Report From An Opinionated Gardener – March 8
So much of creativity starts with the materials. You find a particular plant, fabric, color or combination of words and it pushes you forward down a path of invention. You might not have intended to travel that road. Perhaps you didn’t initially feel attracted to that particular plant/fabric/color/word combo. But suddenly that particular material is exciting and you’re inspired to use it as the starting line to…
This past weekend, at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show I happened on the Beach Glass Bingo booth. I’ve always loved sea glass and worn china beach shards; I have piles of them in my basement waiting for the day when there might be time to do something with these objects of poor man’s archeology.
So it was exciting to see Gene and Rex’s jewelry and how they took this seaside treasure and ran with it.
Gardeners are often inspired by their materials. Today I got an email about Miss Jilene Rose of Sharon, a variegated form of Hibiscus syriacus. Instantly I had that starting-down-a-creative-path feeling.
I think it’s important to pay attention to the times when a material or idea calls to you. We can’t follow every idea to completion of course, but we can put our time and attention to many more journeys, more creative pursuits, than we often believe.
What materials are you excited about, and where might they take you?
Which plants are calling you? What varieties start you off into entirely new gardens?
