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...
Fun time discovering London at its sunny best
We just spent a wonderful week in London showing our granddaughter, Maya, the sights. It was her first time in London, so everything was amazing for her.
We started with a ride on the Tube...
Look what can happen when you go to Point Roberts to see beautiful gardens
Over the years I’ve had a lot of fun going to visit private gardens on special tours organized by Point Roberts Garden Club.
One of the most memorable was in 2014 when I ended up...
Sorry but ants are not allowed to run willy-nilly in my garden
Killing creatures is not something I ever like to do. At heart, I like to think of myself as a man who wouldn't harm a fly.
I capture moths by hand or by using...
France-England Tour 2019 has fabulous, unique itinerary
Let me tell you about the exciting 17 day France-England tour May 9 - 25, 2019 that I am launching today. (As of July 3, this tour is sold out, but we still have...
FRANCE-ENGLAND TOUR 2019: DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY:
May 9 Day 1 – Our first stop of this tour, Paris, the city of love, light and also beautiful gardens. We will meet our French tour manager at the airport...
World Cup soccer and gardening. It’s a great combination
My time these days is divided between two activities - watching World Cup soccer and doing garden projects. It's a pleasant mix.
In the garden, I decided to try growing Thunbergia alata, the Black-eyed Susan...
Still love my beautiful Chinese tree after all these years
Lovely flowers of my Manglietia insignis here in full bloom.
They don’t open all at once, but sporadically, evenly decorating the tree with thick green buds with a slight burgundy tinge as well as fully-opened,...
Six garden wonders that continue to inspire and delight
The six wonderful garden projects featured here have inspired and delighted us for years. They are still among the most creative, original, artistic works of landscaping the world has seen.
I don't think it's...
Great to be back in the garden but so much work to do
You play, you pay, says my neighbour.
What she is referring to is the fact that while I was away in Europe for a month (playing), my garden was suffering and languishing from neglect....
