Monster Garden for the Day of the Dead

I just took a lovely Fall afternoon getaway to our Regional Franconia Art Park. It is a huge acreage where whimsical art meets rolling plains of grass. It begs us to either climb onto the large works, or step back and just observe their colors and shapes from afar.

But here is a Garden adorned with sculptures that lean more towards the scary and Gothic. it is called the Bomarzo Park of the Monsters or Sacred Grove in Central Italy. It dates back to the 16th century and the large creatures were actually carved out of the bedrock itself on the site. It was commissioned by Pier Francesco Orsini and the majority of the works were chiseled by Simone Moschino. From what little we know of the park, there was no grand scheme or design - they were meant to astonish with their grotesque offerings. An inscription on one works states they were created "to set the heart free." There are thoughts that they could allude to some sort of graphic Romance Novel. Or possibly just to defiantly juxtapose the traditional Christian art coming out of the Rennaissance.  Some of the works have an Asian aspect to them while in general they appear as if something out of American Horror Story.

The Gardens have undergone a total restoration in the 1970's after falling into neglect for almost a century. Salvado Dali had made references to the works in the 1950's which prompted further interest and curiosity and that catapulted the renovation. It has inspired an Opera that was deemed sexually offensive in Argentina. It was also an inspiration for the novel a Green and Ancient Light. Settings from the Garden are featured in 1985's Frankenstein, The Bride and 1999's Alice in Wonderland. It is currently a private property and has grown into a popular tourist stop when visiting Central Italy.

Goth Flowers for Halloween

I know our precious garden season is coming to an end. In Minnesota, after a horrible summer of drought, we are rebounding with an extended Fall that is renewing a bit of faith in my garden plot - as long as I continue to water on a daily basis.

But I thought instead of sharing the usual Fall Mum post (there is nothing wrong with them, I have changed my planters as well), I would share something different in dark black tones for the somber Halloween celebration. 

The difficult issue with all plants in the black/ blue/ purple category is that they never seem to match what is shown in pictures. Often they skew more towards crimson and eggplant shades. So take each of these mentions with a grain of salt. Although I will say, I own a few of them and from my experience they do come pretty close to as dark as you can get. Also - this is a "fantasy" list that none of us will likely to find at any of our local nurseries and some are long past season. *But as a side note for any possible nurseries out there - Fall is a lucrative time for revenue and many folks are looking for alternative plantings.... It might be worth the extra time to seed an extra crop of a few of these.

Here is a highlights list, as well as a link to the original source that caught my attention.

I have been an advocate for Petunias for years now. I see them as "not your grandma's flowers" any longer. They last an entire season and if clipped back, yield again and again. Plus the tones they are creating for hybrids are crazy! I had the most incredible papaya colored one this year and last year great cinnamon and even brown tones. Here are two choices that I know I have had. Black Satin and Phantom; both really push the limit of true black. I love the contrast of the Phantom with the bright rays of yellow which is really eye catching.

Another that I own is the Spring Before the Storm Iris. I grabbed it as a clearance item with little expectation. It is one of the last iris to bloom, past Spring and actually an early Summer bloom. But its wrinkles of deep black are certainly beyond the usual purple default, It is huge, but from what I have seen, yields only a single bloom per stem. So as regal as it is, it tends to be a "blink or you miss it" winner.

Other Spring buds are both tulips and Hellebore. I think the tulips tend to be a bust and are dark, but no where near a black. But the Hellebore, which are also called a Lenten Rose are much closer to the mark. Exotic, waxy and striking with their bright ivory stamens. They rebound well even in the cold north. Just beware the rabbits love to chew back those stems when they are first curling out of the ground after snow melts!

A choice that would be perfect for our cool autumns would be Violas. Pansies always make their reentry, but in the predictable colors of yellows and blues. Why not try either Molly Sanderson (can we say Hocus Pocus sisters and perfect?) or a plain Black Pansy?

I am also a fierce advocate of Coleus. They last forever all summer, get huge by this time of year, and like the Petunias - come in new shades every year. I have interesting copper tones this season and also had some of the brightest chartreuse and fuchsia shades imaginable. There is a Black Prince variety out there. From what I have seen, it may not be the true essence of black shown in the pics, but it will certainly be a deep lavender.

Down the street in the plots at Aldi are the most gorgeous and giant Black Magic Caladiums. Of everything I have noted, these are absolutely black without any question of being pure darkness. They are striking and huge. These flower beds are maintained by Tangletown Gardens where everything they plant is unique and special.

And an unfamiliar plant listed is the Bat Flower or Tacca plant. It is an exotic annual and not likely to do well into our late October chills. They do well in shade but likes temps that stay above the 50 ℉ mark. They are also called the Devil's Flower. If you can find one you would likely be the only one around to have them.

Otherwise there are several others; Black Dahlia, Chocolate Cosmo, Salieri Lily (which I own), Peonies and Hollyhocks. Most of them tend to veer into rich Blood Red Tones. But would still make amazing bouquets or garden pots that would be excellent surrounding your Cinderella Pumpkins of bright orange. Sharing just so you know they are out there. Happy Halloween.

Black Flower Gardening