Monty Don (pictured) concludes his extraordinary journey Around The World In 80 Gardens with a tour of South East Asia, on a quest for the real tropical garden.
Since the 19th century, Western gardeners have harboured a stereotype image of the perfect exotic garden, which some have tried to emulate both in the tropics and even at home. Monty visits one of the most outstanding of these - the mysterious Jim Thompson's Garden in Bangkok - before seeking something more authentic in the Royal Palace gardens and the floating gardens of the klongs (canals) of Bangkok.
When these fail to deliver quite what he was expecting, Monty pushes on to Singapore, meeting ex-President Lee Kuan Yew, who dictated that Singapore should be "a City in a Garden".
He finally touches down in the lush and sensuous island of Bali, and even here what he learns about South East Asian gardens surprises him. Might paradise best exist in the imagination after all, he ponders?
Lovely program about the gardens of China and Japan. A little pity the visit was in in winter though. Click the link here to see China's Summer Palace in summertime.
March 2nd - 10:26amGeorge Edmunds said...
Wonderful backround music but what was the music played when in the NY garden with the wacky works of art?
February 29th - 8:20pmDeborah Milles said...
Please let me know the name of the garden shown in the programme on Australia - south of Melbourne - owned by a wonderful lady in her 90s - thank you.
Anyone interested in China's Summer Palace gardens, have a look at the many photos here : http://www.beijingguide2008.com/summer_palace_introduction/summer_palace.html
- Kate
February 6th - 2:48pmKen Ridgwell said...
Can you please inform me of the name, in Maori, of the last garden Monty went to in New Zealand. ( Programme Sunday 3 Feb 2007 )The name was PEACEFUL ENCAMPMENT in english.
Thanking you in anticipation
Ken
February 6th - 11:01ampolly said...
Lady said on program 5th feb from new Zealand,that her fore fathers had sailed from Plymouth Harbour Somerset,there is a Plymouth Harbour in Plmouth Devon but cant find one in Somerset,any body help.??
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