If you have plans to visit Beijing, you should definitely visit the well known Beijing gardens. It is a wonderful place that offers a mix of new and the old scenery. If you really want a memorable vacation in Beijing, you might as well visit all the famous tourist spots and other places worth visiting; remember to stop by at any of the Beijing gardens. There are three gardens worth visiting, the Butterfly Garden, Summer Palace and the Behai Park.

One famous Beijing garden is the popular Butterfly Garden. This is the ideal place to visit if you love nature and would love to see all the butterflies present in the garden. The Butterfly Garden is situated in the Shunyi District, between the crossing point of Baima road and Huosi road. This garden is considered as the largest garden in Asia that offers a wide variety of butterflies.

If you are planning to visit the Butterfly Garden, the best time to visit is during the months of April to October since hundreds of butterflies hover around the garden at during these months.

The Butterfly Garden is the only garden where visitors can see different kinds of butterflies but also enjoy the wonderful view of a wide selection of flowers and plants that are also cultivated within the garden. The entire span of the garden is over 600 square meters. It is divided into four areas and in every area there are around 500,000 species of butterflies being displayed. You can view butterflies from the tropical and subtropical regions in the four season glasshouse. The breeding workhouse is the best place to visit if you want to witness how the chrysalises transform into butterflies. Some visitors who live in the temperate regions might seldom witness or catch a glimpse of the tropical butterflies, but with the Butterfly Garden, it showcases all the tropical and subtropical butterfly species. This greatly attracts visitors from all over the world, just to see the various butterfly species. There are over 30 butterfly breeds present in the Butterfly Garden. Ten breeds are considered as state protected species. The garden also organizes educational tours for students; they can participate and learn about the various butterfly species from close view.

For the children, the Butterfly Garden provides interactive zones where they can play with the butterflies. They also have art sessions where they can make paintings of butterfly wings.

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There is also a note worthy section that you should never miss out during your visit, it is the butterfly wing exhibit.  In this section, the wings of the deceased butterflies are used in order to create beautiful butterfly wing pictures that are worth seeing. The garden also offers a perfect setting that can be used by photographers in order to get a good photo from the butterflies. If you want to learn about butterflies and nature or just to get a glimpse of various butterfly species, you should visit the Butterfly Garden, a Beijing garden worth visiting.

The next Beijing garden that you should visit is the Summer Palace. It is also called the Yihe Yuan, which simply means the gardens of nurtured harmony. As a description, the Summer Palace is not actually a palace; it is an imperial garden and lake, the lake is known as Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace covers around 2.2 square kilometers. The remaining area is made up of the Chinese gardens, palace of the imperial family as well as the temples. Summer Palace is situated 15 kilometers northwest of Beijing’s city center. It has splendid gardens, classic architecture and the idyllic scenery that is worth visiting. If you are going to visit the Summer Palace, you can ride the buses that will take you there; all you have to do is to ride the bus that goes to Yiheyuan.

Next Beijing garden that you should never miss out is the Beihai Park. As an overview, it is an ancient imperial garden next to the Forbidden City. It has a history that span for thousands of years. Beihai Park is considered as the oldest classical garden, the largest and the well preserved in China. It has ancient Buddhist temples, classical gardens, a large lake, imperial palaces and walled cities. Beihai Park is one of the major tourist spots in Beijing that you should definitely check out.

The area covered by Beihai Park spans over 70 hectares and half of this area is covered by the Beihai Lake. In the middle of the lake, there is a huge island known as the Jade Flowery Islet. It is made up of several of the park’s main attractions. Beihai Park has at least 30 major sites that you can visit, but only the major ones will be discussed.

The Yongan Temple or also called as the Temple of Eternal Peace is located on the Jade Flowery Islet. It dominates the park’s skyline and it is the main site in the park the holds the White Dagoba, the symbol of Beihai Park. This temple was built in 1651 by the first emperor of the Qing dynasty. The temple as three levels, the first level is composed of three buildings such as the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower and the Falundian. The second level is the courtyard on top of a flight of stairs. The courtyard is surrounded by buildings. The third level is a platform on top of the hill that holds the White Dagoba or also called the White Pagoda. The other major sites include the Tiancheng City, Nine Dragon Wall and the ancient caves of the Jade Islet.

