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By Emily Greffenius
Hometown Weekly Intern
The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley, operated by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Mass Hort), presented a design exhibition on June 30 and July 1 that paired together sculptures already on display in the gardens with floral designs created to match. The designs were on view both days during the Gardens’ normal business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the Visitors’ Center.
Madeleine Lord’s sculpture, “Fisherman.” Photos by Emily Greffenius
Floral designers from several Massachusetts garden clubs were called upon to reimagine and produce their interpretations of some of the Gardens’ sculptures. While a poster-board with pictures of all of the sculptures adorned the same room as the floral arrangements, the poster did not indicate which arrangement went together with which sculpture; visitors were challenged to come up with the correct matches and submit their guesses for an opportunity to win a $25 gift certificate toward a Mass Hort educational program.
As America’s oldest organized horticultural society, Mass Hort, founded in 1829, has long promoted horticulture for the common good through partnerships with the arts and other educational events and programs. From guided tours with instruction on how to identify different flowers and perennials to tutorials on landscape design and optimal color combination, Mass Hort encourages a hands-on and engaged experience at the Gardens that can remain with the visitors long after they leave.
The sculptures used as inspiration for the event’s floral designs have found a home amongst the Gardens’ flowers and plants as a part of the Sculpture in the Garden exhibition. Beginning May 12 and running through October 5, these sculptures by artists from the New England Sculptors Association will be on display. The sculptures were created specifically for the Gardens from a variety of materials including marble, granite, clay, and found objects.
The Hartley Botanic Victorian Lodge nestled in the Mass Hort Trial Garden. Photos by Emily Greffenius
Visitors on June 30 and July 1 had a chance to view all 10 floral designs before venturing into the gardens to locate the matching sculptures. The artwork is scattered throughout the grounds, including within smaller, insular gardens such as the Teaching Herb Garden and Weezie’s Garden for Children.
Although the exhibit provided no answers about which flowers and sculptures went together, some of the quotes accompanying the floral designs proved helpful in steering viewers in the direction of certain sculptures.
Judith Dewitt of the Holliston Garden Club said of her inspiration: “Peering into this amazing sculpture allowed me to envision wood nymphs dancing in the starlight.”
Upon observation of Linda Hoffman’s sculpture, “Tree Harp,” the nymphs Dewitt had designed seemed like they belonged lounging against the painted bark.
The quote underneath a floral arrangement designed by Gail Reichert of the Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford indicates that Reichert incorporated driftwood entangled in wire in order to keep with the theme of the sea; the statement naturally nudges the viewer to pair it with Madeleine Lord’s sculpture, “Fisherman,” a metal man wrangling with a metal net.
While the floral designs are no longer on display, the sculptures are viewable until the beginning of October. The Gardens at Elm Bank are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a $10 admission fee, waived for members of Mass Hort and children 12 and under.
