Tag: Flowers

Spring Fever in My Garden

There is so much happening in the world today.  I’m having a hard time focusing on writing about the beautiful Italian Gardens I visited this past Fall.  The flashes of Italian splendor shown during the winter Olympics so near Lake Como would make this a perfect time to share some of the great beauty to be found there in a different season. But it just isn’t happening in my storytelling brain right now.  

Here’s a peek at what I promise will come.

 

In truth, I have been spending every free moment in my own garden.  February is Spring in my AZ garden.  Its also my birthday month, Valentine’s Day, and a month filled with family memories....   Continue Reading

In Latvian, Laipni lugti “You are Welcome”

If you are wondering where I wandered off to, I’ve been busy noticing all the non-garden things happening in the world.  I began to doubt the need for garden stories.  Then I had lunch with dear friends in our garden, and they urged me to rethink that idea.  Now, maybe more than ever, we all need to be reminded of the beautiful green magic moments in the world. In 2025, I had innumerable such moments.  Traveling by air, coach, river boat, ocean ship, ferry, bus, rental car, tram and foot we visited gardens in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Serbia, Croatia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and England.  Oh, and I visited gardens in southern Indiana while on a speaking tour.  This travel kept us packing and unpacking for four months, and when we arrived home, we were a bit dazed....   Continue Reading

An Artist’s Legacy Creates Art in A Garden

The most beautiful garden space I experienced during my recent travels was in West Dean Gardens, on the Isle of Wight. (just off the coast of southern England) It was such a stunning combination of flowers, vines, and fruits everywhere I walked. I spun around in circles trying to take it all in....   Continue Reading

Travel Moments in Summer Gardens

Traveling is a major part of my summer this year, and exploring gardens is a big part of these adventures.  It isn’t possible to write a story about each one, so I thought I would highlight some notable moments....   Continue Reading

The Place, The House & The Gardener

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....   Continue Reading

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)...   Continue Reading

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,...   Continue Reading

Walk with me in Vancouver, BC, Canada

The last week of July, it was 116 degrees (47 Celcius) in my Arizona garden. Luckily, I escaped to Vancouver, Canada, for a few days to enjoy pleasant summer days and temperatures in the low 80s (26 )....   Continue Reading

Emerald Green Ireland

Ireland is an Emerald Isle. I have proof! It is Powerscourt Garden, identified by National Geographic as number three of the Top 10 gardens in the world. Located less than an hour from Dublin, Powerscourt Garden should be on your travel list....   Continue Reading