Yesterday I referenced an exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show that grabbed my attention more than any other and also appeared to be the most polarizing exhibit at the show. I made it a point to carefully listen to as many visitors’ comments as possible as they approached this controversial display. The comments ranged from “It’s an ugly mess of weeds” to “It’s a sea of dead plants” to “It’s anti-color” to “I totally get it”. Personally, the first thing I said upon seeing it was “Kind of looks like my backyard right now”.
Guess I should explain …
The display, created by Scape Design, is based on the following painting:
Crazy you say? Allow me to continue.
This painting, created by famed artist Albert Diato, was discovered within the private collection of Prince Albert of Monaco and is the inspiration for the garden display.
The water-filled silver/gray bowl represents the artist’s ceramic works and is intended to represent the bright Mediterranean light:
The curved orange block in the painting is interpreted through the use of a “cob wall” that represents the artists time spent in Afghanistan:
And the black circle in Diato’s painting is imagined as garden seating; a burnt black log that is intended to not be inviting, inspired by the artist’s desire to work in solitaire:
After reading this information and absorbing it, I was fascinated by the display. The interpretation by the designer is way cool and such a departure from all of the other color filled exhibits at the show. I dig the anti-color (although brown is a color last I checked).
Of course as much as I loved the “artistry”, I was most fascinated by the use of the plants. The exhibit utilized all sorts of ornamental grasses (mostly Panicum aka Switch Grass), Rudbeckia and other “spent” plants highlighted by their seed heads:
Not what you expect to see at a Flower Show, eh? As I mentioned previously, it sort of looks like my own late winter garden right now. Beautiful in its own way and a really cool interpretation by the designer.
I kid you not, I spent a good hour lingering near this display just to enjoy the visitors’ reactions. Once the exhibit comes into view, it looks like this:
It immediately set people back and evoked such strong opinions. My biggest regret is that I didn’t personally interview these people so I could share their exact thoughts with you.
So what do you think?
As a horticultural representation of the painting, I think it’s a good display. I think it’s attractive (certainly not ugly) in its own way but, on the other hand, it’s not a garden I’d want to spend time in. I’ve nothing against dried grass and seedheads but the wall makes me uncomfortable. Of course, I wouldn’t have the painting in my living room either (even if I could afford it).
I think it would tempt me too much beyond endurance to deadhead that teasel and save seeds from it. I also think it’s a brilliant and revolutionary idea, but I’m not sure I actually like this execution of it.
It’s beautiful! Infuenced by art here, it is also a great example of full year gardening and creating a winter interest. In my opinion winter garden can be as beautiful and interesting as summer garden. It’s a good example of it!
For a polarizing flower show topic, see Plantswise by Tovah Martin’s facebook photo and postings from March 3 of the bare root, suspended conifers. It’s so interesting to see and hear so much commentary and interpretation. I loved the Dialto colors and the mood it evoked (to me) of inevitable transition.
I’m sure it MUST have evoked some strong opinions! Not something one expects to
see at a spring flower show.
Sorry, it wouldn’t have interested me!!
I’m sure it must have evoked some strong opinions! Not something one expects to see
at a spring flower show. Sorry, it wouldn’t have interested me!!
Didn’t realize my message would make a double….. I apologize for the wasted
space!
I love it! I would have loved just walking through the garden but to know the story behind the design is even better.
It is reality, but that is not what people want to see. They want to see beauty, not death, even though we as gardeners see the beauty in every stage of life.
Eileen
Definitely an exhibit that asks the viewer to look beyond what they see to interpret the scene. The art piece doesn’t sing to me personally – too dour and solitary – but interpreting the art using spent plants was really smart! And seed heads always signify Hope to me, so in a way the garden lifts the effect of the art. This years garden show in Seattle had a similar Art and Horticulture theme, but nothing so thought provoking as this! Thanks for sharing it!
This intepretation is wonderful. To take a piece of art and have it translated in another medium and done well is to be complimented. It reminds me of the colors of the desert which lots of people find boring, bland or ugly. In fact, as I look out my window at my yard in it’s present “winter garb” it looks pretty much the same as the Scape Design portrayal:-) Ah, Spring, where are you hiding?
This is a great description of what was my FAVORITE exhibit of this year’s Philly Flower Show. I have a naturalized lawn, which took about 5 years to totally set in, with the first 3 of those years being a constant battle with the Township about the “weed garden” when it was preparing to be deadheaded. I was thrilled to recognize a lot of my own garden in this exhibit too! What’s missing from the photos here are the little identifying labels showing the names of the plants — legitimizing the display and making it educational. We thought that perhaps if I put similar labels (in Latin) around in my own lawn it might fend off the last remaining disparaging commenters. Most of the neighborhood (and finally the Township) understand and appreciate the garden, especially in the Spring when it is a cascading sequence of changing colors! Yes, even in fall, these plants can and SHOULD be appreciated in their natural state. Thanks for featuring it here!
Green Grass makes the beauty of garden.
http://www.zoysiagrassguide.com
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