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Come with us to Ireland on this exciting 15-day Grand Circle Tour

Today, I am delighted to announced the official launch of my 15-day Ireland Grand Circle Tour.It will start in Dublin on Oct. 1 and circle around the picturesque south coast and along the sensational west coast...

COMING SOON: THE GRAND CIRCLE TOUR OF IRELAND

In 2017, I visited Ireland with friends, after being in England’s Lake District and North Wales.From Dublin, we went down the east coast to Wexford and Waterford, seeing some fabulous gardens on the way.It...

Our beautiful cities tour 2024: Berlin to Prague to Vienna plus Bratislava

My next garden tour-adventure will be a 13-day Beautiful Cities Tour from May 17-29, starting in Berlin, then moving on to Prague and concluding in Vienna with a side trip to Bratislava in Slovakia.(AS...

Farewell Larry Wick: We’re all far richer for having known you

My dear friend and travel companion Larry Wick, one of North Vancouver’s most well-known gardeners, has died at the age of 99. Larry in Hong Kong on his way with us to Myanmar Larry travelled with...

Tour to Southern England and Channel Islands was awesome

My garden tour to Southern England and the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark began in London on May 14. It was my 30th garden tour and the seventh one to England.  Enjoying a...

Come with us to Southern England and the Channel Islands next May

Our next garden tour adventure will be to Southern England and the Channel Islands from May 14 to 27, 2023.Many people have already booked a spot on this tour but there is still time...

Sicily-Malta Tour 2022: Glorious to be back travelling

My garden tour of Sicily and Malta began on Sept.18, 2022, in Palermo. It was our 29th tour, the eighth one to Italy. The tour was everything - and more - than I was...

Yes, it’s safe to travel and see more of the wonderful world

For the past three weeks I’ve been travelling with my wife, Loraine, and some good friends in Italy and Malta. We travelled without any problems whatsoever. No Covid infections. No lost luggage. No injuries. No...

Tale of Two Tours: Sicily-Malta & Southern England/Channel Islands

Today, I’m pleased to announce two unique international garden tours - a 15-day one to Sicily and Malta in September, and a 14-day trip to Southern England and the Channel Islands in May, 2023.  They...

Travelling in a Covid world: Follow the rules and have fun

We’ve just got back from a 16-day trip to Spain and England. So how hard was it, travelling in these Covid-scary times?Well, the first issue we had to deal with was literally making sure...

Remembering all the great plants I used to grow for fun and novelty

I went to my local garden centre the other day, looking for my favourite variety of begonia, Belleconia. I was hoping to buy yellow ones to fill a window box I grew Belleconia once, a...

Falling in love with my electric blue rhodo all over again

There are hundreds of varieties of rhododendron. But I always fall in love every spring with the one in my front garden, Rhododendron augustinii.It is a mesmerizing, electric blue and looks amazing set against...

Time to fall in love with rhododendrons

Williamsianum Taurus Sappho PJM Ken Janeck Cinnabarium Impeditum Hotei Dora Amateis Rhododendron augustinii, lovely rhodo for any garden 10 OF THE BEST FOR YOUR GARDEN AND WHERE TO GO TO SEE MOREApril and May are prime months to see rhododendrons at their best. Since it...

Why planting bulbs with kids is always so rewarding

I've always enjoyed planting bulbs with my kids. Now I enjoy bulb planting with my grandkids. And Jake, 8, is always very enthusiastic.There is so much we can learn by planting spring flowering bulbs...

Why October makes me think of the beauty of spring

When October comes around, I can't help thinking about spring. Yes, fall is fabulous with its magnificent colour changes and calm days, blue skies and mild temperatures. But October is the perfect time to plant...

Words for a little boy from a dragonfly master

I was chatting wth my grandson, Jake, 8, the other day about dragonflies.“They land on you and they bite,” said Jake.I said I had never had a dragonfly land on me, not once in...

I’ve always had a soft spot for well-clipped boxwood

I've always been partial to clipped boxwood. I'm English, but that is not the reason. You will find beautiful trimmed boxwood in many Dutch, French and Belgian gardens as well as...

Stories, photos of our 28 tours

Since 2009, we have led 28 garden tours to numerous countries, including the UK, Italy, France, U.S., Ireland, South Africa, Japan, China, Brazil, the Netherlands, India, Spain, Belgium, Morocco, Singapore, Myanmar, Croatia, Montenegro and...

We have the joy of spring . . . then comes summer.

If things were normal and we were not in the middle of this awful pandemic, I would be getting ready right now to go to Europe for a divine river cruise on the Danube,...

In memory of my friend Umberto Garbuio

My friend Umberto (Bert) Garbuio died Friday, March 13 at his home on Cambridge Street in North Burnaby. He was 90. Born in the Veneto region of...

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