The Theme of My Art Quilt Series: GARDENING – Summer 2008
They say to do something well, you should know your subject very well! I have spent many years gardening and I know how to garden very well. A smart thing for me to do would be to select “gardening” as the theme for my art quilt series, which begins June 1, 2008. As my art quilt series will be a work-in-progress, so has this season’s completion of my personal garden, which I am quite proud of.
I was asked to design a garden of my choice for the front of my house several weeks prior to this past Easter, 2008. After many trips to the gardening supply store and many enjoyable gardening hours, I have completed my garden for Summer 2008. I believe from the comments that I have received from others that have seen my efforts; the completion of my garden has been a huge success. Now, my days are spent tending my garden and providing the love and nurture that it needs to continue to grow and thrive.
It is not easy to maintain a garden in Florida during the desert-like conditions that our summers mimic. Early in the morning, by our local news broadcasters, we are teased with hopes of anticipated rain predictions only to realize by the end of the day that no rain has actually fallen from the sky. It is imperative that I water my garden in the morning to prepare it for the warm, dry day that it will experience. It is also smart to provide a nice, wet drink before bedtime. I also have the additional tasks of pulling weeds there are brave enough to poke their way through the thick layer of mulch that I have provided on top of the soil to retain that precious moisture for the roots. From time to time, plant causalities happen and those plants must be removed, as conditions were not optimum for their continued growth. Finally, adding a new interesting object to the garden is always an enjoyable experience! Especially when the addition is noticed and enjoyed by others.
How was my garden designed? With a good-size end table to set my coffee cup on, a free standing chair and a swing for two on the porch to begin with, I knew that everyone would sit and socialize and view my garden. While designing my garden, it was important to me that my garden displayed different types of categories of plants for others to appreciate, such as flowers, roses, houseplants, cactus, vegetables and herbs. During the plant selection and purchasing, it was important that the plants had flowers, if possible, and if they did have flowers, that the flowers were of colorful variations. It was also important to me that I vary the view of my landscape with the use of different height elevations to entice the visual palette. Prior to construction of the garden, I located some extra matching paver bricks in the back yard that I utilized to build platforms for some of the pots to sit on. By using matching paver bricks in my garden, I have achieved an extra bonus and visually connected the garden to the walkway and driveway. In addition to the appealingly constructed, colorful floral view, I wanted my garden to include playful toys for fun, which I have included. Just prior to the completion of my garden, the theme of frogs was introduced by the purchase of a frog planter. I purchased a Boston fern for that planter and extra additional frogs that have been enjoyed as well.
Why is my garden special? Every garden is special. The following items have been included in my garden to make my garden “special to me!” Solar powered lights on short poles have been installed to illuminate the garden’s view in the night’s darkness when the outside lights controlled-by-sensors are not operating. Three Linnea cloth dolls have been purchased from e-bay and they sit in separate metal, decorative chairs for potted plants. They even get watered when the plants do, that is their bath for the day. The overhang of the porch had nails from Christmas lights so I purchased several “Creepy Critters” that hang from 12” suspended springs. They are a conversation starter and a nice colorful addition to my surroundings. The first store-bought sculpture purchased for my garden was an ivory bunny for Easter. Her name is “Daisy” and she is a well-behaved pet. I love e-bay and another purchase to go on the end table for my garden was a large frog clock with numbers so huge that the clock can be seen in the yard. Everyone has commented on this “one-of-a-kind” clock. I found a bird egg in the grass of our island and decided to place it on some imitation moss that surrounds a catsus dish garden. The bird egg has two holes in it that are very interesting. I purchased a spring decorative bucket and have been collecting marigold flowers that have dried up. These seeds will begin the new planting that will take place in the spring of 2009 for next summer’s garden.
This is my introduction to my art quilt series on Gardening. The quilts to follow will be a series of pictorials of the images that relate to the importance of water to my garden, the design of my garden and why my garden is special to me.
