This is the time of year I am furiously working on designs for next spring and summer. It helps to surround myself with memories of last summer.

Otherwise, I might only think about the current weather….

Have I grown tired of temperatures 20 degrees below normal? Oh, hell yes. It seems so ridiculous to have so many nights in the single digits and it is only mid-December. I guess it is weather like this that makes those of us living in more northern climates so appreciative when Spring returns. You are just so relieved to not have that Ole’ Blue Northern pummel you anymore. At the same time, the snow makes a very pretty landscape. Here’s the view from my office window.

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Filed under: Horticulture

In the interest of being green and sustainable, of reducing, reusing, and recycling, and of running out of time, I’m using an email from the Bossman as the foundation for this blog post. Thanks Mark for all the facts in one concise piece of literature.

Some may have noticed a bit of a commotion going on over by Garden Terrace the last couple weeks. That’s because the IMA has received a very generous contribution allowing us to begin work on the complete rehabilitation of the Four Seasons Garden.

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Filed under: Horticulture

Congratulations from the Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog Team to Irvin, who was awarded a Garden Writers Association 2010 Silver Award of Achievement in the Electronic Media category for his informative, hilarious and tawdry writing on this blog. P.S Your photos are pretty good, too.

As I go about the gardens, I see the honey bees still hard at work gathering nectar and pollen from the late summer and fall flowers.

Soon asters will begin blooming and their flowers will work as hundreds of heliports with bees constantly landing, refueling, reloading, and lifting off all day long. The bees’ lives are lives of extreme order and hard work. Especially hard work. They really do work themselves to death. No time for retirement and its activities – meeting friends for coffee, speed walking in the mall, or wondering why the kids don’t come around more often (or being grateful they don’t). It’s just work til your wings fall off. Then you die. Not unlike those of us in public gardening.

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Filed under: Horticulture

Well that’s what the weather report says for tomorrow. Things are starting to pop so get out to the IMA gardens and walk around. Most of the snow is melted!

Snowdrops behind Deer-Zink are blooming.

Some of the Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’ in the beds around the Sutphin Fountain are very close to blooming.

Witchhazels are blooming all over the place.

Perennials are pushing new growth.

And I saw winter aconite that will be in bloom tomorrow. Hellebores should be showing color too.

So much happening. More later.

Filed under: Current Events, Horticulture, Local

IRT Facade

I recently got the chance to go see Crowns at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. It was great- the actors had good voices, the hats were compelling and fun and funny, the set was interesting and transitioned well for the actors from scene to scene. Most importantly, the audience loved it and really got into the story. To my surprise, there were a lot of kids there who enjoyed it, too. Way to go, Indy people, for taking your kids to the theatre.

But, I’m not actually interested in making this a theatre review. I have been thinking lately, spurned on by the recent culture rally Indy Culture Matters, about the large amount of cultural offerings we have available to us here in Indy. I have also been thinking about how much this defines the city as a thriving, important global community with an invested, artistic population. Most of our residents care about culture, and support it. But, I think the part that some people forget about is that fact that the institutions and organizations that comprise the local arts scene all actually support Indianapolis residents. Jobs, tourism, revenue- and more than our sports teams bring in, too.

So, get out and see the newest show at IRT, Interpreting William (which is based on the story of the founder of Conner Prairie.) If you aren’t into theatre, try something else.  Some events have shockingly cheap tickets. Indianapolis has countless offerings: Museums, gallery walks, historical houses, gardens, the zoo, the symphony. We have so much going on all the time, and it’s a shame to let all that amazing culture be wasted on JUST the tourists.

Feel free to comment and let me know of all the cool Indianapolis hot spots I left out!

Filed under: Current Events, Local, Musings