Can you feel it? Yep, spring is officially only a few days away. It’s in the air, people.

When I think of spring, I think of robins. Ever since I can remember, my mom and Nana had a contest every year to see who could spot the first robin. Forget that scrawny groundhog, the first red-breasted robin hopping around in the grass (or snow) meant warmer weather was just around the corner.

Here are a few works from our collection that remind me strongly of spring. What says ’spring’ to you?

Birds | (verso) Studies for a Woman in a Hat

More!

Three Flying Birds

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.

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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This week-end is Perennial Premiere at the IMA’s Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse. As some of you know, our retail shop is open year-round with houseplants and tropicals for sale. But the third week of April, we break out the perennials, woody plants, and my favorite: the summer annuals. Sue Nord Peiffer, Greenhouse Supervisor, maintains a good mix of cutting edge new plants and tried and true favorites.

Being the nature woman she is, there is also a wide variety of natives for sun and shade. For those more in to garden rooms than gardens, there’s a wide range of non-plant garden related items as well (I’m a big fan of the battery operated paper lanterns). But since I get to write this blog, I’m going to concentrate on plants-  particularly the ones I like best. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of the year when garden writers (those of us living in areas with real winters especially) inevitably mention the first flowering plants of the year. I don’t want to be one of those writers. But I am. I can’t help it. When you see those first buds swelling, then showing color, then actually in full bloom… ooooowee, it thrills you so. Even the first tiny Crocus pushing itself up through the mulch is most welcome. A few warm days and this little feller will be in bloom.

Crocus pushing itself up through the mulch

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