Prepare yourself for both my rant & rave...rave first.
I recently complained that Boston has better Hort. offerings. So today I am happy to point out two Adult Education classes at the CBG that are being taught by terrific instructors. On March 20, Ed Valauskas will present: "Battle of the Zoophytes: Medieval and Renaissance Science in the Lenhardt Library." Then on May 25, Kathy Judge, will lead a workshop in Beginning Bookbinding. While these two have radically different personalities, their commitment, joy, expertise and diverse senses of humor mean that their course offerings should be excellent. I got to know them both during the early years of my business, before the Internet was really a resource, when I used the CBG library frequently. They were always generous with their knowledge.
Now for the rant: these courses, along with the one I am teaching on March 23 ("Being Present In The Garden") can be found in the new CBG Member Magazine and Program Guide. Its glossy format is so slick and un-green that it makes me sad. I can barely tell the difference between the course offerings and the ads (one tag line for plastic surgery tries to entice us with "Bring Yourself Into Bloom!"). One landscape ad mentions perfection, so I will bet that people who might hire them will not be at my class which encourages us not to look at our gardens as products to be perfectly maintained (usually with lots of poisons), but rather to engage in the process of being present with our gardens and our selves over time.
These are cultural and race and class issues that are hardly ever addressed in my industry. I am of the belief that bringing things into the open through discussion is a positive thing. This is even more important when there are no easy answers or the answers keep shifting. But I am not typical either in education or practice. I take heart from some of the amazing people who have practiced in the landscape over time: Jens Jensen, Aldo Leopold, Alfred Caldwell, Beatrix Farrand, Ellen Biddle Shipman, Mien Ruys, Maya Lin, Roy Diblik, Piet Oudolf, Dan Pearson, Andy Goldsworthy, Polly Hill & Tim Boland to name just a few... along with countless unnamed arborists & horticulturists.
I took these photos at CBG a week and a half ago during a wet, late-season snow. The kale below reminds me of Venetians heading to a masked ball. And the proportions & perspective above bring to mind Mondrian's grey tree drawings, the type which eventually led to the minimal, geometric paintings most people know him for today.
4 comments:
I liked your rant, Julie; keep at it. It's quite interesting to think of these issues as culture, race, and class based; I've often thought of the organic food movement as too yuppified; how to change that? how to bring a more sustainable idea of landscape to other than the highly educated?
I love the photo of the kale: a masked ball, indeed, or a Fellini romp; the trees look like soldiers in ranks. Regimentation and abandon.
and thanks for the link.
Yes, even something as seemingly simple as color preference in the garden (blues & whites vs. hot colors) has roots in sociological divisions. Always interesting, but most interesting in that the basis or bias, is so often ignored.
The kale is so inherently whimsical, but with a twist, that Fellini is another fitting fantasy flight. And in the case of the severed pruned allee, I confess to loving the regimentation.
Ha! I love that photo of the kale. Too funny!
I agree with your assessment of the new CBG catalog. I was shocked to see it arrive in the mail this week. A couple of years ago, you could only download a PDF or call and request a copy (even as a member). They said they were saving money and resources. Now it looks like they are trying to impress the neighbors. Must have gotten a grant.
Don't get me wrong - I love the CBG, have been a member for 20+ years, and have taken many classes there. But they seem to be trying to keep up with the neighbors ...
Have not seen the catalog but I can imagine! And I count on you to do these serious rants. Disheartening that the people in the industry seem to get so sidetracked into giving the wrong message. I am wondering if a lot of CBG staffers are equally unhappy with the publication. Love the two pix. Can't help it, but I am a sucker for a pruned allee!
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