Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog

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 »

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.

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Yeah! Another Horticulturist has become a blogger. I just love watching my little seedlings grow and blossom into their full potential. This week Jim Kincannon posts his first IMA blog. Jim is not only a great Horticulturist but he also is the catalyst for us having entire conversations based on song lyrics. You won’t find that in other departments I bet. My hope is we will hear from Jim of Geoff (or Katie or Patty or Chad or ….) every other week opposite my weeks. Eventually we will get a bio up for each and they can quit posting under my blog. I don’t mind them being under my thumb, but under my blog? No way.

Uh-oh, somebody left the blog-o-graph in the Division of Environmental and Historic Preservation unsecured! Well, I am done cleaning Irvin’s and Geoff’s garden trowels so let’s see how this thing works…

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When I wrote the intro to Geoff’s blog a couple weeks ago I told you I was prostituting myself for plants at the Perennial Plant Symposium. There is some truth to that.

Image from slantmouth.com

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While I am in Saint Louis prostituting myself for plants at the Perennial Plant Symposium Horticulturist Geoff VonBurg is filling in for me. One of Geoff’s gardens here is the recently restored Orchard. But I have no idea what he is blogging about. Thanks Geoff.

Irvin Etienne, Aesthetic Czar, whose garden trowel I am not worthy to clean, is away this week.  He said something about a professional conference in St Louis, but I hear Dolly Parton is performing in Branson, so I’m not sure…

Anyway, he left me keys to the blog-o-graph and said, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

More and more this season, I have been enraptured with wonder at what nature does.  For the blog’s title, I turned to Jens Jensen, one of the great evangelists for the church of mother earth.   In the first chapter of Siftings (1939) he said that the “[natural world] about us has within it all the joy and happiness that we need.”  Amen.  As much as my life is enriched by the amazing work I see in our galleries, more nourishing for my soul is the beauty and humility of plants.  I want to offer three little samples.

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