For a Lawnless World -Miniature Golf

Its fun for the kids, fun for couples, fun for families, fun for friends -so get on down to Governor's Island. There was a boom of miniature golf courses in my neck of the woods when I was around the age of 12. Five years later, they were all closed. But on Governor's Island, you can miniature golf to your heart's content for free (donations accepted) on artist designed courses.

It proved to be very popular.

My wife and another artist designed this one.

Its called Hole Zero. My wife is inside the derrick doing maintenance.

I am biased, of course, but many people said Hole Zero was their favorite.

Art Garden

My wife is in an art exhibition at the United States Botanical Garden. The show's web presence is pretty weak, but a little birdie tells me it's a good show and worth a visit if your in the Washington D.C. area. It runs until October 12, 2009.

These are two pictures of the same project, but the lower one is from a previous show. Pictures only tell part of the story. The growing potatoes in the paper bags are supplying electricity to a transmitter in the foil covered furniture. The foil enhances the signal transmission of the aria Come Scoglio. You can't hear it unless you have a radio receiver. Coincidentally, this is her second project at a botanical garden; the first having been at the Berkshire Botanic Garden.

Berkshire Botanical Garden

About two weeks ago I spent a couple of days at the Berkshire Botanical Garden near Stockbridge, Mass. I never would have known about the place if it was not for the exhibition my wife was part of at the garden. The exhibit, called Cultivate, was curated in coordination with the exhibit titled Badlands at Mass MoCA.

This is the piece she made for the show, titled Hope and Weather. Its a solar powered water system that powers the butterfly's wings that change the world's weather. If you want to know more about her work, check out her site BetsyAlwin.com


The garden is a small, comfortable space with herb, perennial, and rose gardens. The most charming space was the water garden, subtly tucked away on the bottom of a gentle slope. The pond had a certain magic about it. Planted just right, looking cultivated, yet quite natural. It had an island in its center with a large boulder and a hemlock growing on it. I stayed at the home of one of the trustees of the garden and he told me they had just received a grant to enlarge the pond. Well I made sure to let him know I thought it was excellent just the way it is.

yellow iris

ferns and lily pads

view to the south

This view was gorgeous

I'd see to a way to spend that money building their perennial collection. I was amazed to see some weedy(invasive?) perennials in their beds, including Petasites japonica 'Giganthea' (Japanese Butterbur) and Macleaya cordata (Plume Poppy). I worked hard to eradicate Plume Poppy from my garden, but sources seem to only call it weedy. It must be easier to control in colder climates-such as the Berkshires or where I got mine, central Maine!