UNL Campus Springing Sculptures

While I had two classes doing a creative writing exercise outside, I took advantage of the time and weather to stroll around the Sheldon Art Gallery's sculpture garden. I really wanted a donut, but I refrained. Art and nature, a winning combination without saturated fats.

Crabapple

The previous sculpture from the front.

Pasque flower.

Redbud and dogwood being horizontal.

A moving piece tucked behind a hedge.

Redbud

I like the color and textures.

Front steps.

Even the manhole covers are artistic here.

It's a pretty campus in spring filled with flowering shrubs and trees galore. In the fall and winter the birds have a grand ole time with berries. Now, if only some of the unused lawn spaces could be patches of prairie. I dream of one day teaching a writing class that uses knowledge of plants--names and medicinal properties and folklore. Maybe taking field trips to gardens and reserves, crossing with other departments. That'd be fun.
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Spring Affair Plant Sale

You always spend more than you think you will--even if the containers are small, even plugs. I thought I had $50 worth. I had twice that. Luckily, I'm always dismayed at the quality of lawn art, otherwise, the bill would've been higher.

Sponsored by the NE Statewide Arboretum, UNL Botanical Garden, and the State Fair Park, it was my 2nd time to this cRaZy madhouse of plants. Last year I was overwhelmed and got nothing. This year I came knowing FAR more about plants and what I was looking for and what would work in my garden, and I bought many cool cool cool things--especially variegated iris, sedum, and a Caryopteris. Anything named "gold" or "aurea" or had dark / variegated leaves just jumped in my flat, as some would say. Devilish plants. In no special order:

Achillea 'Apricot' Milfoil Yarrow
Monarda 'Jacob Cline'
Penstemon 'Husker Red' (already have one, and it's COOL)
Viola 'Ultima Morpho'
Viola cornuta 'Johnny-Jump-Up'
Viola pedata Bird's Foot (for the endangered regal fritillary butterfly)
Sedum grisbachii
Sedum kamtschaticum 'The Edge'
Sedum spurium 'Fuldaglut' and 'Tricolor'
Herniaria glabra 'Sea Foam' (good for urinary problems!)
Sempervivum braunii Hen and Chicks (for my grandma)
Sagina subulata 'Aurea' Corsican Pearlwort
Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Longwood Blue'
Iris ensata 'Variegata'
Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet' Swamp Milkweed (for the monarchs)
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed (monarchs...)
Agastache cana 'Sinning' Sonoran Sunset (my lord these smell GOOD)
Veronica fasciculata Ironweed
Acorus calamus Sweet Flag
Acorus G 'Minimus Aureus' Variegated Sweet Flag
Eupatorium rugosom 'Chocolate' Mist Flower (can never have enough of these!)
Liatris punctata Blazing Star
Sundown and Twilight coneflowers (will these die on me again?)
Actaea (cimicifuga) ramosa 'Pink Spike' Bugbane
Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Worcester Gold'