Boston Flora

Tag: Donna Dawson

  • April 19 – April 27, 2012 – World Horticultural Expo Garden Tour

    Floriade happens only ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS. This Donna Dawson led, I Can Garden tour will give you a full day there so you can take as much of it in as possible. Visitors to Floriade 2012 in Venlo will have the opportunity to enjoy the world’s most exquisite and exceptional flowers, plants, trees, fruits and vegetables. At Floriade 2012 you will experience nature. Using the senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell you will experience firsthand the influence horticulture has on the quality of our daily lives. Floriade is a World Horticultural Expo staged once every ten years in the Netherlands. But Floriade 2012 offers much more. Each day features a cultural program of music, dance, literature, theater and visual art from all over the world. Sustainable, pioneering architectural eye catchers, as never seen before, will be shown for the first time at Floriade 2012. With countless exciting, innovative and educational attractions and activities. Various characteristic restaurants and friendly, welcoming cafes offer visitors a place to savor delicious local and international cuisine, naturally prepared with home grown ingredients.

    The Spring Tour Includes:

    Keukenhof – Spring at its most beautiful. An unprecedented wealth of spectacular floral displays planted in endless varieties, alternated with beautiful works of art. Keukenhof is unique, world famous and has been one of the most popular destinations in the Netherlands for many years now.

    Hortus Bulborum – with its 4,200 spring-flowering historical bulbs. This collection consists primarily of tulips, narcissus and hyacinths, but there is also a small number of Fritillaria and crocus, primarily the C.vernus types. In addition to functioning as a gene bank, the garden has a seasonal display of thousands of heirloom bulbs, some of which are no longer in commercial production. Certain tulips originated in the 16th century. The Fritillaria persica on display was already in cultivation as early as 1577, while the oldest narcissus is several centuries older yet. The garden, therefore, provides a fascinating overview of these immensely popular spring bloomers grown through the centuries.

    Van Gogh Museum – A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. The museum contains the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. It provides the opportunity to keep track of the artist’s developments, or compare his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century in the collection.

    Afternoon Canal Cruise in Amsterdam – Enjoy the best cruise through 17th century Amsterdam. Holland’s capital has 160 canals and 1000 bridges. Experience Amsterdam from the water. Cruising through a number of Amsterdam’s canals, this cruise passes along some of the city’s most beautiful spots. While gliding through the old centre of the city you see elegant merchant’s mansions, carillon-crowned churches and the warehouses with their rich history from Holland’s Golden Age.

    Aalsmeer Flower Auction – ‘The world marketplace for flowers and plants’ – Every day Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer sets the world price for flowers and plants. This happens by bringing supply and demand together by means of the auction clock- a fascinating process during which large and small batches of flowers are sold within fractions of seconds. Each day, 19 million flowers and two million plants are sold through 13 clocks at ‘Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer’.

    Amsterdam Botanical Gardens – Hortus Botanicus – The Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. Today, there are more than 4,000 plant species growing in the garden and greenhouses. The Hortus is located in the Plantage district on the edge of the hectic center of Amsterdam. Behind the 300-year-old gates, however, the bustle of the city seems to disappear.

    Paleis Het Loo – Paleis Het Loo is a palace, more than three hundred years old, right in the heart of the Netherlands, close to the town of Apeldoorn. The former royal residence has been open to the public since in 1984 after undergoing substantial restoration work. The sumptuously furnished interiors give an impression of how the Dutch royal family lived here for three centuries. The reconstructed gardens breathe the atmosphere of their seventeenth century origin with their fountains and elegantly box-lined parterres. The palace’s setting in one of Holland’s most beautiful nature areas makes a visit a real delight at any time of year.

    For complete details, log on to www.gardeningtours.com. The price, land only, is 2,400 Euros per person, double occupancy, with a 717 Euro single supplement. You may email Donna at donna@icangarden.com, or call toll free 1-866-642-7172. Why call now for something which takes place in 2012? Because Donna’s acclaimed 2011 tours have already sold out – they are that good. You must act early to secure your spot.

  • Wednesday, March 3 – Monday, March 15 – The Gardens of India

    Every now and then we will call your attention to a luxurious garden tour opportunity.  We are in no way affiliated with any of these tour providers, so please do your own research, but if you’re looking for unusual, garden related travel, read this:

    India, most incredible India … the national fruit is the mango, the national tree is the Ficus bengalensis or the banyan tree and the national flower is the Lotus. Just like the Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty, the Taj Mahal is also prized for its beauty, beauty made as a result of a grief stricken Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. This is a very special one of a kind garden tour as it will focus on some incredible gardens and sights.Old Delhi – Raj Ghat – resting place of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Monument of Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar – Victory Tower, Lotus Shaped Bahai Temple, India Gate, Presidents Palace and Parliament House. Visit to Lodhi Garden, Mughal Garden – designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and very rarely open to the public, Humayun’s Tomb – built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

    Agra – Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Taj Garden – Charbagh – In Islamic style of architecture, the garden is not just another feature but has a well-defined meaning and it symbolizes the spirituality.

    Bharatpur – the Royal City of Fatehpur Sikri – the city built of red sandstone includes the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India.

    Jaipur, the Pink City – Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh Garden – a symbol of love, Amber Palace, tour Pink City and Hawa Mahal for photos, Jantar Mantar – observatory built by the founder in 1728, City Palace Museum.

    Jodhpur – Mandore Garden, city tour including Jaswant Thada – Taking pride of place amongst the ornamental gardens and chattris is the fabulous white marble memorial to Jaswant Singh II, built in 1899.

    Udaipur, the city of lakes – Evening boat ride on Lake Pichola, visit to Jag Mandir Island, city tour including visits to City Palace, Sahelion-ki-bari – garden of the maidens, Jagdish Temple – built in 1651.

    Tour provider Donna Dawson achieved her master gardener certificate in 1995, through the University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Garden. She is a current member of the Royal Horticultural Society as well as the Garden Writers Association, Affiliate Member Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors and member of the North American Travel Journalists Association.  Donna has been featured in numerous gardening magazines including Homemaker’s, Gardener for the Prairies, Gardens West, Canadian Gardening and Gardening Life, as well as local newspapers and Internet sites such as Familywave.com and iParenting.com where she is currently the expert on gardening. She is part of the expert panel at www.WorldReviewer.com with her specialty in gardens. She has also had the opportunity to provide photographs to European Homes & Gardens, BCAA and Doctor’s Review. Donna is the only outside writer for Tai Pan Travel magazine featuring gardens and plants from around the world and is also a writer for Vivir Bien, a lifestyle magazine out of the Republic of Panama where she talks about plants in tropical areas – in Spanish and English.

    Donna has appeared on Canada AM, HGTV’s Indoor Gardener and Calling All Gardeners. She and her husband were one of the few chosen to do a TV special called “the Garden Tourist” on Recreating Eden and while in China on tour, she was a special guest on China TV. She has also been a featured guest speaker at numerous Canadian gardening events including Canada Blooms and Victoria’s Art in Bloom.

    Land only cost of this trip $4,995, double occupancy.  For more information call toll free 1-866-642-7120 or email Donna Dawson at donna@icangarden.com.