Saving The Green City: Srinagar, Kashmir

In 1895 Sir Water Lawrence wrote about Srinagar and the Dal lake: ‘The willows change from green to silver grey and delicate russet, with a red tone on the stems and branches, casting colours on the clear water of the lake which contrast most beautifully with the rich olives and yellow greens of the floating …

The Silent Royal

I grew up amongst a handful of plane trees that looked like giants to a small kid. We played daily in front of our home on the grass square, that had nothing else but six of these trees. We used the trees as goalposts when kicking a ball, and when resting in the shade. These trees were …

Infinite Landscapes of Volcanic Iceland

The landscapes of Iceland are defined by their volcanically active geology. This relatively young Nordic island sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge formed along the tectonic fault line between the North American continental plate and the Eurasian plate. The island attract millions of visitors annually that look to experience a taste of Iceland’s infinite landscapes, stunning volcanic and geological …

Japanese Cherry Blossoms – Washington, DC Exhibitions

Two beautiful exhibitions on the theme of the Japanese cherries are running in Washington, DC in Spring 2018. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum host the exhibit on Sakura Orihon: Diary of a Cherry Blossom Journey, which runs from March 10 to April 8. It showcases the journey by landscape architect Ron Henderson from south to north Japan …

Olympism and the Unifying Spirit of the Korean Mountains

The Olympic idea originated in the hilly region of Olympia, a sanctuary of ancient Greece on the Peloponnese peninsula. Every four years, from the 8th century BCE until the 4th century CE, the Olympic Games of the classical antiquity were organized here, at the base of the revered Mount Kronos. The Korean peninsula, like Greece, is a …

Revolution to Renaissance: The Continuing Industrial Experiment of Lowell, Massachusetts

The city of Lowell in Massachusetts along the Merrimack River was established in the early 19th century as an experimental money-making industrial venture and as the first planned industrial town in North America. It spearheaded the Industrial Revolution in New England, while encountering a dramatic decline in the 20th century. A new commitment to the preservation …