Every garden has a story: where the garden is located, what the architecture of the dwelling reveals about the times and place, and who the gardener was. Visiting the Jim Thompson Garden in Bangkok, Thailand, illustrates this thoroughly.
Category: Asia
Flowers Have Powers
My recent trip to Asia opened my eyes to an interconnected way of living with nature. I believe I revere nature, but I have been listening to Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, and my thoughts have been challenged. Reverance of nature is a cultural bias. Asian cultures have it embedded in all aspects of life. I was surprised to discover our Western culture has a different view of nature; we have an inherited belief in dominion over nature. (which is perhaps why one man believes it is ok to clearcut 200 million acres of national forests)
Welcoming the New Year in a Garden
As the new year begins with strong resolve and good intentions, we often focus on healthy pursuits such as exercise, reducing stress, and maintaining a positive attitude. I propose time in a garden is a great way to keep one’s resolve for better living all year.
Singapore’s Gardens By the Bay
Gardens By the Bay in Singapore opened in 2012, and over 50 million visitors have explored the gardens since then. This year, I was one of them! For years I have seen pictures of the forest of Super trees and fantasized about walking into that space. Doing it was a dream come true, and I allowed enough time (8 am to 8 pm) to see all five key attractions – Cloud Forest Dome, Flower Dome, Floral Fantasy, OCBC Skyway, and Supertree Observatory,
A Flower Pot Connection
I have 142 flower pots in my garden, several were made in Vietnam. I purchased them at my local nursery, less than 3 miles from my garden.
I’ve just returned from traveling in Asia, and one of the places I visited was Vietnam. My awareness of Vietnam began in the late 60s. I had a pre-teen crush on our assistant county extension agent, who was in charge of the 4-H programs. To my great dismay, I discovered he was leaving his position to go to Vietnam to help with agricultural projects there. He even studied the Vietnamese language for a year before he went.
Kenji’s Garden, Kyoto
My Traveling Gardener journey began because I loved seeing beautiful flowers. Then, traveling to Kyoto, Japan, I am now in love with rocks! Standing rocks, flat rocks, rocks striated in colors, textured and engraved rocks. By chance, our guide suggested we would enjoy a private garden created by his friend’s father, Kenji Nakahara. So we drove down a small street and stopped at a gate just a few feet from the edge of the street. Stone foo dogs guard the entrance on each side.