Blog
The good garden blog is about sharing garden inspiration and ideas from historic gardens around the world and some right next door. Garden stories explore garden history, design, and the garden people behind famous and not-so-famous gardens. My garden photographs span dozens of places across 5 continents. Please join me in celebrating good garden design.
Thanks to Eliza Scidmore, cherry blossoms have become an integral element that welcomes spring. These natives of the Himalayas are among the first trees to bloom, transforming winter’s gray into clouds of white and soft pink. But it wasn't easy getting cherry trees to US shores. If at first you don't succeed, try again...
Read MoreGardens have the ability to transport us to a different place and time. Visiting the Thai Pavilion at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in central Wisconsin is a powerful example. This landscape takes us on a mini-vacation to the delights of Thai culture and ecology. An 8,000 mile journey never felt so close.
Read MoreIn 1772, William Chambers wrote of Chinese gardens, ”Their scenes of terror are composed of gloomy woods, … The trees are ill formed..., and seemingly torn to pieces by the violence of tempests.” Perhaps no where are these scenes of “ill formed” trees more present than in the ancient art of penjing. If you enjoy Penjing, a scholar garden is the place for you and this collection is dazzling....
Read More
