If this castle makes you think of Hamlet, you’re right: parts of the 1990 film starring Mel Gibson were filmed here, at Dunnottar Castle, just south of Stonehaven on Scotland’s northeast coast. And the Gibson connection doesn’t end there: in 1297 William Wallace, portrayed by crazy ol’ Mel in the bloody blockbuster Braveheart, recaptured the castle from the English during the wars for Scottish independence and after locking several hundred soldiers in the castle’s church, burned everybody inside alive. Dark history here, as with all castles, but the ruins are beautiful.

For more on Dunnottar’s long and dark history click here. Love castles? Me too! Check out my previous post from Germany: Castles in the Rain.

Another link to some great photos from the exhibition at Saulieu. Just click on the image below to visit.

I’ve been told that a good tokonoma display creates an setting through which the viewer can be transported to a specific place in time. The objects being displayed must work together to create a unified theme centered around a specific season.

Two of my favorite elements of summer, water and dragonflies, encapsulate the mix of activity and rest, stillness and movement experienced during the summer.  From the small pond in my parents backyard that was visited each summer by a fiery red dragonfly, to the matchstick thin damselflies that inhabit the stream I take my own son too; the dragonfly symbolizes summer almost as much as its aquatic habitat.

With that said it should be no surprise that I really liked this display. The main object in a very large (6 x 29.5 x 16.75), and may I add heavy, puddle stone (mitsumari-ishi) collected from the Saji river in…

Trick-or-treat! Hope you enjoy our Halloween inspired display, featuring a spooky Japanese Elm, scroll with moon and bats, accented by a classic Halloween candy.

Japanese Elm, Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, In training since 1906, Donated by Shyunichi Sato.

Thankfully things in Washington got sorted out in time for our annual fall exhibition. The exhibit runs from October 26 – November 10. Trees will be rotated in and out as they come into peak color and I will post addition pictures as we change them.

Bradford Pear, Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’, In training since 1976, Styled by the first curator Bob Drechsler.

Three point display: Pomegranate bonsai, scroll with gourd and calligraphy, and contorted mondo grass.

 Pomegranate, Punica granatum, In training since 1963, Donated by Alice Naka.

 Contorted mondo grass, Ophiopogon chingii.

Trident Maple, Acer buergerianum, Age unknown, Donated by Stanley Chin.

 English Hawthorn, Crataegus oxycantha,  In training since 1955, Donated by Bertra Bruenner.

 Close-up of trunk and fruit.

 Three point display: Crabapple bonsai, scroll of Mt. Fuji and rising sun, and Japanese forest grass accent.

 Toringo Crabapple, Malus seiboldii ‘Toringo’, In training since 1905, Donated by Shyuichi Ueda.

 Japanese forest grass,