the botanic garden. Inside Zagreb botanical garden Inside we found an...

Loving Zagreb for its lively downtown and beautiful parks

Our journey to Zagreb was easy and relaxing and not too long and we arrived just in time for lunch and to check into our hotel, Hilton Canopy, which is in...

Goodbye Split, hello Plitvice Lakes National Park

We left Split and headed north towards Zagreb, but we had planned to stop on the way at Plitvice Lakes National Park. We had been told this...

Out to Krka National Park to see the falls and Sibenik

It took just about 90 minutes to get there out of Split, but the time passed very quickly as the scenery on the way is quite nice. 

From Croatia into Montenegro and on to Split

Sunday we crossed the border into Montenegro to visit Perast where we took a boat to see the church of the Lady on the Rocks island. Pauline...

From Italy to Croatia and the Dalmatian coast

In Perugia, we had no idea that to reach the town centre we would have to take a series of escalators. The town is at the top of a steep hill...

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...

Into the Pope’s garden and a party up on the roof

Monday morning we went to the Vatican to see the Pope’s garden, which covers about 60 acres. It is located behind the Vatican buildings which means you get a very good close...

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