In June 2010 my friend Lynda Swenson asked me to accompany her on a tour of local gardens in the Monadnock Region. This was an event organized by the Garden Conservancy Open Days. We planned our route and were able to visit five gardens in Peterborough and Hancock, NH. First on our list was the garden of Terry Reeves and David Baum. Their showcase garden was a border garden situated against an abandoned barn foundation. It had mixed flowers and perennials. However that was just a warm-up for the surprise that awaited us on the property.

The Egg

As we explored the grounds we came up an allée of tall pine trees, At the end was an egg shaped sculpture constructed of branches. We approached for a better look.

Lynda stood by it for a sense of scale.

The sculpture was the creation of Vermont artist Mark Ragonese who was commissioned by Terry and David to create an installment for the Garden Conservancy Open Days. It was described as follows:

A bower is a private place constructed to give refuge and isolation. The woven structure intimates home,comfort, safety. The large stack of stones inside have a grounded stillness but are are merely balanced. The interior and exterior invite reflection about privacy, security, and the precarious balance required for stillness.

Mark Ragonese

One down, four to go

The tickets were good for an unlimited number of visits so we made a hasty retreat to our next venue.