museum | Seeds of Design

The garden has been put to bed. Now what? Time to dream, hope, plan and get organized. But first, let’s get inspired. Winter is a good time to reboot our creative aspirations by quite literally getting away from the garden all together.

This month, in keeping with the festive spirit, I turn to the NYBG’s Holiday Train Show. This exhibit cannot fail to delight and get your spirits soaring. The sheer creativity with which the buildings are constructed of all natural materials easily foraged in the great outdoors is impressive. It will change the way you look at ordinary materials found in the garden and on walks in the woods. I’ve been going to this annual show since it first started and I’m still eager for it every year.

Invariably, a seasonal concert or two is on my December calendar. Music has transformative powers. I go to the opera and philharmonic concerts all year round but at this time, I’m hankering for music generally performed for the holidays. Not necessarily restricted to Christmas music but appropriate for the season of goodwill to all. This week, I’m going to the Chanticleer concert in NYC– acapella singing par excellence. I went last year for the first time and came away so uplifted. The music stayed with me for days.

I will end the month with the performance of arias at the Met Opera – what an inspired way to enter the new year!

In between the music, visits to the art museums is always in order. As an artist and gardener, there is so much to fire up the imagination. Be it a simple nudge from an Impressionist to consider a bench or a color theme for your garden to a gorgeous presentation of floral combinations from a Dutch still-life to a call for boldness and out of the box thinking from an Abstract, you are guaranteed to come away with inspiration for your own ‘canvas’. The effect is not always obvious but for certain you will be revived.

This month, I’m looking forward to the Metropolitan Museum’s new exhibits – Felix Vallotton, painter of disquiet, Making Marvels, science and splendor at the courts of Europe and, In Pursuit Of Fashion.

Similarly, trying new foods, new places, books and movies/TV have the power to teach and elevate. I have lists of movies/shows to watch, a pile of books to get through, a folder of recipes to try, and towns and nature preserves to explore on day trips – December is merely the start of what promises to be a season for growth and gain. For self and garden.

Note: I’m fortunate to live so close to NYC but I also believer in going local. Community theater, regional museums, galleries, music orchestras and bands can be top notch. Check your local paper for listings.

In case you’re still hankering for a garden to-do list, check out my December list.

The images below are from past forays for inspiration: