Adrienne - ONCE UPON A CONEFLOWER

Art from the Garden

Making art from the garden, whether it’s crafts like wreaths and dried arrangements, painting “en plein air” or drawing botanical sketches, it’s always fun and a great way to preserve garden memories.

I want to stress, you don’t need lots of talent to do this. Art can be enjoyable no matter what your level of artistic acumen. The idea is to try a new fun activity with the breeze in your hair. Even doodles or sketches in a writing journal count. Capture some flowering trees in spring, paint an Adirondack chair among the daylilies, draw a vase of daisies; they all make fine subjects.

Creating A Sense of Place

I’m sure you visit gardens where as soon as you set foot in them, you make a connection of some kind. The setting might evoke solitude, or playfulness, an easy familiarity, an invitation to bask in nature. Your mood lifts. In that moment, it’s the place you want to be.

It may have an atmosphere that is hard to describe; yet you identify with it in some way. Whether your reaction is deeply personal or widely shared with others, you feel affirmed and– pardon the pun– grounded. It can make you feel energetic, contemplative, nostalgic, sombre, or uplifted. It may trigger memories. Sometimes it is sheer beauty that captures our imagination.

Longwood Gardens Meadow on a September morning

In the context of the greater landscape, this elusive quality is best described as sense of place. Battlefields and places of tragedy have it, of course. So do ancient ruins, natural wonders and world heritage sites. Urban landscapes can have such places too, with small parks and mere courtyards acting like little oases of refuge. The best private gardens are no different, and you can create one.

Delphinium, Diva of the Mixed Border

Blackmore & Langdon cultivars Faust and Cupid, 2022

I say ‘diva’ because delphiniums are attention-grabbing, gorgeous garden stars, but also notoriously temperamental to grow and sustain. Their finicky needs demand high maintenance and a considerable tolerance for unreliability. Since they are arguably one of the most beautiful perennials on the planet, we “delph” lovers grudgingly carry their water (literally!) in hopes of a spectacular show. If you think you’d like to try growing a few, read on.