How We Spent Our Anniversary (G-rated version)

Thought for the day:  Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? [nursery rhyme]

[source: morguefile]

My name isn't Mary, but I'll tell ya how my garden grows, anyhow. At my age, I should've known better, and I definitely should've looked more closely at the labels on those dirt cheap seeds I bought from that shady guy at the flea market.

I thought I was getting a great deal on some Lavatera and Aster seeds, but it turned out, I bought Lavatoria and Assters. (sigh) Now we have bathtubs busting out all over, and even worse, little toilets are starting to come in. (I'm afraid to plant the Moonflowers and Twolips...)

[source: morguefile]

Okay, so maybe our garden isn't quite that bad, but I'm one of those people who always started out the season with big greenhouse dreams of how gorgeous our garden was gonna be, but when the reality of hot temperatures and biting insects dug in, I kinda let nature... and the weeds... take over. That's one reason I enjoy going to botanical gardens so much. I get to see all the beauty I imagined without having to do any of the work.

Like a good part of the country, we've had an incredible amount of rain this year. So much that my sturdy old rosemary bush drowned. Literally. Its roots simply rotted away. (I WILL replace it.) On the other hand, our hydrangea has never been happier, or its blooms more beautiful.

Anyhow, as our anniversary was approaching last month, I wanted to celebrate at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, because there's a reeeeeally special exhibit going on there. But no surprise, the forecast called for rain, rain, and more rain. (sigh) BUT... in spite of the dismal forecasts, the morning of the 24th was merely overcast. No liquid sunshine. Then the actual sun (What is that strange thing in the sky?) came out... and we (ta-DA!) went to the gardens. The temperature was toasty, but not a single drop of rain fell until after we finished at the gardens, went to dinner, and then got safely back home. (Then the clouds let loose.)

So what was this special exhibit I wanted to see? In July of 2013, I wrote a post about an awesome mosaiculture exhibit we went to see at the gardens, the first big exhibit of its kind in our country. And now? The gardens are hosting another even bigger and better mosaiculture exhibit!

What the heck is mosaiculture, you ask? It's a blend of art and horticulture that first bloomed (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) in Europe as early as the 16th century. Simply put, intricate metal frames are designed and built, and then they're stuffed with a growing medium, fitted with an internal irrigation system, and then plants are plugged into pockets of a special fabric that's stretched over the frames. Just as in 2013, the exhibit came to Atlanta from the fine folks of the International Mosaiculture of Montreal.

Before I show you pics of some of the sculptures featured in this year's show, how about a brief video to take you behind the scenes?

                                Okay, ready? Here goes... and I'll save my favorite for last.

This is the earth goddess,who first appeared at the first Imaginary Worlds mosaiculture show, and is now a permanent part of the gardens. Water usually flows over her hand, but her pool was drained and she was getting some maintenance work done when we were there.

This year's show was subtitled Once Upon a Time, and most of the exhibits were much more massive and ambitious than the last time around.

Like this massive Phoenix Rising... pretty appropriate for the city of Atlanta.

And this lumbering mastodon.

It was pretty warm, but it didn't keep ole Rip Van Winkle from taking a snooze.

No fantasy story world would be complete without Pegasus.

Or a mermaid, basking in the sun.

Shades of Arabian nights, perhaps? The details in these camels were amazing.

Camel #2 in the caravan.

And camel #3.

All three of them to give a better perspective as to how large they are.

A lovely sleeping princess.


And NOW... for my favorite!

Ready?

Isn't he absolutely gorgeous???

Here's a closer look at one of the dragon's legs. I took quite a few shots of the dragon, (Did I happen to mention he was my favorite...?) but none of them really do it justice. The piece is both massive and majestic. Just as a dragon should be.



The International Mosaiculture of Montreal's roots ( sorry) reach back to 1998, when it first began creating these gorgeous works of art, and each year since it first sprouted, (sorry, again) they've hosted an international festival-type competition. This year's festival hasn't yet begun, but plans are currently being planted and will soon be in full bloom. (sorry... but only a little) Would you like a sneak peek at what's happening so far?

So there ya have it. It was a glorious way to spend an anniversary... or any other day. It was every bit as wonderful as I expected it to be, and for those of you who live in the area, the show will be continuing until the end of October, so you still have plenty of time to catch it.

                                 Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

                                      A pic of the earth goddess from our first visit.

One Block at a Time

Thought for the day:  During darkened conditions,  a bare foot can serve quite well as an inexpensive device for finding every missing LEGO®  left lying on the floor. 

[morguefile]

When we were kids, we played with erector sets and Tinkertoys, which are both probably considered far too dangerous for children to have in today's world. Too many sharp edges, I suppose. As opposed to LEGOs®, which are definitely more colorful, and allegedly much safer. (Ever step on one of them? They feel pretty darned sharp to me...)

At any rate, they're a lot of fun for kids of all ages. (Just between you and me, Smarticus and I may or may not have been known to remain on the floor assembling some of those brightly-colored marvels long after the grandchildren have lost interest and moved onto something else.)

