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began about four thousand years ago in China, where it was known as Penjing. Originally it was much more exotic: tree shapes were based on coiled serpents and raging dragons. The Japanese took it further, using the art as something spiritual. Originally

an elephant's shin and is equally exotic.This tree contains a mixture of London and Spain.This tree is another easy one, no hint required.Here is the evergreen version.That old... To save this becoming a rather long quiz I will stop there. If I could go on I

but Jekka. She is our equivalent of Pele or Bono.I went to visit her farm the other day, where we had a fine afternoon investigating all sorts of herbs from the mundane (but essential) to the super-exotic Chilean guavas (Ugni molinae), the fruits of which

on the island has a garden open to the public which has some fantastic trees and rare shrubs (including good collections of Olearias - particularly the exotically named phlogopappa and Rhododendrons). One part of the garden is called the Lighthouse garden

saw vast elephantine bananas, slightly creepy cycads, cavorting ferns, tall cacti, bombastic bamboos and exotic orchids.It was a great afternoon and the sun was shining, too — a bit of a result on the east coast of Scotland. The only thing that would

and consisted of immaculately maintained pathways through fabulous exotic plantings. Since then the garden staff has been reduced from 12 to one and the mood of the garden has changed to one more in keeping with the relaxed attitude of the island.The paths are a

When I was a child pumpkins were alien and exotic. I read about them in the Peanuts cartoon, in which Linus spent long nights in the pumpkin patch at Halloween, waiting in vain for ‘The Great Pumpkin’. It never came.As the American version

sheltered area, then there are a couple of exotic trees that are truly spectacular. The silk tree (Albizia julibrissin f. rosea) has large pinnate leaves and flowers like pink starbursts.Also, Weinmannia trichosperma, which is a Chilean evergreen with fern

shady corner glow) but something exotic: annuals that are more Carmen Miranda than Beryl Reid.There are five annual stalwarts here. The first two are used to fill the gaps that I occasionally tear in my borders. Cosmos bipinnatus (tall, feathery leaves

Farm Plants. This is a wonderful nursery in North Wales stuffed with exotic plants of which I have never heard, from Aesculus wangii  to Zingiber mioga ‘Crug’s Zing’.String: ideally tarred twine because it smells so good. I would like lots of it so