Good morning, gardeners, garden lovers and everyone else! Thanks for stopping by. This is for anyone who loves to grow and admire plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables. You’ll find it all here. We’re friendly and many of us are here on Sundays and check in during the week too. Check in after 5pm when we get ‘silly’! And we LOVE PHOTOS! So feel free to post your photos even when you visit your neighborhood gardens or public gardens. There are lots of beautiful things growing out there. And if you’re having problems with your garden, give us a call so we can help you.
The photo above shows a piece of art from my own garden. Mr. CNY is the builder of the rock sculptures. I love mixing textures and colors in potted plants. This journal is about interesting outdoor public “art”.
Let’s go…..
First of all, it’s right in my neighborhood. Last summer there was a contest for murals to be painted on buildings in various city parks. Across the street in the park is a service building with restrooms. It was even used as a polling place 30 years ago. One day I saw what looked like the outline of a large mural on the north side of the building (I can see it from my window). And then I saw painting begin. As the mural progressed, I saw the same people working on it. One day while walking I stopped and asked the woman who was painting. She was the mother of the tattoo artist/art teacher who designed the mural for the contest. Her design won for our park. It reflects foliage and animals since there is a flood retention basin on the south and east sides of the park. Here is the finished mural….
This is the side I see from my house. It was fun to see what colors were used and what design elements came out.
East facing side. The stylized flowers remind me of Art Nouveau. The west side looks the same, only the door arrangement is different.
Close up of the flower!
I feel like most of us in the neighborhood agree that this is the most spectacular part of the mural. Great blue herons are regularly seen at the nearby pond, especially during breeding season when they have to fish for food more often. This heron emerging from the pond is so special to the neighborhood. We are grateful to the city parks for this beauty that reflects our neighborhood. The blue pot in the top photo? The artist’s mother gave it and several others to me. As we were talking, gardening came up. She had extra pots to give away. I said throw them all in my yard when you come by one day. And she did!
These are the two largest pots my mother gave me. I think I like the big cream one the best. And don’t worry, blue pot owners! We’ll be doing the blue pot diary one more Saturday. A good diary for the winter when not much is growing in many of our parts of the world.
Now let’s get to the more “controversial” outdoor art. About 20 years ago, a man in upstate New York in Potsdam, NY used a whole bunch of old toilets as planters – mostly plastic flowers. This was NOT meant to be “art.” It was a protest against a zoning regulation that wouldn’t allow him to open a Dunkin’ Donuts on his property. So he put up the “planters,” which made a lot of people very horrified. And then it became a free speech issue in court. Well, the planters are still there, as they were considered legal, and many more popped up on this man’s property. Mr. CNY’s brother lives up there, and some are near his house. The photos below don’t show any of them. Mr. CNY drove around taking photos. And there’s more! This has become part of the local culture. There’s a documentary called “Potty Town.” The story even made it into the Guardian in 2020. Many media outlets picked it up. Some of the flower pots are much more decorative. Here are photos Mr. CNY took this summer of the plain flower pots he found. Looks like REAL foliage has grown over time.
But wait! There’s more! How about a song about the potty gardens? Mr. CNY is in his brother’s band, along with the guy who wrote the song and performed it with his own band. BIL directed the video with the Animal Crackers: Robar’s Blues, Robar being the last name of the potty “gardener.” It’s a really cute song. The lead singer is in BIL’s band.
Tell us about and show us the public art or “art” you love, don’t love so much, or are controversial. And thanks for stopping by!
