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.
Tag: garden travel
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)
Turtle Island–Wisdom for All
Turtle Island is a name for Earth or North America, and it is used by some American Indigenous peoples and some Indigenous rights activists. The name is based on a creation myth common to several indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of North America.
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,
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.
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 ).
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.
Rainy Day at London’s Chelsea Flower Show
The English seem to be absolutely mad about gardening (which is a good thing). And after visiting The Chelsea Flower Show, I understand why. It is the world’s most famous flower exhibition, and the excitement extends far beyond Great Britain. I’ve always wanted to attend, so we flew in from Arizona. Others are equally enthusiastic, as we shared a coffee with an Australian national living in Poland who had flown in to attend Chelsea.
Spring Gardens in the Southwest
It has been a beautiful spring in the Southwest and my Mesa, AZ garden. I’ve been outside, planting, mulching, pruning, and resting in the garden. I haven’t been able to stay inside and write about my far-flung garden travels. I tell myself I’ll only be outside for 5 minutes, and then the hours fly by. Its been wonderful. In just a few weeks, we will be traveling to London for the Chelsea Flower Show and from there to Ireland to visit gardens, and somewhere along the way in Ireland, we will visit our 1001st garden.
Hedges with Messages
A proper green and sturdy hedge sets a boundary, saying, “Stay on your side.” In an urban setting, a proper hedge can block prying eyes overlooking your hot tub or spare you from an unappealing view. A nice hedgerow through a field has a similar message, but it may invite voles, moles, and birds to settle in.