You can reach Beihai Park by riding the subway to the Tiananmen Square west station. You will exit on one of the stations on the northern exit next to the Nanchang Street. The Nanchang Street follows along a moat that lead to the west side of the Forbidden City, eventually straight to the southern exit of Beihai Park.

If you are visiting Beijing for a vacation, you might as well visit the three Beijing gardens mentioned above. They are worthy to be visited and will definitely make your vacation a memorable one.

If you want to enjoy quiet scenery or just stroll down a park, you might consider visiting the Yu Yuan Garden, one of the Shanghai gardens that you can visit in Shanghai.  The Yu Yuan Garden is described as a renowned classical garden situated in Anren Jie area in Shanghai. The garden was built in 1577 by Pan Yunduan, an administration bureaucrat during the Ming dynasty. The garden was exclusively built for the parents of Pan Yunduan so that they can enjoy the tranquility the garden has to offer.

During the 400 years of existence of the Yu Yuan Garden, it has undergone numerous changes and modifications. It was during the late Ming dynasty in which the Yu Yuan Garden deteriorated together with the decline of Pan Yunduan’s family. Based on historical records, it was during 1760 when the Yu Yuan Garden was purchased by rich merchants. They spent 20 years reconstructing the garden and all the buildings. It was during the Opium War of the 19^th century in which the garden was severely damaged. The Yu Yuan Garden that we presently see is a result of a restoration project that started in 1956. It was on September 1961 when it was opened to the public once again.

The Yu Yuan Garden covers an area of 20,000 square meters. On the other hand, the small area space does not affect the garden attractions. All of the structures such as the halls, pavilions, rockeries, cloisters and ponds have distinct characteristics. There are main attractive areas all located within the Yu Yuan Garden; it includes the Wanhua Chamber, Yuhua Hall, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Sansui Hall and the Inner Garden. Every area features scenic spots within their borders. Once you enter the Yu Yuan garden, you will be greeted by a rockery which is called the Great Rockery. It has a height of 14 meters and considered as the largest and oldest rockery in the southern region of the Yangtze River. On top of the rockery, you will get a full view of the entire garden. The Cuixui Halls rests at the foot of the rockery. It is an elegant and quiet place enclosed by old trees and a diverse mix of beautiful flowers. You will also find different curio shops in the hall. The Sansui hall was erected in 1760 and was originally used in entertaining guests and visitors. The name Sansui means propitious and lucky.  As the years passed, it transformed into a place where ceremonies for bookmen and gentlemen are held. It has a height of nine meters and is composed of five halls. It is the largest and the most spacious structure in the Yu Yuan Garden. As you wander down in the vicinity of the Yule Pavilion and Wanhua Chamber, you will discover several pavilions, streams, corridors, courtyards and other natural marks. The Wanhua Chamber is a delicate building bordered by several cloisters where spring bamboos grow just beside these cloisters. The Dianchun Hall is situated in the east of the Wanhua Chamber. It includes the Hexu Hall, Ancient Well Pavilion, Relic Hall and the Acting-and Sing Stage.

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The main feature of Yu Yuan Garden is the Exquisite Jade Rock. It is located across the Yuhua Hall. It is considered as one of the three famous rocks in the southern region of the Yangtze River. As a description, the rock is around 3.3 meters in height and has 72 holes. The rock is very interesting, if you will pour water from the top, the water will flow out from every hole, and it is quite a spectacle to see. The Yuhua Hall was built facing the rock so that it is convenient to sit in the hall and admire the beauty of the Exquisite Jade Rock. You should also take note that the furnishings in the hall were all made from top quality rosewood of the Ming dynasty. Lastly, the Inner Garden was a separate garden built in 1709; today it is part of the Yu Yuan Garden. It is best described as compressed and lovely. It has pavilions, rocks, flower walls and ornamental ponds that are considered as the most attractive sceneries in the Yu Yuan Garden.

