Inspirations: Great Gardens in Great Art

BY JANICE F. BOOTH

DEC. 20, 2021

Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s Terrace and Garden of an Italian Villa (c. 1762–1763)

With the holiday events whirling around us like colored lights from a sparkler, I thought I might offer you inspirations to ease your mind, gifts for your eyes and spirit—images of gardens in beautiful art and paintings of lush flowers in gardens, bowls, vases. These glowing canvases may sooth your spirit and maybe inspire you to create a Monet or Pissarro garden of your own. 

Perhaps you haven’t considered a cut-flowers garden; the Flemish and Dutch Masters’ creations of exuberant bouquets may capture your imagination. Or perhaps you’ll simply enjoy contemplating these glorious works of art.

We are fortunate to live in close proximity to renowned art collections in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City, where beautiful paintings of gardens and flower-filled vases reside in hushed galleries. But for our purpose, I will invite you into the quiet, gorgeous gardens and flowers at the National Gallery of Art in Washington (nga.gov).

Jan Brueghel the Elder’s Flowers in a Basket and a Vase (c. 1615)

Georges Seurat’s The Watering Can–Garden at Le Raincy (c. 1883)

Jan Brueghel the Elder’s Flowers in a Basket and a Vase (c. 1615)

Located in the West Building, Gallery 44. There’s nothing more elegant and fascinating than still life paintings of flowers and fruit done in glowing oils. Flemish artist, Jan Brueghel was given the moniker, Flower Brueghel because of his brilliant and, at the time, avant-garde paintings of flowers. Two of the many things you may notice as you linger before this painting: first, the flowers are the focus, the main and only subject of the work. That was startling in 1615, when the painting was exhibited. Brueghel the Elder was one of a small group of artists who dared to give over an entire painting to the natural wonder of flowers. A second point of interest is the detail lavished on each flower. Brueghel had a botanist’s eye for the structure of each flower, every petal. His tulips and peonies seem to pour out of the canvas into the viewer’s world.

Jan van Huysum’s Still Life with Flowers and Fruit (c. 1715)

West Building, Gallery 50. Wander down the galleries to number 50. There, among other still life paintings, is a lush work by Jan van Huysum. Peaches, grapes, and nectarines are piled in grand profusion and over the fruit tumbles a wildly beautiful disarray of tulips, carnations, jasmine, and more. You may want to replicate this still life as your holiday centerpiece—a change from more traditional arrangements. 

Claude Monet’s The Japanese Footbridge (c. 1899)

West Building, Gallery 85. From centerpieces to center-stage, Monet’s beautiful garden at Giverny needs no introduction. Nothing could better whisk away your stress and waft you into a more peaceful state than this scene of the arching bridge’s tracery, limpid lily pads, and lush reeds in shades of blue, green, and lavender. While few of us can hope to replicate Giverny’s elegance in our own gardens, we can attempt to capture the spirit of quiet, natural elegance and the color palette that Monet made famous. Expand

Claude Monet’s The Artist’s Garden at Vétheuil (c. 1881)

Claude Monet’s The Artist’s Garden at Vétheuil (c. 1881) 

West Building, Gallery 85. Now here’s a garden we can all achieve, should we wish to. Towering sunflowers, cool blue-willow urns of decorative grasses, a gravel path, a child and small dog—if you’ve got the space, Monet has the garden design. Next summer your child or grandchild could be wandering along a similar path in the sunshine.

Gustave Caillebotte’s Dahlias, Garden at Petit Gennevilliers (c. 1892)

West Building, Gallery 85. In the same gallery, turn to enjoy the array of coral and gold dahlias in Caillebotte’s French garden. That woman and her dog might be you or your friend wandering in that lovely, summer haze of color and light. Perhaps a few dahlias in your spring planting plan? 

Camilee Pissarro’s The Artist’s Garden at Eragny (c. 1898)

West Building, Gallery 88. Wandering down a few galleries brings us to an entirely different garden view. Pissarro’s kitchen garden, bordered with pink camellia and rose bushes, and towering, golden sunflowers offer a glimpse of the beauty of ordinary things. The brick farmhouse, tidy rows of plants, a woman bending to harvest her vegetables, and the fruit trees swaying in the afternoon’s breeze. 

