Art in the Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we were sitting in our living room recently, we could hear some neighbors pausing by the front yard. It was fun to overhear their comments on our garden through the open window. Their compliments pleased us and we were glad that they enjoyed the artful beauty on display this spring. What was interesting for us was that as they observed the plants in their interwoven state they were complimenting the artistry of our planting! This for us was quite eye-opening and humorous as we had not planted those gorgeous flowers, nature had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a naturalized garden, we allow the seeds to sprout where they may and each spring we end up with a different palette of beauty greeting us each day! Over the years, we have had plants migrate from place to place in the yard. Most recently, the borage, calendula and chard (which we originally planted in the back yard) and the native sweet peas (that we first found volunteering in the back as well) have migrated into the areas in the front by the street. What’s fun to see is how these plants started to fill in spaces that we had struggled to get other plants to grow well in. As volunteers, though, they are flourishing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The artistic beauty of the randomness of nature is something we observe and appreciate over and over again. There’s something peaceful and reassuring about the variety of shape, form and color in nature’s arrangements. Often, art mimics nature. We see it repeatedly in the designs that surround us: a floral bouquet, textiles, home decor, websites. So many of our visual experiences are successful because they in some way mimic the forms of the natural world. Sometimes the lines are whimsical and delicate, other times they are sharp and bright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you observe the natural world around you, take a moment to look more closely and see what artistic patterns exist there. See the incredible balance of different shapes and colors, the variety of ways that nature arranges them and how each arrangement produces a different and equally beautiful and functional effect.