You’ve Got Balls
This time of year I try to avoid garden nurseries, in the same way, and as successfully, as a gambling addict avoids Vegas. One minute you're out for groceries, and the next you’ve parked at a garden center and find yourself striding, with purpose, pulse increasing, towards the last flat of angel wing begonias before Besty Gaurdenklub can get her grubby little mitts on them. A slight hip-check into some forsythia for Betsy, purely accidental of course, and the prize is yours, I mean mine. Mine, mine, mine.
Oh how I hate garden centers.
But, while I’m there, might as well take a look around and see what’s new. While hiding in the camellias to avoid security (Betsy may be slow, but she sure can draw a crowd in a jiff), I noticed some glazed ceramic spheres of different sizes were decorating the path. Each had a rough lava glaze which gave them some character and interesting color patterns, almost like miniature moons in blues, grays and greens. Turns out they are the new garden decorating trend. I was smitten, there’s just something about a round shape that compliments the lush wildness of a garden.
Spheres in gardens are nothing new, glass gazing balls were introduced by the Venetians way back in the 13th century. Mad King Ludwig was so taken with them that he had them made in all sizes and hung them in trees, floated them in ponds, and had them set on pedestals around his castles. The Victorians were mad about fads, so they jumped on the gazing ball craze in the 1800’s and incorporated them into their gardens and homes. They used them for decorations but also placed them strategically around the homes so they could keep a discrete eye on what was going on in the next room. Gentlemen callers beware.
Gazing balls have come in and out of fashion over the centuries, and they have had many names including fairy balls, mirror balls, yard globes, and even witch balls. After falling out of fashion in the 19th century, there was a US resurgence in the early 20th century, but by the time the 60’s rolled around they were neck and neck with plastic pink flamingos for the tackiest yard ornament award. I’m rooting for them to make another comeback.
My favorite thing about gazing balls is usually overlooked. Generally, we see it as an object that reflects the light, but its original intent was to generate internal reflection. By gazing into the ball, it gives the viewer the opportunity to see themselves and their surroundings as a new and different world where shapes, colors and horizons are distorted and blended together. Gardens don’t really exist unless you slow down and look at them, and gazing balls call for you to slow down a bit more and look at yourself. You’ll like what you see.