Now that we have fully discussed the Yu Yuan Garden, there are also other places that you can visit in Shanghai. The Bund area in Shanghai is well known for the bright lights and musicians playing great music at night. Visitors can spend a quiet and relaxing evening observing the activities on the Huangpo River or strolling along the commercial buildings located within the area. If you want to shop, your ideal destination is the Nanjing road. It is the shopping street in Shanghai. It is visited by nearly a million visitors on a daily basis. You can find affordable souvenirs, handmade crafts as well as luxury goods and gadgets in the expensive shops. Another place that you should visit is the jade Buddha temple. It is one of the most ancient of the Buddhist monasteries in China. The Buddha statues within the shrine came from Burma. There are also various festivals celebrated in China, especially in Shanghai.

Having your vacation in Shanghai is one of the best choices among other places in the world. With a rich diversity of the modern and old, you will definitely have a memorable vacation. You would never miss out visiting one of the Shanghai gardens, especially the Yu Yuan Garden as well as other tourist spots worth visiting.

One of the features that must be present in every Japanese garden is the hills and ponds. The two are a common theme depicting Japanese tranquility. You can use water or replicate the water together with gravel or small stones. For the hills, you can use mounds of earth to create the mountains that you want to recreate, and then you can use undergrowth to be used along the sides of the mountain you created. You can also add some natural stone benches and tables, preferably besides the pond. You can also add Japanese fountains that include a bamboo spout for creating the ideal Japanese water features in your garden.

Next is to consider the placement of contemplation gardens since the Japanese mainly have them in their gardens. You can design and create your very own Zen area in your garden. It is best to use sand and rocks since they flow together in a design that best represents the seashore. If you are going to add plants, choose the ones that grow naturally in this kind of area for a realistic effect. Another option is to make a river or stream instead together with natural grasses and flowers that also grow along the shores as well. With this kind of natural arrangement, it is the ideal choice in creating a garden with a courtyard type setting.

Another feature of the Japanese garden is that their garden style utilizes a flat terrain. This focuses more on the functionality rather than the form. They are commonly called as tea gardens. With this type of garden, it has a path that leads to a stone water basin. The garden path is decorated or lined with lanterns that are basically made of stone. The Japanese garden is best described as having fewer accessories. With the traditional Japanese garden design, the main garden is the introduction before entering the teahouse; this is supposed to have a calming effect to those who enter the garden. The teahouse plays an important role in the Japanese culture and there are various types of ceremonies performed that require calmness and serenity. You can also add some hand crafted garden statues in your garden to add tranquility.

Other characteristics of the ideal Japanese garden includes the use of bonsai style trees, flowering azaleas and rhododendrons, plants with reddish colored leaves and palm cones. The characteristic elements that are present in every Japanese garden are formed by the combination of the trees, bamboo, shallow water basins and the presence of pebbles. A complete mix of nature in the garden is the vital factor in every Japanese garden. You have to take note that the perennials and the bulbs must be planted in a sporadic manner. It is used to emphasize the natural character of the garden nooks.

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In every Japanese garden, you have to take into consideration that the stone and water complement each other. Their combined existence is highlighted with the various colors of the plants. It is vital that a miniature pond or a bowl containing water is present since it is a necessary ingredient in any garden; it is also decorated in an oriental style. The stone boulders best represents the shrouded mountains.

When it comes to the care and maintenance of a Japanese garden, it can be quite an arduous task. On the other hand, the maintenance is performed in such a way that the human intrusion is not noticeable.

Your Japanese garden must be naturally composed. The most important objective of this type of garden is stressing on the harmonious beauty of nature. The Japanese garden is ideally created to encourage contemplation, without overpowering the senses with a wide variety of bright colors.

In creating a Japanese garden, it also allows you to explore the philosophy utilized by the oriental gardeners in order to understand the principles in the selection of the vital materials, plants and other important factors that must be present. Based on the Japanese philosophy, you have to take note that everything old is valuable. This rule is also applied when creating your garden. The boulders with overgrown moss, old trees and branches are meant to remind the viewer that it is not about the past. The garden compositions are exclusively designed to symbolize the male and female element and their balance. It can either be complementary light and shadow or stone and water. When it comes to the garden boundaries, the small areas might include a growing tree or bamboo groves. Just take note that they should go unnoticed in order to complement the horizon views.

In the creation of your ideal Japanese garden, you need to take note of the features and factors mentioned above. All of them must be present in order to create the best Japanese garden for your home. It is indeed a lovely addition for your home where you can relax after a stressful day and enjoy the calm environment it has to offer. With the combination of rocks, plants and water to recreate what is exactly found in nature, this is what makes the Japanese garden unique. These gardens are meant to take you on a wonderful journey within where you can contemplate due to the calmness and serenity the environment brings.

Incident in the Euston Road .BU08FJM . Metropolitan Police ,Ford Transit Van . 28th-July-2010


Image by AndrewHA .
Metropolitan Police , Ford Transit van BU08FJM . Parked in the Euston Road , during the incident on 28th-July-2010

Breakout Space, Innospace, Manchester Metropolitan University


Image by jisc_infonet
A flexible meeting and social space for those using the area. Also showing the kitchen/cafe area in the background. The whole space is wi-fi enabled.

RGB Ambient Thermometer


Image by ninjabong
So I built this little RGB Ambient Thermometer, and yes I am well aware my own ass works perfectly well for telling me if it’s hot or cold or just right. I don’t care, I made it anyway.

It was ~75F in the apartment, hence blue.

The candy thermometer


Image by Carol Browne
This candy thermometer worked perfectly for this project. My sugar syrup turned exactly the right consistancy.

The recipe for popcorn balls is on my blog here – carolbrowne.com/edibles/mrs-mccools-eyeballs/

Drink Thermometer Box


Image by Experiment 33
Nice silver graphics on this box full of drink thermometer stir sticks.

Xenomorph sculpture


Image by FyreNWater
A xenomorph sculpture made of old car parts and various tools. Amazing stuff, but too bad I don’t know the original artist. All I know is that this is in a storefront at Venice Beach.

This is an old photo from 2006 taken with my first (i.e. crappiest) digital camera. It’s my most popular one from other sites and (sadly) it overshadowed anything I made myself. I removed it from my art galleries, due to popularity for the wrong reasons and excessive hotlinking.

So here it is in a proper place: as a photograph. I added a watermark in the hopes that people won’t hotlink the crap out of this.

No critiques on this one. It’s an old photo.
Also, no derivative works, since it’s not my sculpture. I only had permission from the creator to photograph this.

**If someone knows who made this, let me know so I can properly attribute this work!**

Sculpture By The Sea 2009


Image by aris-ressy
The Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Sydney is Australia’s largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition. This exhibition was initiated in 1996, at Bondi Beach and it featured sculptures which were made by both Australian and overseas artists. (Wikipedia)

Note: this is one of the sculpture. Amazed by how it really looks like a boy.

Develop Killer Speed.
A Training Manual For Increasing Your Running Speed.
Develop Killer Speed.

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Melbourne Central, Melbourne


Image by thewamphyri
Melbourne Central, Victoria, Australia.

Built 1991,
Height – Spire 246m (807 ft),
Height – Roof 211m (692 ft),
Floors 54.

Melbourne city


Image by Wanderungen
Melbourne, October 2006, view from Rialto’s observation Desk.

Melbourne skyline at night


Image by mr.donb
Melbourne, Australia

Sheffield steel cutlery sculpture


Image by Rev Stan

Sheffield steel cutlery sculpture


Image by Rev Stan

Sheffield steel cutlery scultpure


Image by Rev Stan

DoF study 2


Image by maistora
Just spotted some colourful objects on a reflecting table and decided to play a little with manual focus…

Mirage Maple Umbria at the museum


Image by Mirage floors
Hallway with a Maple hardwood floor in Umbria stain.

For more information, visit www.miragefloors.com