Travel and The Gardens

     Pink and turquoise plastic birds decorate the grounds of Newfield. Not only that, there is plastic every where.  Plastic snails in the halls of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. No! Yes!
 These displays are "Cracking Art" and were produced in Italy.  A select few museums are incorporating them with other art.
   Plastic developed from petroleum is molded into birds, snails, bears, wolves and an elephant. 

   There is an environmental connection between each of the creatures and art; all on display at Newfields

   Indianapolis Museum of Art is one part of  152 acre Newfields, which includes the Lily House Estate and Gardens, Greenhouse, and the Virginia Fairbanks Art and Nature Park (along White River)   There is an interesting history lesson found in learning
the development of Newfields.
   The walk from the museum to the greenhouse is extensive, but worth it.
Along the way we saw volunteer gardeners (Master Gardeners) replanting beds with cannas, coleus and begonias.  I was struck by the vegetable garden, resplendent with rhubarb, asparagus, cabbage ready to harvest and potatoes two feet high.
   One vegetable bed was surrounded by a wattle fence to ward off the rabbits.  A wattle fence is a construction of intertwined sapling poles.
How they kept rabbits from the garden that was not similarly enclosed I have no idea.
  We saw unfamiliar plants; acanthus and bottlebrush buckeye which covered a large bank.  (We asked the volunteers)

   The greenhouse was a bevy of tropicals; orchids, bromeliads, succulents and others I did not recognize.
   Visiting the Art and Nature Park would have to wait for another trip.
   My gardening trip did not end on that high note.
   From Indy we traveled to Rockville, (Parke County Covered Bridge Festival). E and I toured the  friends' private garden. It has been an attraction for friends for years.  No wonder.  It must have taken years to develop this remarkable place.

   A goldfish pool with water lilies; a gazebo and all sorts of plants.

It is a garden to admire but  not try to duplicate.  A smart person knows when to enjoy the work of others ;and to be satisfied with what he has.
  It’s all right to continue weeding, don’t rest on your laurels.
  The Cracking Art will be on display at the museum and grounds until August.