Friday, September 4, 2020

Sherman Gardens: Sculptura Botanica

I've been planning to visit Sherman Gardens for months now.  Under normal circumstances, I visit this small 2.5 acre botanic garden in Corona del Mar three or four times a year.  It's just about an hour's drive south and I generally combine the visit with a spin through Roger's Gardens, one of my favorite SoCal garden centers.  But the last several months have been anything but normal in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic and I've been wary of venturing far from home, especially as reports have indicated that residents of Orange County have been more resistant to public health precautions like wearing a mask and social distancing than residents of Los Angeles County, where compliance is bad enough.  However, a couple of friends visited and were comfortable in the garden so, masks in hand, my husband and I headed that way on Monday morning to see the Sculptura Botanica exhibit before it closes on September 15th.  I took too many photos to share in one post so this one focuses on Dustin Gimbel's sculptures in the garden.  I'll feature additional shots of the garden in a second post next week.

We entered through the back gate off the south parking lot, checked in at gate, and walked into the Central Garden.

Plants in the area surrounding the fountain and the rest of the Central Garden are changed out seasonally


The sculptures in this area are ceramic representations of pollen spores




Blue and orange flowers, including Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus), Gomphrena globosa, Salvia 'Mystic Spires', and dark-foliaged bedding Dahlias were planted throughout the area.  The orange butterfly, probably a painted lady, got with the program.


There's an impressive fishtail palm (Caryota obtusa) in one of the beds surrounding the Central Garden


as well as three very tall palms along the back border


We turned in the direction of the Tropical Conservatory, checking a couple of displays before we entered that structure.

These sculptures in the Perennial Garden border represent anthers, the part of the flower stamen where pollen is produced


Even the Carnivorous Garden got its own sculpture
I missed the sign describing these but they remind me of plants in the Arum genus with a spathe forming a hood above the flower



I adore Sherman's Tropical Conservatory and have more photos to share but that'll have to wait until next week.  For now, we'll proceed to the Formal Garden.

These sculptures represent grass blades


This is an example of the signs posted throughout the exhibit.  I didn't include more of them as the bright sunlight made the photos hard to read. 


These sculptures represent the Equisetum described in the sign


We passed a small wedge-shaped garden area before proceeding to the Sun Garden.

It's always hard for me to get a good shot of this area because there's little room to back up


This area features seedpod sculptures and Senecio candicans 'Angel Wings'


This is the Sun Garden.  The sculptures represent the whorls characteristic of many Salvias.


This close-up photo shows some of the while-flowered and silver plants that dominate the bed, including white Dahlia flowers and Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' (or a relative)


Instead of water flowing into the pond through a hose held by the garden's otter mascot, water flowed from a sculpture in the center of the pond


Next, we ducked into the Shade Garden, which is covered by a large lath structure.  This structure was the inspiration for my own lath/shade house, built on a much smaller scale by my husband.  Again, I took a lot of photos in this area but I'll hold most of those until next week.

The sculptures were more inconspicuous among the densely planted shade specimens


My final photos for the purposes of this post were taken in the Succulent Garden, another of my favorite areas.

This decorative bed was dressed up with more sculptures


I couldn't help admiring the impressive tree aloe (Aloidendron barberae) in the background here



That's it from me this week.  We're expecting a record-breaking heatwave this weekend.  According to forecasters, today's temperatures could exceed yesterday's high by twenty degrees.  Saturday and Sunday are expected to be hotter still.  I began deep-watering selected areas yesterday in preparation and will be busy with more of that early this morning before I hunker down inside the air-conditioned house.  I hope your weekend offers a better weather forecast.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party


20 comments:

  1. I like the idea behind these sculptures but I have to admit find them overwhelming and detracting from the plantings. Not really a garden art person which might be a part of it. Hope you survive the heatwave. We are having a mini one until Sunday when we crash and are expecting frost. Typical fall.

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    1. I think that's true of most exhibits of this kind, Elaine. When Sherman Gardens had their glass exhibit (not Chihuly glass but in the same vein), I felt the same but, as it's not intended as a permanent installation, I think we have to allow artists the latitude to squeeze in what they can in pursuit of making an impression on the visiting public.

      A friend currently staying in Denver, Colorado shared a similar forecast of roller-coaster temperatures!

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  2. I do like garden art in general, but in this case some of those sculptures reminded me of the COVID-19 picture I see on television all the time... and they seem more disruptive than harmonious. The garden beds themselves are very beautiful, and that tree aloe is fantastic.

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    1. I can see that comparison with the pollen spores but I suspect the art was already in production phase when COVID-19 made its unwelcome intrusion into everyone's life.

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  3. Kris, this looks like a great garden to visit. I was sold as soon as I saw the Lisianthus. Some really attractive plantings.

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    1. My thought when I saw all those perfect dark blue Lisianthus packed in around the fountain was: so that's where the local supply of Lisianthus went this year!

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  4. Great photos--nice to see them. Haven't gone anywhere.

    It's going to be a brutal weekend and little relief is currently predicted for the week ahead. Plant deaths likely. :(

    Back stuck indoors cleaning out cupboards and closets again. :( Stay cool and safe.

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    1. I really, REALLY hope the temperature doesn't soar as high as predicted, for all our sakes. We peaked at just under 90F here this afternoon, slightly lower than anticipated. I've spent a lot of time in the early morning and early evening hours watering the past two days, just in case we get another 110F heatwave.

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  5. I recognise that succulent garden - it's a view that gets shared across FB garden groups (but not necessarily attributed to the right garden)

    Some of those sculptures I can imagine as an effective, and attractive, focal point in a garden. But they seem overwhelmingly many crowded together?

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    1. Photos of the artistic arrangement of succulents with stones have indeed made the rounds for for years, Diana. I doubt many people would pack as many sculptures into a permanent display but these temporary displays are made to have more of an impact.

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  6. Funky sculptures! I seem to remember the succulent garden from a previous post - I still love it!

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    1. The succulent garden is very well done - and memorable - Eliza!

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  7. My sinuses immediately reacted to the pollen spores. This place is wonderful. I really like the flower/plant based sculptures. A bit of whimsy is agreeable to me.

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    1. Ha! I imagine pollen spores that big would cause anyone's sinuses to react!

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  8. Six years living a stones-throw from there and I never actually went. I didn't visit any gardens in the 80s although I am sure there have been many changes in 30+ years. I do like those sculptures and think that is probably the best way to have aquisetum in the garden. I know they are aggressive.

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    1. If you ever get back this way, Jenny, you'll have to check it out. I think Sherman Gardens is more expertly maintained than any I've ever visited but it's small size allows that. Plants are swapped out regularly but that's what makes it fun.

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  9. Thanks for the fun photos...I especially like the last one. I would have really liked to see this exhibition, having followed Dustin's work for years.

    I just looked up your forecast for today, 110. Yikes. At 10:30 in the am it's already 100!?! Fingers crossed your garden takes it in stride.

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    1. Well, so far our peak has been a balmy 109F, Loree, but we've been mainly stuck at 108F. The longer it holds at that level, the more damage there may be. I just checked my cutting garden - I was a fool not to cut all the dahlias in full bloom.

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  10. I'm so glad you made it! I thought the planting standards were top notch too. That parterre with the equisetum has really filled in since I was there. Maybe I'll make a last trip out before the exhibit closes.

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    1. Traffic was still lighter than in the "before time," Denise, and, as my husband was driving instead of my pokey self, we made the trip both ways in record time.

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