Gardens
Tea Style Video
Monty Don’s new book Japanese Gardens: A Journey
Monty Don has a new book that's a companion to his popular BBC show. It's called Japanese Gardens: A Journey.Monty Don and photographer Derry Moore traveled to Japan in spring and autumn, and captured the history and beauty of Japanese gardens in these spectacular...
Monty Don in Japan
Monty Don is quite a character, and he knows his gardening. In these videos he travels to Japan for the BBC. We don't get the show in the US but I was able to find the videos online and post them here. You'll find them fascinating especially if you love Japan and love...
Moss obsession
By the side entrance to the Tea House is a flood run-off ditch that fills with water in the spring and fall. It's in deep shade and I've become obsessed with cultivating moss in this small area. Last spring I ordered a 6 foot square sheet of moss from Moss Acres. The...
Spring is fleeting
I've planted in some wonderful pockets of shade and this is the time of year when the spring ephemerals start to appear. The colors seem to be a range of blue and yellow with Brunnera, Virginia Bluebells, and Celdon Poppy. Soon a white Trillium will show up. In the...
After the rain
Short video of the tea garden in the rain
Restraint
If I wasn’t careful I would cover my entire property with flowers, trees and shrubs. But there is something refreshing about pulling back, becoming more simple and allowing the natural rhythm of the landscape to unfold. I'm learning restraint and allowing the...
A black fence
This past fall I finally put in a deer fence and added a gate to my small garden. I have a white Victorian house and after much thought decided to paint the fence and gate BLACK. In fact, "Panther Black." It was kind of daring. I painted it in the early spring before...
A Japanese Garden
Here is a beautiful quote from the curator of the Portland Japanese Garden, Sadafumi Uchiyama. He expresses the essence of a tea garden and for me, the essence of Japanese art and culture.
