Blog

Finally!!  Spring has sprung and summer is fast arriving!!  This has been one of the wettest, coldest springs I can remember ever having here in the Midwest.  I can't complain however because unlike so many in the nation, northern Indiana fared fairly well in spite of less than ideal weather conditions. 

But back to the reason I am writing this.  My husband and I visited Pam Miller's green house for the first time last week.  While we there, I couldn't help but marvel at the amazing collection of artistic container gardens that Pam had created.  She put together her planting so beautifully that I could only think of them as works of art.  She also had a wonderful knack for finding old and unusual containers and repurposing them for her container gardens. 

After we had made our purchases, we walked back out of the main green house and stood talking with Pam and her husband.  My eye kept being drawn to an old metal roofed shed with a glorious little perennial flower bed next to it.  The side of the shed was in shadows due to the late afternoon light, which gave the garden a perfect backdrop!  The flowers literally looked they were glowing!  I asked if I might return to the paint the shed and flower bed in the near future.  Pam said I could come anytime.  So the next day I arrived about two hours earlier than we had been there the day before.  I hoped to catch the same lighting in a plein air painting.   

One time during the afternoon, Pam came by and we started chatting about art.  I believe she was quite surprised when I told her I considered her to be an artist.  To me gardening requires the same type of skills as creating a painting or any other type of art.   The casual garden I painted that day looked wonderful in its placement next to the old shed, but Pam had also created many other gardens which were more formal and manicured.  Even her ability to know what type of garden to plant in different locations on the property surrounding her home, showed a keen awareness understanding form and function. 

I have come to view many gardeners as artists.    When I have walked in or near other well thought out gardens I have gotten the same feeling of wonder that I do when I see an art exhibit.   So I wish to thank everyone who not only works hard to create such beautiful garden spaces, but who are willing to share their talents with the rest of us!