I wish you a very happy Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day, or Boxing Day, or all three, depending on where you are and when you happen to see this). Thanks for calling in at this special time.
I hope you’ll find some hours of peace and contentment over the holidays, whatever your beliefs may be. Continue reading
Bottle tree installation at the Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange, Texas
Many bottle trees you’ll see – assuming you see bottle trees at all – are stiff. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but Southern folklore metal artist, Stephanie Dwyer, sets hers apart by making them sinuous and twisty, like real trees.
Bottle tree at Shack Up Inn, bent over as if by the wind
Her iconic bottle tree, part of a series inspired by Hurricane Katrina, channels lone trees all over the world, carved into art forms by the wind on some exposed ridge. It seems to grow out of the turf at the Sack Up Inn, and to nod with respect and resilience to its shadow. Continue reading
Suzie Cranston’s birdhouse garden looks magical in the snow
Not the day to dine outside at Walker’s Drive-in
Burning logs in the fire pit makes the garden feel cosy, despite the snow
Some years ago, I was waiting outside a historical building for my sweetheart to finish a landscaping consultation when a gentleman approached. He urged us to take a look at his woodland garden, just a few streets away, even if we only had a few minutes. Continue reading
In response to the Weekly Photo Challenge It IS Easy Being Green! I’ve obediently tried out a gallery. The format allows us to compare and contrast the great variety in greenness, as in any colour in nature, but it doesn’t let me explain what the pictures are – and you’ll be hard pressed to make out much detail on a smartphone. So here they are a bit bigger, with descriptions: Continue reading
An old song drifted into my mind when I saw this week’s photo challenge prompt:
As I sit and bathe
In a wave of nostalgia
For an age yet to come.Pete Shelley
That thought is perhaps best left dangling like a participle, though there is an oblique connection (trust me, there always is) to these oversized branding signs. They’re part of a past that I’ll never fully understand. I don’t know what DX stands for (I cropped the D out). I can’t even date them.
I used to see adverts and film segments on British TV showing American trucks pulling into American petrol stations, or teenagers hanging out in cars, getting soda from a drive-through that looked like a petrol station. In my naivety, I used to think this was nostalgia – that these scenes were retro-styled, hankering back to a loved, lost past. I didn’t realise it’s like that now. In places.
The present looks different, depending on where you are. American trucks really are L-shaped, with bonnets (hoods) like oversized cars. Sonics exist. No need for nostalgia – if a soda float floats your boat, it’s right here, right now.
But back to the signs and their context. Their bold colours and logos were once deployed to promote things, but today they’ve retired to the country. Together with a lot of old, corrugated tin and reclaimed wood, they now reside at one of the world’s most characterful B&Bs. Continue reading
Over the last few days I’ve been watching a bottle tree orchard unfurl in The Art Garden at the Mississippi Museum of Art. My picture shows one of the bottle trees as dusk was falling this evening. It has been wonderful to have the chance to see the smiles and animated expressions on the faces of the first few people to interact with it. Continue reading
For many gardeners, as for most modern artists – gardening is an art, isn’t it? – broken is just a good excuse to recycle. This week’s challenge took me back to the day when we visited two master recyclers, Elmer and Linda Long, at their Bottle Tree Ranch in the Mojave Desert.
There are many community events on WordPress – some established, others being added all the time. Events can be fun, inspiring, thought-provoking or scary – they almost always prompt you to do something slightly out of your comfort zone.
