brooklyn botanic and knit, purl, sow

Last weekend we visited brooklyn botanic garden's fantastic textile exhibit knit, purl, sow. artists featured:

• tatyana yanishevsky
• ruth marshall
• santiago venegas

I was a pig in mud. Textiles and plant anatomy COMBINED? We're not such a rare breed, us fiber art/nature enthusiasts. But there's not a ton of us, either. So when I heard about this show, I knew my besties would indulge me in a trip to Brooklyn to see it.

A lot of the pieces were more bold than I expected them to be. Thinking about the nature of the glass flowers exhibit at Harvard, I suppose I had in mind daintier, more fragile crocheted pieces. On the contrary, these pieces embodied really exciting moments in a flower's life.

I love the shawdows cast by the...anther? stigma? Anyone know flower anatomy?

One of the greatest parts of the trip was walking around the humid plant conservatories. It was bitter cold that day in Brooklyn, and the sun shining through the glass houses felt so refreshing.

Amazing! Nearly 3 ft. long.

One of my bestest friends, Alana.

Now, being a huge fan of miniatures, there was no way I could miss the bonsai trees. Look at that teeny deciduous forest!

I love the lines here. Branch fractals and tree growth has always inspired me. Between this visit and a trip to Alana's studio, I left the weekend behind feeling inspired and motivated. I immediately set forth on my jade study. More on that later!

You can see the rest of the pictures from the brooklyn botanic garden on flickr.

potting pig plants

I have a fabulous retro piggy planter. She is the sweetest. A couple months ago, I repotted the panda plant she's been carrying around. I've been keeping my eye out for a new plant-dress for her, but nothing spoke to me until I found two baby plants with small green leaves and pink spots.

They perfectly compliment the color and nature of this pig.

The drainage hole on this planter gets clogged pretty easily. During the winter, the soil of the panda plant got a little moldy. I reckon it was due to the build up of moisture, and the lack of sun to dry out the soil. I added some broken terra cotta to the bottom of the planter, and all was well for the remainder of the winter. I do this for all planters now as a best practice. Maybe it's overkill for some plants, but it's easier than having to replant later on. Disclaimer: I am no plant expert.

Good morning, Mr. Sun. Oh, and you too, Flowering Cactus.