Georges Seurat’s The Watering Can–Garden at Le Raincy (c. 1883)

West Building, Gallery 88. The garden’s distant wall, the climbing vines, the path and its stone border, and the sturdy watering can—all familiar, bathed in the bright light of summer. Seurat’s close-up look at a small garden contrasts with Pissarro’s more practical one. In part due to Seurat’s use of Pointillism, you can almost feel the prickly warmth of Le Rainey’s summer garden.

Let’s now slip quickly over to the East Building for just a few more glimpses of glorious summer gardens:

Pierre Bonnard’s The Green Table (1910)

East Building, Ground Floor, Gallery 103E. Moving into the 20th century, Bonnard’s garden appears to be carved out of a sandy hillside, with blossoming fruit trees along a path, and a table laden with a few items left behind in the garden. Bonnard’s idea of gardening seems a bit looser, wilder—easier to maintain.

Emil Nolde’s Flower Garden, Kneeling Woman with Hat (c. 1908)

East Building, Mezzanine, Gallery 217A. Hop on the escalator or climb the grand, marble stairs to the Mezzanine and let Nolde’s garden take your breath away. In this gray season, what a treat to see the mass of pink, blue, red, and lilac flowers—and the lovely lady in her straw hat seated among the blooms. Perhaps a clustering of flower pots next summer could provide a similar experience of a riot of color? And the last stop on our in-person tour of gardens at the National Gallery (caution: this is not a “pretty” picture—in case you’d rather not trek to the Upper Level).

Joan Miró’s The Farm (c. 1921–1922)

East Building, Upper Level, Gallery 415B. I’ve concluded our tour with this surreal depiction of a farm to supply a contrast, taste of sherbet to refresh the eye, if you will. The harsh, blue sky, brown earth, and withering plants suggest how our gardens sometimes appear when we return from a month away on vacation.  

But I haven’t forgotten my promised virtual gardens tour, dear reader. All of the above-mentioned paintings can be seen online. And here are a few other treasures if you want to let your computer do the walking:

• Claude Monet’s The Artist’s Garden in Argenteuil (c. 1873)
• Pier Bonnard’s Stairs in the Artist’s Garden (c. 1942–1944)
• Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s Terrace and Garden of an Italian Villa (c. 1762–1763)

And, from the Phillips Collection, on-line (phillipscollection.org/library-archives):

• Gifford Beal’s The Garden Party (c. 1920)
• Pierre Bonnard’s Early Spring (c. 1908) 
• Joel Meyerowitz’s photographs: Garden, Truro (c. 1983) and Provincetown Garden (c. 1983)

Enjoy! Happy holidays to one and all.

by Janice F. Booth

NOV. 05, 2021

“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”

—Robert Persig, American author 

Perhaps you still have a dog-eared copy of this intriguing book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, laying around somewhere. But I digress. Persig’s wise advice seems to apply not only to the world’s great and terrible challenges, but to our own lives, and even to our own gardens. I suggest we might improve our tiny patch of this world, this earth, by sharing our garden’s beauty and bounty with others, particularly with the season of giving fast approaching.

With autumn rolling toward winter, you might be thinking, “My tomatoes are finished; I’ve admired my last mum. What does she want me to share from my garden now?” Well, don’t be dismayed. I propose we look over our gardens, newly tidied and bedded down for the approaching winter, as a source of thoughtful and personal gifts. Which plants and shrubs might we share now with friends and neighbors? For example, those irises, now sporting a crewcut where slender leaves once swayed, might be lifted gently from the ground so their plump, sweet smelling Orris roots are exposed. (Did you know these roots are dried and used in the production of perfume and mouthwash? I didn’t.) But again, I digress. With a clean, sharp garden knife, you can cut through the fat root, dividing it into several plants, each with a leaf-stub or two. (You’ll be treated to the delicate, violet fragrance as you divide the root.) Replant your own iris in your garden. Then, in simple, clean, clay pots or colorfully decorated containers, settle the new plants in planting-soil. Be sure to thoroughly water these new plants and set them in a sunny spot out of the way of frost. In a few weeks you’ll see the new plants begin to stir. Each of these little dears can be given as a gift to neighbor or friend. You might design a small card that names the plant and how to care for it, include a tiny picture of a blooming iris. Expand

This process is asexual propagation, the parent plant is divided to produce new plants. In addition to dividing root balls, asexual propagation may involve cuttings from plant stems or even leaves. Last spring you may have cut branches of forsythia or pussy willow, immersed the branches in a vase of water, and been delighted when a delicate tracery of roots emerged from the cuttings. Well, you can do that now too. Take a sharp pair of shears into the garden and snip some dormant forsythia branches—those lovely, arching specimens. Set the branches in a vase or jar of water, and when roots appear, plant them as a cluster in a deep, narrow pot, watering lavishly at first. In the case of forsythia, willow, and similar shrubs, the note that accompanies the gift might advise the recipient to plant the young bush in the ground when spring arrives. 

Succulents make pretty, shallow-dish gift arrangements, and they are easy to propagate from leaves. Think about aloe (such medicinal value for cuts and burns) and jade. They would complement one another in a miniature potted-garden. Again, using a sharp knife, make a clean cut of a healthy leaf or stem. Set the new plant aside without water or soil; trust me, roots will begin to appear. Once the roots emerge, arrange the aloe, jade, and cactus in a shallow dish, and place the plant-nursery in a sunny window. Do not overwater these fledglings. If you have chicks-and-hens in your rock garden, you can dig up the larger specimens and carefully divide their roots. Soon you’ll have 5 or 6 little chicks to share; arrange them with the aloe and jade. You might add some tiny pebbles among the plants for the rock-garden effect. Be sure to replant your mother hen so she can produce more chicks in your spring garden. 

The alternative form of propagation is sexual propagation using seeds and spores. (I confess I have a poor track record when it comes to growing plants from seeds. I suspect I’m too impatient.) You can order seed packets for some quick-growing annuals or vegetables, then set the seeds to sprout. Think about marigolds or coleus seeds—or put them together. Their colors would be lovely in contrast. A castor bean vine might make a pretty gift too, and I’m told they’re almost fool-proof to grow from seed. Salad greens make a thoughtful gift for chefs and families. 

Growing lettuce, sprouts, parsley, broccoli, and kale from seeds is easy, and their colors and leafy heads are attractive on a winter counter or windowsill. A cheery gift that might include a recipe for a new salad dressing, or even a jar of homemade dressing to accompany the greens. Expand

Here are a few helpful hints for your gift-giving project, ways to make the plant-growing process easier:

• If you’re starting with seeds, soak them in a bowl of lukewarm water. They’ll expand to twice their original size. When they do, plant them in damp soil.
• Dip cuttings in willow water; it can be purchased in a nursery or garden store. The willow is a fast-growing shrub because it contains 4 natural hormones that stimulate growth. Giving your new cuttings a bit of willow water provides them with those same growth hormones in tiny quantities. (You can even produce your own willow water if you have willows in your garden. The process involves boiling and refrigeration. Check out the recipe at gardentherapy.ca)
• Set a clear, plastic bag over your new plants in their pots. Keep them bagged until the plants really begin to flourish. The bag will retain moisture and warmth. 
• Before cutting roots or branches for propagation, thoroughly clean the garden knife or shears with rubbing alcohol to remove any bacteria that might infect the fragile plants. 

Start now preparing thoughtful gifts from your hands and your garden. Involve the young people in your household; they can make gifts for their teachers, relatives, coaches, and, in some cases, even friends. 

BY JANICE F. BOOTH

OCT. 02, 2021

Autumn is well underway here in Maryland, and there’s a special sweetness to this post-COVID pandemic fall. Kids are back in school or back in their college dorms. We’re settling into our work routines, modified though they may be post-pandemic. When we return home, to our familiar haven, our house or apartment and garden, we’re enjoying the benefits of all the little projects we accomplished during quarantine—those new, small appliances for the kitchen, that repainted den or office, and the dear garden—polished or even expanded from past seasons. Feels good, doesn’t it, to look over your accomplishments? 

Now, however, fall is upon us, and our long summer on-the-go has ended. Time to plump up those couch pillows, have the windows cleaned, and tidy up the garden for the last lovely months of the year. Here are some suggestions for perking up our tired gardens and patios, preparing them for fall parties and quiet sunset drinks or dinners on the deck. 

1

Start with the obvious. If you have a gardening service, ask them to remove the dead and dying annuals from the flowerbeds and pots. Remind them not to pull out the zinnias and chrysanthemums; they’re in their glory now. Dead-heading any old blooms could help these plants continue to bloom during the next month-or-so. (If you’re doing these tasks yourself, no worries. They’re all easy tasks; take a large basket or plastic pail into the garden and just pluck out dead blossoms and brown, withered plants. 

2

While they or you are clearing out the tired plants, trim back some of those spring-blooming bushes that have grown a bit leggy over the long, summer, growing season. Once trimmed back, your forsythias, flowering quince, and lilac bushes will still have time to grow and prepare to send out new growth and welcome blooms once spring arrives. 

3

Another great way to freshen the garden area is with some strategically placed new plants. In the garden or on the patio, plant some pretty pansies and ornamental kale—with any luck, they’ll bloom all winter. Snapdragons and ornamental peppers will also brighten up the garden. You needn’t bother putting them in the ground. Just snuggle the plastic pots down among the foliage of other plants or drop the plants into always-appropriate clay pots. Fill several pots with nasturtium, perfect with their orange and gold blossoms and pretty, round leaves. To add a touch of drama, dig out some trailers of ivy or periwinkle with a little root ball and plant them around the outer edge of the flowerpots so they cascade over the sides.

4

Take a look at the borders of your flowerbeds and walkways. Has grass started to wheedle its way between the stepping-stones or into the flowerbeds? Pulling out the stray clumps of grass and weeds will add a crisper look to the walkway. You may want to go a bit further with the flowerbeds and ask the gardener to edge the flowerbeds again, as was done in the spring. Expand

5

And while you’re wandering along the garden paths, take a look at your fencing. Are there slats that need replacing? Would a coat of paint now help preserve the fence and improve its appearance? Is now the time to replace that chain link fence at the back of the yard with something more attractive, like pickets, bamboo, or wrought iron? 

6

In preparation for the coming shorter days and longer nights, a little trick with lighting might be fun. Maybe you have some leftover rope lights from your summer parties. Or, pick up some tiny, white lights from the hardware store. Drape some over the bushes, wind one or two strands around tree trunks, or hang them around the patio. If they’re LED, you can just leave them on throughout the winter, or connect them to one main, heavy-duty extension cord which you can easily unplug as you walk out to get the paper in the morning and plug in as you return home in the evening.

7

When you get the urge to do some digging, buy some bulbs—you’ll find them everywhere this time of year. Maybe you want to try some exotic tulips or old-fashioned gladiolas. Get some of each, plus the old standbys, daffodils and crocuses. For the most part, just stick them in the ground anywhere the soil is not too packed down, or be creative, and plant them in clumps for lovely bursts of blooms in springtime. 

8

Finally, think about the watering system you’ve used all summer. If you simply used a watering can and hose, think about preparing to coil and store that hose. If you setup timers and sprinklers, you’ll want to plan for removing them and storing them for spring re-installation. Or, this might be the year you call in the landscaper to discuss installing an irrigation system in the garden, a system that will use water efficiently. Now is a good time to look into the project. The advice may be to wait until spring to dig up the ground and install the drip hoses or sprinkler system. But, they may suggest installing now, while they can see the design of your garden and the water demands of various plants and trees. In any case, it’s a good time to get the project on-the-books.

There will be lots of time yet for putting the garden to bed, and facing the chores of preparing for winter. But, not yet. There’s still time to sit on the deck or lounge in the hammock and enjoy your outdoor spaces. Doing a few little chores to spruce up those spaces will simply enhance your pleasure in autumn’s particular beauty. 

BY JANICE F. BOOTH