Thank you .. ‘Dirt du Jour’

for the glowing review! "Go ask Alice ... where all the best vineyard gardens are. She's an erudite charmer; you'll have fun!"

Botanical Gardens

Valley of the Moon: Quarryhill Botanical Garden

Autumn - Quarryhill Botanical Garden (Photo: Christine Walker)

A botanical profusion of rare and endangered Asian species thrives in the naturalistic setting of Quarryhill Botanical Garden near Glen Ellen, in Northern California wine country. Continuing all through spring, summer and into the fall, collections of lilies from China and Japan offer colorful effects and scented displays at Quarryhill, located squarely within Sonoma County’s bucolic Valley of the Moon, where it spans some 60 acres. One-third of the terrain currently supports a unique woodland environment devoted to collections of plants from the temperate regions of China, Japan and the Himalayas. With more than 90 percent of the flora grown from wild-collected, scientifically documented seed, the collections have proven to be significant in North America.

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Botanical Gardens

Mecca for Garden Lovers : Washington Park Arboretum - Seattle

witch hazel winter garden (photo courtesy Niall Dunne/Arboretum Foundation)

Every month of the year, Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum and Japanese Garden offer unique displays to engage the interest of garden lovers. The Arboretum’s new Pacific Connections Garden is located at the south end of the Arboretum. The city of Seattle’s fine boulevard plan and park system – designed by the renowned Olmsted Brothers, scions of Frederick Law Olmsted – suggest plenty of reasons to explore neighborhoods throughout town. The tranquil landscape of the Arboretum and Japanese Garden play a prominent role among Seattle’s treasure trove of parkland settings.

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Botanical Gardens

Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossoms & Native Flora

Spring .. Brooklyn Botanic Garden (ALICE JOYCE photo)

New York’s Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts the annual Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival, a much anticipated event for garden lovers.

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