When we visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in 2014, I shared some pictures of the fabulous  mosaicultures they had on exhibit. Well, towards the end of last year, we visited the new branch of the Gardens, located in Gainesville, where a LEGO® exhibit was on display. Let's just say the stuff they had there is a heckuva lot more sophisticated than I ever imagined anyone building with those blocks. Wanta see...?

This first one is rather simple. (Albeit, beyond my skill level.) It shows a couple squirrels and birds at a feeder.

Here's a closer look at a couple of the birds.

A gardener tending a plant.

A true-to-life sized roto-tiller.

A sundial.The bushes surrounding the dial had clocks hanging from them. (Yes, that's my shadow... time for me to pay more attention...)

A hummingbird and trumpet plant.

A mallard duck and his babies... and an egg.

Praying mantis.

A woodpecker on a tree that's wrapped in a web of red yarn.

A majestic bald eagle.

A corn snake... according to the sign at the gardens. According to my brother, who KNOWS his snakes, it's actually a milk snake.

And a monarch butterfly.

Pretty cool, huh? The gardens in Gainesville are considerable smaller than the ones in Atlanta, but they're still quite lovely, and feature lots of walking trails through the surrounding woods, too. It made for a terrific way to spend a beautiful day in the great outdoors.

[morguefile]

Oh, and check out this picture. This most impressive LEGO® knight and dragon weren't at the gardens; I found this pic on morguefile. The things some talented people can make out of these simple, but ingenious, blocks, is nothing short of amazing. Seems to me, there must be some sort of lesson to be learned from this...

There is strength in numbers. When the bricks stick together, great things can be accomplished. [Steve Klusmeyer]

And that's all from this brick... or more like blockhead... for now.

                            Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

The Art of Gardening

Thought for the day:  Gardens have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.  [Clare Ansberry]

The Atlanta Botanical Gardens has been drawing a lot of people from their homes lately, and this past weekend, Smarticus and I joined them.

Formal paths through gorgeous gardens? Yep. A raised canopy path through the trees? Affirmative. Also, pond and desert gardens, a children's garden, and multiple greenhouses filled with exotic plants. Lots and lots of stuff to see. But do ya wanta see what's been drawing so many people to the gardens?

See something a tad unusual at the end of that path at the left? That's the Earth Goddess. Ever hear of mosaiculture? This blend of art and horticulture first bloomed (Sorry, couldn't resist.) in Europe as early as the sixteenth century, and has since grown popular all over Europe and North America.

There. See her better now? Talk about statuesque. She's twenty-five feet tall.

Mosaiculture framework is constructed of welded pencil and sheet steel, stuffed with growing medium, and fitted with an internal irrigation system. The plants are plugged into pockets of a special fabric that's stretched over the frame, and it takes several months of growth to achieve the desired sculpture. The exhibit in Atlanta showcases nineteen sculptures, and contains more than one hundred thousand plants.

Atlanta's exhibit, dubbed Imaginary Worlds, was made possible by the International Mosaiculture of Montreal, a nonprofit organization that's staged numerous shows around the world to highlight this centuries-old form of  3-D gardening. Lucky us, this show in Atlanta is the first major exhibition of this kind in the United States. Wanta see more?

Two cobras. Aren't they neat?

Here's a closer look at one of the cobra heads.

And one from the rear. One snake's body stretched out along the ground, and the other's was coiled, but they both featured similar designs.

A pair of butterflies.

A unicorn!

Isn't this shaggy dog adorable?

What's an imaginary world without an ogre? This one has a hole clear through his head, so kids can climb into one ear and out the other.

How about a couple dancing fish?

There were several smiling berries. I was only gonna show you this one, but I've gotta show you one other because...

... he reminds me of the Little Rascals' Alfalfa. Check out that center part. All he's missing is a giant cowlick.

Here's three of the rabbits, but there were quite a few more of them. Several frogs, too.

But I think you've got the idea. There was SO much stuff to see there, but rather than show or tell you any more about that, I'd rather share something else with you.

The International Mosaiculture of Montreal designed and created all of these sculptures before shipping them to Atlanta in fifteen temperature-controlled tractor trailer trucks. Pretty cool, huh? (Literally.) Also, since this non-profit took root in 1998, it has hosted an international mosaiculture competition each year, which is going on right now. This year's entrants will be on display at the Montreal Botanical Gardens from now until the end of September. All I can say is WOW! Check 'em out!

A garden isn't meant to be useful. It's for joy.  [Rumer Godden]

Gardening requires lots of water— most of it in the form of perspiration.  [Lou Erickson]

Gardens aren't made by singing, "Oh, how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade.  [Rudyard Kipling]

                                                 So how does your garden grow?

                                 Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
                                            May all your weeds be wildflowers.

P.S. In case you missed it, the lovely Janie Junebug conducted an interview with me on her blog yesterday, and will be doing a review of Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade tomorrow. Why dontcha stop by? If you're on the fence about whether or not you wanta read my novel... maybe she'll give you a little push. (Very gently, though, I'm sure.)