Thank goodness some things never change
With spring migration winding down here at the end of May, it is a good time to post a bit on the zen half of birdingzen.
Every spring, the second Saturday in May is the open house for our local garden nursery Kelley & Kelley. This family-run nursery is over 100 years old and retains all the charm of a well-established business that is not afraid to show its age. In this world of changes that glorify tearing down the past for bright, shiny, new things, thank goodness this place stays familiar to its patrons. It is like running into an old friend and picking up right where you were, the last time you met.
The nursery grounds and the 90 year-old greenhouse are validation that what was good thirty years ago is still good today. The well-worn features and informal nature are calming with beauty crafted over decades of both tinkering and leaving be, to create a physical place that is, in itself, a work of art.
Kelley & Kelley is more than plants - it is about the relationships around gardening - the people and their annual desire to plant. Being surrounded in the peaceful beauty of the grounds celebrates this ritual and makes it magical instead of commercial.
The nursery has a wonderful wildflower garden that is the natural highlight of the yearly open house with its large expanse of Virginia Bluebells - this year they were in peak bloom. And there are plenty of clumps of them ready to be dug up to take home.
And there is a small group of artists with works for sale including Barb Ryan’s clay masks for the garden. Here is her “Ghost Bird” - a homage to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker thought to be extinct since the last official sighting in 1944. There have been various glimpses of what looks like the ivory-billed since but nothing conclusive.
Even though the nursery carries on in simple fashion like it has for decades, there is always an aura of wonderment about the place. This year, it was nature that provided a delight for the patrons.
So thank goodness this special place never changes so we can cherish our bit of spring magic each May.
An annual event everyone can, thankfully, still count on and look forward to! Beautifully expressed, Lili. I have great memories of accompanying my parents to Kelley & Kelley opening days and they warm my heart. Happy Memorial Day!