Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Mosaiculture Exhibition 2013 at Montreal Botanical Garden
Some 50 works graces the 2.2 km circuit through the enchanting grounds of the Botanical Garden. The theme this year is “Land of Hope”. About 200 of the world’s most talented horticultural artists are taking part in this international competition, representing 20 countries. Entries have come from cities in countries as far as Turkey and Uganda, with China and Japan heavily represented.
Mother Earth: Lise Cormier's masterpiece sets the tone for the Land of Hope theme of this year’s Mosaiculture exhibition. The mountainous matriarch's torso rises 15 meters in a prairie where horses and bison roam. Deer amble down her outstretched arms. Her hair is planted with geraniums and petunias, her skin is santolina. Photo credit
The mosaiculture sculptures will complement the vast collection of 22,000 plant species and cultivars, some thirty thematic outdoor gardens, cultural gardens, Tree House and 10 exhibition greenhouses at Montreal Botanical Garden.
Mosaiculture originated in Montreal in 2000. It is now a prestigious international competition, staged every three years in a different city, with funding from governments and the private sector. Last time, it was held in Shanghai, before coming back to Montreal again.
Mosaiculture runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day until Sept. 29.
Also see: 10 Most Incredible Flower Festivals Around the World
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The Tree of Birds: Four-meter-long parrots, owls and woodpeckers, all of them species facing extinction, fly out of a tree whose canopy spans 18 meters in diameter. At its base turtles, frogs and salamanders dip into the pond below. The colors of the plants were chosen to match the plumage of the birds. Photo credit
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The Man Who Planted Trees: A solitary figure stoops to plant a sapling, a furry dog covered in wild grass by his side while horses and woolly sheep covered in thyme graze nearby. This installation, which consists of 800,000 individual plants, is based on the allegorical tale of a shepherd’s single-handed effort to re-forest a desolate valley in France in the early 20th century, turning it into a Garden of Eden. Photo credit
A True Story : The most touching exhibit, set to poignant music, tells the sad story of a Chinese horticulturalist who tried to save a beloved crane in distress and drowned in the process. Here, she embraces the beloved bird, its chartreuse, pale green and blue-green foliage contrasted against her ruby-red dress while mist rises from the pond below and a flock of other cranes gather. Photo credit
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Montreal Awesome horticultural sculptures at 3 months...
Once every three years, there is an international competition in horticultural
sculpture, called "mosaiculture," in a major city in the world.
This year it is Montreal. This is not topiary but rather creating
sculptures out of living plants. The greatest horticulturalists in the
world, from 20 different countries, submitted plans a year in advance.
Steel armatures were then created to support the works (some 40 feet high);
they were then wrapped in steel mesh and filled with dirt and moss and watering
hoses. Then they ordered 3 million plants of different shades of green
and brown and tan, and these were grown in greenhouses all over Quebec.
In late May, these horticulturalists came toMontreal and planted all of their
plants in the forms at the Montreal Botanic Gardens, and they have been
standing for three months now. There were 50 major sculptures along a
path two miles long. They were incredible. If you would like to
visit a few and walk along the path with me, click on
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