Waterlily, Monet and the Impressionists
We just watched "The Impressionists", a BBC production on the life of Monet and his contemporaries. The film was full of embarrassing and expected art one liners but the period costumes, lighting and cinematography were terrific as was Monet's garden and pond at Giverny. They mentioned in the film that Monet had collected all the varieties of waterlilies he could get his hands on. I would have thought there were only one or two kinds in the pond but apparently not so. So where am I going with this?
We have three very common Nymphaea in our ponds - a white, pink and yellow. The pink ones are blooming now and will probably bloom intermittently throughout the summer. The flower has substance and weight unlike most terrestrial blooms. Mostly because water supports the flower so it has the luxury of excess. Nevertheless, quite beautiful with its subtle color change and shocking yellow center. The dark green of its leaves and black water only help to make it stand out more.
posted by Ki at
9:41 AM
8 Comments:
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Monet the house and garden in Giverny! That place was totally awesome. The ambience through out was a piece of heaven on earth. I was there in July several years ago and the gardens were awesome. One day I shall return and spend longer than a day there.
PS
Great Shots ;)
Hi deemom,
You were very fortunate to see the gardens. In the movie they said Monet picked out all the plants in the garden so they would bloom at different times. They were grouped to specifically create a certain look. Of course you would have to live there or at least visit everyday as the colors, light and bloom times different and fleeting. Was the pond and bridge beautiful? We wondered how they kept the pond clean without getting mucked up with algae and weeds?
Thanks. The fleeting light was good. ;)
The gardens were breath taking and the bridges totally awesome. I got many photo ops and even have one framed in my kitchen, which is Monet ISH…to MY liking. Like I said the ambience there was gentle and I felt so at home.
As for Claude’s picking out the plants that I am not aware of, but I do figure he had more than a gentle hand in it. The word that comes to mind is STUNNING!
As far as filtration, who knows I was in such awe just being there. It felt like I had been there before…weird but there was certainly a comfort level for me.
Ki,
That last shot of your is simply inspiring.
Nice work.
Thanks Mr. Brownthumb. A lucky happenstance with the sun in the right position at a mostly shaded pond.
Great pics! I don't know how Monet kept algae down in his pond, but I'm a fan of barley extract in my washtub water gardens. They also make barley bales that you put in large ponds that keep water clear all summer...I buy from Dr.s Foster and Smith-http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Shop.cfm?N=62728
the link will take you right to pond supplies. As much as I enjoy my little water tubs, I envy a big pond...*sigh*.
Hey Lisa,
Does the barley bale work? I read somewhere that the Japanese koi aficionados used barley to keep their ponds clear but I thought it was a factoid rather than something that was true. Fortunately the UV light in the filter clumps the algae so the filter can trap it but it still is a yucky mess to clean. A pond is a PITA but nice to have when the water is sparkling and the fish are swimming vigorously. It took a long time before the biological conditions were right and everything was in balance. I should take pictures of the pond with the koi coming up for the feeding.
Little tubs can be very nice. Like a small world unto itself. Actually any water feature improves the garden a lot imo. Thanks for the comment.
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