Invitation to a voyage: Japan!

Pinus parviflora 'Miyajima'

I always make a bee-line to this 400 year old bonsai gifted to the United States by Masaru Yamaki in 1976 whenever I visit the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. (the gemstone in the diadem of that great public garden.) It survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima and dates back to 1620. This encapsulates just one of innumerable touchstones throughout my life, and you too likely have had a sort of distant love affair with Japan as I have. It dates back at to when I was at least ten years old as I relate in another blog post, when a beloved relative gave me a book of haiku. It launched my lifelong love and study of East Asia, including eight years of studying both ancient and modern Chinese. And writing a lot of haiku too, come to think of it!

Chaenomeles japonica

Of course, as a life-long gardener, the extraordinary richness of Japan's flora is one of the chief reasons for wanting to visit Japan. I did a quick search of my plant database, and dozens of plants with "japonica" showed up, this flowering quince exemplifying how spectacular these can perform--even on our Continental steppe climate!

John Shors

Then I met this gentleman--an author of a dozen or more novels translated into dozens of languages who is CEO of his namesake travel company which conducts tours worldwide. John lived in Kyoto for three years, and elsewhere in Japan as well--and has conducted many tours to that country. He offered to do so for Denver Botanic Gardens as well, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to finally visit the islands I have studied and yearned to see all my life! John has designed a tour to visit the finest Japanese gardens, staying at fine venues at the very height of fall color in Japan. 

Acer palmatum at Denver Botanic Gardens

Every autumn I make a point of visiting our small grove of Japanese maples in Plantasia to admire their fiery color. This November I expect to see whole mountains ablaze--and hope you will join us on this quest! Click here for more information about this trip: Travel to Japan with Denver Botanic Gardens