Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Curated Not Collected

Sourcing focal points/pots/furnishings for your garden, before any item comes home, ask yourself, "Is this piece so wonderful it will be fought over at my estate sale?"
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Paying attention to the best gardens several observations resonate.  Alas, the most important, don't.
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The best landscapes have multiple narratives of curating.
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Lack of curating creates a common theme amongst new landscapes, hodge-podge-lodge.

Moving from my 30 year cottage garden into a historic American Farmhouse taught me more about curating.  Several layers of curating are site specific, other layers travel well.  Wish I had known this before moving.  2 massive truckloads to Goodwill later, I've earned a new expertise.
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Last weekend I was able to further curate garden accessories on their 12+ pallets.   
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Head Collection, below, made the transition, along with terra cotta.  Still looking for St. Francis' head, he started the collection.



Clusters of vintage watering cans, below, made the narrative move.  Hopefully the huge chandelier, below, will find the perfect arbor or oak/pecan tree branch.
 

Cat collection, below, made the move.  Laura, below, was conceived/born in my Cottage Garden. and loves the move.  Enjoy watching her create routines. 


Next best focal point rule, after the one at top, one focal point per area.
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How do the heads & cats fit into 'one focal point per area' ?
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Subsidiary focal points.  Not main focal points they are tucked within foliage, only seen by the observant.  
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How many people toured my small Cottage Garden & never saw the head/cat collections?  Many.
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Those narratives, curated.
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Collections can overwhelm, if you are there, with too much stuff, lucky you, a new brainwave, curate.
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Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara
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Pics taken this weekend.  

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know your Dad would be so so proud!

that garden of yours with the next door neighbors close.......please.....we need a map and an aerial!

I am promoting you to speak on the West Coast......I have my friends and admirers !! they will become your full-on fans!!!!

XXOO

please send me your resume.....the stuff from your agents or whatever!!

coming to California!!!

Penny

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Oh this is funny! Just this morning I told my Beloved Sistah, "When I die, you and the boys (her sons) do NOT throw anything away. Everything in this house is worth money to an antique or estate dealer." She laughed and said, "You think?"
Yes, "collections" can overwhelm but, Tara, since Dave's death my "stuff" has brought me tremendous comfort. I look around and thank, "That rocking chair was the first piece of furniture Great Aunt Ruth had when she started housekeeping in early '30's. Or, that iron frame bed was Mrs. Coakley's wedding gift in late '20's. Those great cloud of witnesses gone on before give me courage to do the next thing, hopefully the next right thing. Had it not been for the animals, the memories and God's great mercy, I wouldn't have made it.