Nestled on the outskirts of Tokyo, Omiya is both the home and custodian of Bonsai, the centuries-old art of growing miniature trees in a pot.

At the court, tulip dwelled in the turban of great sultans, sought shelter on the surface of precious jewels and objects, and witnessed the rise and fall of a great empire.

A secret garden — also known as Taipei’s backyard garden — holds the key to the cultivation of camellia in the northern part of this beautiful isle once called Formosa.