In the great green garden-room
There was an elephant ear alocasia
And some blue and white balloon flowers ….”
Brilliant red of the native sourwood tree with the clear yellow of Photinia in the background. IMA/Oldfields border garden near orchard.
Arisaema and sourwood leaves
Frost has come to the gardens both here at the IMA and at home. This can be seen as an act of horrid evil wretchedness or finally sweet deliverance depending on one’s mood or moods. As stated in an earlier post I can be found experiencing both moods simultaneously. But while the frost brings a certain part of the garden to an end at the same time it brings another whole dimension of gardening to life – fall color.
Even though I miss my gaudy tropicals terribly I know their demise means the autumnal show is ready to start. And who doesn’t love a good show? Read the rest of this entry »
By far, my favorite season of the year at the IMA is fall. Currently we’re right into the series of weeks where the grounds transform into this amazing color palette of reds, oranges and yellows. I happen to start working for the IMA late September three years ago, just in time to experience the magnificence and get hooked.
Indianapolis Museum of Art Garden, Pony Bridge; contributed by Terry.Tyson
I’m not the only one captured by the seasons, as shown by the IMA Flickr Group. As of this writing we have over 200 members and we are pushing dangerously close to 2000 images! It’s wonderful to see the many vantage points brought together to a single point on the web.
Here’s a few photos I captured three years ago shortly after starting at the IMA. They are not altered in any way. I always revel in these photos and tell people about them. So I am taking my opportunity now to share them with you.
Grab the extinguisher. This tree's on fire!
Check out the latest additions to the Flickr group and please join us by sharing your fall photos as well.
This coming Saturday is National Tree Hugger Day. That’s October 17. In the current mood of people embracing all things green and sustainable it seems only right we have a National Tree Hugger Day. This event is not just for tree hugger extremist but rather an opportunity for all of us to show a little appreciation for these plants that bring so much joy into our lives. Not sure how to hug a tree? Here’s a little instructional video.
See? Wasn’t that easy to understand? I bet you are already half way out the door to find a tree to hug. Well go ahead. You can come back later to finish this blog.
Now I could go on and on about how much carbon trees soak up, or how they lower the temperatures especially in urban areas, or how they increase the value of your home. But really, does everything in nature have to do something for us or have economic value as a prerequisite for us to care about it? Can’t we just appreciate the trees for what they are? Do you hug your family and friends so you can get close enough to rummage through their pockets for a few dollars? Really people. I’ll stop ranting now.
A musical interlude to calm my nerves.
Probably the most satisfying aspect of working as a gardener at the IMA is to be present at the intersection of art and nature. Not just being able to cruise the galleries indoors, or seeing some sculpture in the gardens; but bit by bit creating new art experiences – at least in my head. And that is where art starts forming, as the mind combines the previously unrelated.
Ooooo, the blog is getting a little too deep and self-consciously artsy.
Who said something about art being either plagiarism or genius? In the horticulture trade, one of the first things a gardener learns is to borrow and adapt what others do. A good gardener gives proper credit when told, “That is a nice plant combination.” So, John Teramoto, Marty Krause, Annette Schlagenhauff (am I forgetting anyone?) – thank you for the exhibit Lay of the Land.
The exhibit combining Asian and Western art prints and poetry, set me to thinking about how often images in the galleries, or music and poetry cause me to recall some beautiful place I’ve experienced. Nice memories and feelings …. trying to capture the bliss of the moment.
So as Autumn brings another season to a close, I offer some images and poems, with apologies to the artists, that reminded this gardener of the promise and beauty of Spring as compensation for labors…
Work
The corn is baking in blue smoke,
Pickled tomato is piled ready on my plate,
And the chrysocolla of a young cedar branch is close.
Yet the breakfast that should be calm and enjoyable
makes me uneasy.
I’m worried about the manure I threw yesterday
From the horsecart and left on the slope.
Kenji Miyazawa 1896-1933
Manure and compost on vegetable garden at Oldfields
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