Garden Design No. 31 - What Does A Painter, A Gardener, and A Leadership Book Have in Common?

 

British Artist, Cedric Morris (1889-1982) was the only person of his generation to achieve national stature as both a painter and a plantsman says the Garden Museum in London. And Sarah Price did him proud at this year's Chelsea Flower Show with her Painterly Garden display. 

This garden's design inspired by Morris' paintings, his love for bearded iris, he cultivated over 90 new irises - is dear to my heart. My Mom loved her garden row of bearded irises that was planted between our vegetable garden and our row of clothes line. She called them flag iris and the internet goes back and forth about the difference between the two designations. So we will just call them irises.

What I did learn about the iris flower is that it is said to symbolize power, with the three parts representing wisdom, faith, and courage. That definitely defines my Mom - wise, faithful, and courageous. 

I can only imagine what standing in Sarah Price's painterly garden, inspired by Morris must have felt like. The photographs of this garden alone, have me awestruck. I've never experienced the reverse story of a live object mimicking a painting, only a painting inspired by a live object. I'm grateful for the experience of the photographs and the story behind this garden design that in itself inspires me. 

So what does a painter, a gardener, and a leadership book have in common? One of the books I am currently reading is "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership."  Commitment #2 - Learning Through Curiosity, challenges the reader to be "present now - totally available to the moment and to what the moment brings."

At first, I dove into this commitment with the thought of looking for every "live" moment and making sure I was present in that moment. But this strange collision of my love of flowers and paintings, curiosity in what was new at the flower show this year, and my latest unrelated read -  presented a new meaning to what a moment is exactly. 

Here's what I found, that when one is learning to align their interests with their purpose and growth,  more and more moments become aha moments I think because we are looking for them with expectation and our soul is craving them.

When an artist/botanist, a garden designer, a memory of my Mom, and a leadership book all collide, it's a beautiful moment.  Curiosity is a funny thing.

Sources: 2023 Chelsea Flower Show, Garden Museum of London, Gardenista, Pinterest, The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership