Turning a botanic garden into an enchanted forest
'I’ll see a little face that calls to me, and I’ll work from there.'
Whether she’s out in the woods or exploring a well-tended garden, Sally J. Smith never feels alone.
“It’s the spirit of the place,” says the artist. “I’ll see a little face that calls to me, and I’ll work from there.”
For the past 15 years or so Smith — a watercolorist, photographer, and land artist — has specialized in building fairy houses, whimsical structures made from wood, stone, leaves, and other natural materials. Beginning on Sept. 10, Smith’s creations will transform the new playground at the recently renamed New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston into an “Enchanted Forest.”
Children who visit the Botanic Garden through Oct. 30 will be encouraged to find all of the two dozen or so fairy houses that Smith is installing. Some will be readily apparent, perched on a tree stump or set on the banks of the brook that runs through the natural playground called The Ramble. Others, hanging from a branch or nestled beneath a shrub, may require more ingenuity to spot.
It’s easy to imagine gnomes and pixies inhabiting Smith’s tiny homes, which feature the irregular shapes, curves, and textures of the natural world. In fact, that’s what she hopes to inspire with her work — the play of the imagination.
“The imaginary world of children is something so special,” she says. “Artists get to live there, but most adult humans leave that behind when they grow up.”
As a result, her exhibits can be as beguiling for grown-ups as they are for kids.
“I’ve seen people’s faces light up with delight,” Smith says. “There’s a level of fun but also mystery — ‘How the heck did she do that?’” Some folks who encounter her work have claimed they’ve seen one of her fairy houses in their dreams. For the grieving, the houses can bring peace and a sense of comfort.
“It’s a gamut as big as life itself,” she says.
The 1.5-acre Ramble, located on a gently sloping hillside that overlooks the center’s main building, combines pathways and gathering spaces with structures to climb on, through, and over, including a tunnel made from woven branches and a “Stumpery” of tree stumps of varying heights. There’s a pavilion with picnic tables, an outcrop amphitheater, and plantings and gardens that lend themselves to educational opportunities.
Smith visited the Botanic Garden a few months ago to get a sense of how to incorporate her fairy houses with the existing features of The Ramble.
“We’re floored at the level of detail of these houses,” says Grace Elton, CEO of the Botanic Garden, the jewel of the 180-year-old Worcester County Horticultural Society. “They’re so rich. I love that she’s using natural materials. Her creative eye really shows through.”
In addition to Smith’s pint-sized cottages, the staff at Tower Hill will unveil four fairy houses big enough for children to explore. While the “Enchanted Forest” is on display, the Botanic Garden will offer special events including “Fairies Aglow” — late hours on selected Friday evenings when the fairy houses will be lit from within — and a Fairy Fest weekend (Oct. 8-10) with crafts, workshops, and live entertainment.
“Enchanted Forest: Nature-Inspired Fairy Houses by Sally J. Smith” runs Sept. 10-Oct. 30 at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, 11 French Drive, Boylston. Tickets $8-$18. For more information, visit nebg.org.
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