European river cruise celebration for 2020
For 2020, we are planning a special celebration European River Cruise.
The idea is to bring together people for a unique celebration/adventure with special on-and-off boat...
How my granddaughters did a pretty spring container
Emma and Julie start work on their container project
What to do with my granddaughters, Julie, 3, and Emma, 2, on a snowy day when it is...
Lessons learned from walks to paradise gardens
Laskett, the garden of Sir Roy Strong
The decision to visit a garden is an important one. It's a commitment that starts deep in the soul, I...
10 reasons to come to Italy and Croatia in September
There are dozens of reasons for you to want to come to Italy and Croatia with us in September, but here are just 10 things that will make our 15-day exclusive...
Sad and shocking debacle of Brazil’s brilliant Bernardo Paz
The recent devastating dam disaster in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, made me think back to our visit to the region in 2013 to see Inhotim, the fabulous garden/art complex, located in...
Italy-Croatia 2019: Announcing fab new tour for September
Today, I am delighted to announce details of my next garden/culture tour - a wonderful 15-day exclusive trip in September to Umbria, Italy, starting in Rome, and continuing with an exciting...
Here’s a taste of what we can expect at Chelsea in May
In May, I will be in London with a tour group, visiting the Chelsea Flower Show, which this year runs from May 21 to 25 in its usual spot on the...
Want to buy this house . . . and save a beautiful garden?
It’s not at all unusual for gardeners to grow old and discover they are unable to take care of their garden as well as they would like.
Favourite moments in pictures from our tours in 2018
INDIA IN FEBRUARY
Palace garden, New DelhiGarden tomb of HumayunClaridges, New DelhiChandigarh Taj MahalUdaipurTea pickers in MunnarSunset in Kerala Kingfisher on Arabian SeaOn Lake Pichola in Udaipur.
Could this be the biggest dahlia in the world?
Giant dahlia at house in Kyoto
Over the years, I’ve seen dozens of dahlias, big and small, in all sorts of gardens here and abroad.
No darkness but ignorance: Old words, new insights
I have walked through Leicester Square in London many times over the years.
I lived in London for a time in the 1970s when I worked as...
How I learned to make a perfect Japanese origami crane
Origami crane in the Japanese style
It was a thrill for me when I was in Japan recently to receive two spontaneous lessons in origami from complete...
What I am missing about Japan already: A love story
I am head over heels in love with Japan. I don’t know why this happened now rather than the first time I visited this most excellent country four years ago. But I am now...
Last day in Kyoto spent exploring temple gardens, walking the Philosophy Path
For our last full day in Kyoto, we started by visiting the bamboo forest and Tenryu-ji Temple (Temple of the Heavenly Dragon) in the Sagano district.
The temple dates back to 1339 but the site...
Time in Kyoto’s exquisite temple gardens and fun food market
To start our first full day in Kyoto, we went to Ryoan-ji Temple, mainly to see the beautiful and famous raked gravel and stone courtyard garden.
The garden measures only 25m from east to west...
From Hiroshima to the white heron castle and Kyoto
The moment we arrived in Himeji from Hiroshima we could see the famous 14th century “white heron castle” also known as the “snow castle”, which is a Unesco Cultural Heritage site and regarded as...
Lessons in peace and mercy in Hiroshima and Miyajima
The first place we went when we arrived in Hiroshima was to the site where the atom bomb exploded at 8:15 in the morning on August 6, 1945.
Today, there is a small monument on...
From Tokyo to Matsumoto, Takayama and Kanazawa
From Tokyo, we travelled by express train to Matsumoto, a city with views of the Japanese Alps, which were snow-capped and beautiful when we arrived.
Apparently, Nagano Prefecture, in which Matsumoto is located, is one...
From Shinto shrine to sushi-making in Ginza
The Meiji Shrine in Shiibuya was only a short ride from our hotel in Shinjuku.
Unlike yesterday, the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly.
It was a delight to gently strolled through...
Into Japan’s famous “hell valley” to taste delicious black eggs
We came to Owakudani, also known as the “boiling valley”, an active volcanic area of Hakone, south of Tokyo, to see Mt. Fuji from a boat on Lake Ashinoko, a crater lake formed by...
