What is it about a garden that fills our hearts?
Some places can be powerful parts of our lives. Some places fill our hearts and souls. For me, one of those places is a Garden. Especially gardens that are well-loved, well-designed, and cared for. These outdoor spaces remind me of who we are and what is essential. I love to sit in the calmness of a garden.
Why do private and public gardens remain such an essential part of our lives no matter what country we live in? I know they are an essential part of my work as an artist.
“No life is well rounded without the subtle inspiration of beauty.” Beatrix Farrand
Some gardens are essential to life, provide food for their families, and are not a luxury but a critical part of survival. To others, parks offer a place to be in the wonders of nature—a place of calm, beauty, and reflective thought. As the world gets more crazy and violent and news is filled with fears and pain, we seek this connection with nature more and more, this peace and calm. We want to return to our original home, the Garden of Eden.
Gardens are a part of my inner fascination, a part of my life. It is not just the plants in them but the designs. This is intriguing, from the hardscapes to how landscape designers create movement and even rooms in the landscape. The balance of plant types in a bed can create a feast for the eyes.
A well-thought-out garden design adds more senses than sight to enrich the soul. Smells and sounds add to the splendor. Water bridges and streams, some subtle, some not, add to our delight. The birds and butterflies that find a home in these environments add not only to the functions and propagation of the plants but also add to our joy.
Gardens can teach us many things about life in general. How tiny we are in the larger fabric of the earth. How our efforts can contribute to a greater whole. For me, how much love was in the creator's plans? This gives me hope in his plan.
Gardens and flowers are a large part of my artistic work simply because they give delight. A camera with a macro lens allows me to see more clearly the incredible details of the petals and leaves. But most importantly, with the artistic eye, I can offer an image of peace and tranquility to another to brighten their soul.
A famous self-taught gardened Frank Cabot, the designer behind Les Quatre Vents, aka Cabot Garden, in Quebec, Canada, speaks of the garden in the following quote. As you read his words, replace the word garden with photography, and I concur with the heart and mind behind our work.
“I think everyone has a garden within them, and its a way of expressing ones creativity. And its just the most satisfying exercise, it really is the purest of human pleasures.”
"I found that In the end a good garden has a soul. Especially if its made by an individual." - Frank Cabot
Good photography has a soul. Especially when an individual makes it, we all can tap into that inner garden and express it creatively through a media of choice. I choose to paint with pixels and bring the delights found in the gardens I visit.
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Project - My thoughts and Ramblings
A 52-week Introspective Writing Project - March 2023
Week 10: Places
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