A Taste of Asia Gardening

Lately, I have noticed that the mail-order garden supply catalogs are full of Asian-themed garden accessories such as pots, traditional bamboo fences, and stone lanterns. This seems to go along with the trend toward Asian-inspired minimalism in home décor. In California and the Pacific Northwest, traditional Asian and Asian-inspired gardens have been popular for years. Can a national vogue for Chinese and […]

TREASURES OF THE ORIENT – Gardening

Two weeks ago I went to a wonderful lecture at the New York Botanical Garden.  The speaker was Barry Yinger, a well known plantsman and author who specializes in Asian flora.  The topic for the day was “New Japanese Plants for the Garden.  Mr. Yinger, who also owns Asiatica, a Pennsylvania retail nursery, is one of those intrepid people who […]

The versatility of ferns is being seen again

Gardeners today with busy schedules want less work in their gardens, and thus a need is established for plants that do just that. Their focus is more on leaf texture and foliage colour, rather than blooms and pruning schedules, consequently plants that don’t require a lot of care and maintenance are sought after. Self sufficient ponds, shade gardens and woodland […]