A Visit to Nan Lian Garden, Hong Kong, China
Karen One of the outstanding sites in Hong Kong is Nan Lian Garden. It offers visitors an opportunity to leave the city behind and experience a classical Tang-style garden with rocks,…
A Visit to the Zhang House and Garden, Zhouzhuang, China
The Zhang house lies in the water town of Zhouzhuang, known to some as the “Venice of the Orient” because of its rivers and extensive canals. We had never heard…
Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
A visit to a Chinese garden is a very different experience than visiting an American or European one. Like many other art forms of China, garden design is closely related…
A Visit to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, California, March 2010
If you are lucky enough to visit this garden in March, after the rainy season, you are in for a big treat. You probably expect to see lots of cactus…
A Visit to the Getty Center Gardens, March, 2010
A March visit to the Getty Center Garden introduced us to a very different look we had from past visits in the summer, fall and winter. Just as the art…
Japanese Rice Art
Here’s a unique garden idea from Japan; growing different colored plants to create a picture. The Japanese do it with rice and the pictures they create are huge, covering a…
A Visit to Ham House, Richmond, Surrey, England
The stately Stuart period Ham house and garden sit on the backs of The River Thames in the outskirts of London offering a glimpse of 17th century life. The mansion,…
A Visit to Glamis Castle, Glamis, Angus, Scotland
Glamis Castle, known for being the childhood home of the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and the birthplace of her sister, Princess Margaret, has been in the Strathmore family for…
A Visit to Scotney Castle and Gardens, Lamberhurst, Kent, England
Perched high on a hill Scotney New Castle overlooks a beautiful view of the ruins of Scotney Old Castle in the valley below. The Old Castle was built c.1378-80 and…
A Visit to Hardwick Hall and Gardens, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
The Tudor house with its huge glass windows stands on the summit of a wind-swept hill; it is impressive and it was meant to be. It was built by Elizabeth,…