Pittsburgh surprised me on many levels during my visit last year. The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is certainly a must see – beautiful architecture and stunning plant displays. The LEED certified Center for Sustainable Landscapes masterfully merges function with aesthetics. #travel #garden #Pittsburgh #tour #journey

For just three weeks each year the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are open to the public. King Leopold II had the greenhouses constructed adjacent to the royal palace as a “little winter garden”. This little garden encloses plants from all over the world beneath 270,000 square feet of glass and steel. The greenhouse itself is an architectural jewel and the plant collection includes many rare and valuable species as well as specimens form King Leopold II’s original collection.

Of the many Japanese-inspired gardens in the United States, the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina contains perhaps the most diverse plant collection. The 18-acre arboretum showcase plants from Southeast Asia in a beautiful setting encircling a large pond. Typical Japanese design elements enhance the landscape including an arched bridge, stone lanterns and water basins and water features. A small tea house offers traditional Tea

Many of the plants found in Japan’s great gardens are also adaptable to Oklahoma landscapes. The two countries have similar climatic conditions, with the main difference between the two areas being Oklahoma’s weather extremes. The oceans surrounding Japan tend to moderate the climate. As a result, while we use many of the same plants, we often tend to use them in a slightly different manner. For example, in Japan, Japanese maples grow in full sun, which would quickly scor

The fine art of Japanese Gardening has spread worldwide, with many incredible examples found outside Japan. Here in Oklahoma, we can view Japanese inspired garden in several locations. In Grove we find the delightful Lendonwood gardens replete with Japanese maples, rhododendrons, azaleas and tree peonies. Stillwater is sister city to Kameoka, Japan and houses two gardens built by members of a Kameoka garden Club: the lovely gardens outside the Community Center and the tea

The glorious Golden Pavilion near Kyoto is one of the most recognizable Japanese sites. Originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Kinkaku-ji was later converted to a Zen temple on the grounds of Rokuon-ji. The pavilion takes its name from the pure gold leaf finish of the upper two stories. Interestingly, each floor represents a different style of architecture. The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings duri

Bulbs are the most welcomed sight in spring, but quickly become unattractive as their foliage dies back. Though the yellowing foliage may be unsightly, don’t be too hasty to tidy things up. The bulbs underground are capturing valuable nutrients from the foliage as it dies back, storing that energy to support next season’s blooms. Wait until the foliage dies back naturally before removing the dead material. It is hard to resist mowing the foliage off of bulbs that have beco

As spring erupts into bloom why not plan a day trip to visit one of these three gardens known for their azalea collections. Each offers a magnificent display in a unique setting. You should find azaleas in bloom for most of the month of April, peaking around the middle of the month (weather depending, of course). So many azaleas…so little time! Honor Heights Park in Muskogee holds its annual Azalea Festival throughout the month of April. The park has over 30,000 azaleas i

Any time we move plants from an indoor location, whether a greenhouse or the windowsill, to an outdoor location, we need to take measures to avoid shocking the plants with the drastic change in climate. Conditions are much harsher outdoors than in, the wind is stronger, the sun is brighter, and temperatures fluctuate more widely. To ease the transition, start toughening plants up for the outdoor conditions over a period of one to two weeks. This process is called acclimati

Tulips are blooming, celebrating the arrival of spring and reminding us of the amazing opportunity awaiting travelers next season, as EarthBound gardeners set out to enjoy the unparalleled bulb displays of The Netherlands. Tulip season in Holland extends from the end of March to mid-May, but we will arrive just in time for peak tulip season in mid-April. In addition to the amazing displays at gardens, tulips transform the countryside into a colorful patchwork. As we travel