In the Monet pond, the leaves of the Gardens’ favorite lotus Nelumbo nucifera ‘Mrs. Perry D. Slocum’ sporting plate-like water resistant leaves. In the background is an exciting graffiti artist’s mural (Lady Pink) and reflection. The colorful murals are part of the Gardens’ popular “Urban Nature” exhibit.
The Gardens’ summer exhibit, “Urban Nature,” not only brings in references to the City through street murals and horticultural practices, it also challenges us to notice the little things around us. Humans, nature, and urban living collide regularly – it’s up to us to take notice.
Early this spring I was mesmerized by plants breaking through concrete and black top at a gas station. Unwanted? Maybe. A beautiful point of contrast? Definitely.
Rick Darke (standing on the right) gave us a terrific show last night, a bright light among our constellations of illuminating programs. In an age of CGI movies, it’s not every speaker who can hold an audience spellbound with images and ideas. But everyone there was treated to a worldwide, whirlwind tour of the ways that plants and urban spaces interact. His pictures ranged from great horticulture in urban parks, to forgotten spaces being reclamed by plants, to human-intended reclamation, to serendipitous natural beauty. We saw plants succeeding in a former California gas station, an abandoned Manhattan elevated train, a cement works in New Zealand, and a former steel mill in Dusseldorf, Germany. There are so many possibilities! So many contenders for a new ideal.
Urban Nature is shaping up to a terrific, relevant exhibit. I’m so curious to see the art work and eager to start connecting people to plants. Join Denver Botanic Gardens now to come to the members only preview in mid-April!
I saw works by a few of the artists contributing this summer’s Urban Nature exhibit here at Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street just recently. Their work is so striking! Unfortunately, the official announcement of the material is still under wraps so all I can say is “It’s gonna be great! Stay tuned!”
Fortunately, I can say that Rick Darke’s public appearance on April 1st is titled In Your Face: Ethics and Urban Ecology. Both prolific writer and speaker, he seems perfect to set the stage for a conversation here in Denver. The New York Times recently visited his home in Pennsylvania to learn about his world gardening philosophy. According to the article, Mr. Darke said, “A sensible palette takes a global ethic. You never want to do anything potentially damaging to any habitat. But if we are going to keep spaces green around the world, we can’t restrict the garden to plants that existed before anybody touched it.”
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