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...
Fun start to Japan tour with visits to key Tokyo sites
My Japan tour got under way with a walking tour of the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku followed by a fun welcome dinner at a yakitori restaurant.
Kabukicho is the entertainment district, sometimes compared to Amsterdam’s...
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...
Why I am excited to be going back to Japan
Before going to Japan for the second time, I have been practising my origami skills.
I love the way a simple square coloured piece of paper can be magically transformed by a series of crisp...
Adventure into Italy and Croatia 2019
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
Being close to beauty - fantastic, transcendent, eternal, saturating...
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...
Now’s the perfect time to plant new bulbs for spring
What bulbs should you plant for a beautiful display next spring?
You'll find hundreds of varieties on offer at your local garden centre, but I found all the ones I need - all the ones...
Off to Salt Spring Island to talk about great gardens
Hard to believe, but while I've lived in BC since 1979, I've never visited Salt Spring Island.
Fact is, I’ve only been to one of the Gulf Islands - Pender - and that was...
Tale of two visits: Polygon Gallery and Park and Tilford Garden
It has been years since I last walked around Park and Tilford Garden in North Vancouver.
I stopped by with my grandchildren as we made our way home from visiting the new Polygon Gallery at...
Back to WIG to get treatment for my little succulent picture
My little picture frame of succulents, which has decorated the front of my garage for the past five years, finally started to show its age this week and began to look a little tatty.
I...
