Art and gardening go together, don’t you agree? Nature has always been an inspiration for art; the famous artist Claude Monet said “Nothing in the whole world is of interest to me but my painting and my flowers.” And how beautifully he combined those interests!
Who can deny the inspiration of a garden? To stand in the middle of a lush garden on a warm sunny day, with bees buzzing gently around and the air full of the perfume of the plants always brings a wonderful feeling of peace, contentment and creativity. No wonder artists love to take their easels and materials outside and work in the middle of such beauty.
When we visited Edmonton recently, we saw an exhibit of women Canadian painters at the Art Gallery of Alberta. They were all amazing works, but one struck a particular note. Have you heard of Annora Brown? She was a gifted artist, and lived from 1899 – 1987. For the time, she had many educational opportunities and was able to grow and develop as an artist; first learning how to paint from her mother, then later studying art in Ontario, then later teaching art in Calgary and the Banff School of Fine Arts. She eventually moved to British Columbia, but no matter where she was, she drew her inspiration from nature, especially in her landscapes and paintings of flowers.
What we found significant was her work in recording, through art, Alberta wildflowers. This aspect of her artistic career began when the Glenbow Foundation hired her in 1958 to paint a collection of Alberta wildflowers. She travelled all over the province on this assignment, and her work is very important because some of these plants are now extinct. Imagine that.
A different kind of artwork to preserve local flora was done by Isabel M. Priestly, (1893 – 1946) in Yorkton; Isabel made detailed pressed collections of hundreds of plants in the Yorkton area, and also began the Yorkton Natural History Society.
It’s interesting, isn’t it, to think of how these artistic projects have become historical records of Canadian plants. And as gardeners, we understand the inspiration of the plants for these artists. As gardeners, we know that inspiration goes into every planting.
By now you may have started some plants from seed, started working with your geraniums, or perhaps sent in an order to your favorite seed catalogue. We went from being in the depths of winter to looking forward to spring!
If you are needing a bit of spring inspiration, I have been reading about the Regina Floral Conservatory. Have you ever been there? It sounds just delightful, with displays that change through the year. Starting March 3, the display will be “Springtime Magic” until April 25. That’s just what we need after these weeks of cold, isn’t it! Their address is Regina Floral Conservatory, 1450B Fourth Avenue, Regina. Visit their website at http://reginafloralconservatory.ca for more information. If you’re going to be in Regina this would be a beautiful destination!
And right here at home, the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society meets on the third Wednesday of each month at SIGN on North Street. Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. We always have an interesting speaker or presentation, and guests are always welcome, you don’t have to be a member of the group to come to the meetings. If the topic interests you, feel free to join us! Another place for garden inspiration!
Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca, and have a great week!
“I must have flowers, always, and always.” Claude Monet.
