From the Desk of a Well-Traveled Gardener Objects and mementos collected by Senior Gardener Pandora Young during her journey to China as a participant in our Staff Exchange Progam.
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Clockwise from left: Wood carving of auspicious Chinese symbols, from Hangzhou; Map of China, with Pandora’s handwritten notes (in Chinese) on provinces, gardens, places of natural beauty, and regional foods; Tea set, a parting gift from Cai Yunpeng, Deputy Head of Gardening, Chenshan Botanical Garden; Pu’er tea, from Yunnan province, an aged dark tea pressed into a round disk called a bîng; Book on chrysanthemum cultivation, a gift from chrysanthemum expert
Li Haigen; Bamboo tea strainer from a small tea shop in Tiánzîfāng, an area of Shanghai known for handcrafted goods; Upsidedown bat good luck charm; Herbarium notebook, a gift from Chenshan research assistant Ge Binjie; Chinese coins with flowers. NonChina related items from Pandora’s workspace include a pair of antique Craftsman pruners, and a C.S. Osborne & Co. dibble, used for planting seeds and small bulbs, originally owned by Pandora’s great-great aunt.