Well, the gardens are blooming and we are here.

Combining that with some art.

The arts and bloom Garden walk is happening.

It's coming up.

Thank you so much for joining me on this.

What your role is because you I mean, this is a pivotal event that you guys are putting on.

So I'm the publicity chair for this year's garden walk.

I'm a volunteer, so I'm not getting paid for any of this, but that's okay.

But we love it.

And this is such a great event.

You guys have been putting this on for, what, 30 plus years?

35 years?

30 plus years.

Yes.

Amazing.

So for anybody who hasn't been a part of the garden walk before, talk to us about what that looks like.

I mean, what the purpose of it really is to combine what we see, what we know and love nature and combine it with the arts.

Okay, so logistically, here's how the day is going to run.

So you start off at the hospitality center.

So the hospitality center is at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Cleveland Road.

So you go there, you get your guidebook and in the guidebook you have a map of all the gardens, and then you just take your time.

You go to the garden, it's self-paced.

You can go at any time during the day between 930 and 730.

So you just go to the gardens and then you'll see artists working in the gardens, and you can just enjoy your day.

I love it.

And these are, you know, this is someone's home that you're going to.

Absolutely.

And we're in someone's backyard right now.

Yes.

So we're in Julie and David deal's, garden.

So they've been so kind as to volunteer their garden this year for the garden walk.

Okay, so for people who maybe I've been working really hard on their garden for a long time.

Yes.

How do they get to be a part of the garden walk?

I think they secure people.

I mean, I think they actively look the year prior, so I'm not sure.

I think they have a because it takes time to get to that point.

Right?

Yeah.

It takes time.

So they look a year in advance and I think they just might ask people in the ask if they know people within their neighborhood to see if they'd be interested.

And if there's enough interest, I think then that's how they choose the gardens and how many gardens are on the walk this year.

Oh good question.

I want to say there's a lot of information available on your website that's available on the website.

Okay.

Perfect.

And I know we're not giving up information ahead of time because we don't want anyone walking through people's backyards ahead of time.

But when is the event happening?

The events happening on June 25th from 930 to 730.

Awesome.

So for these, for these different houses that people are going to go to, they're going to be able to see the gardens.

And, you know, we're also bringing in the artists to it.

Yes.

How many artists do you guys have?

We have 20 artists this year and all different mediums from drawing, painting, pastels, ceramics.

So yeah, we've got a lot of different mediums.

A lot of, variety as far as the types of art is called.

Okay.

So when I walk into the garden, I'm going to see those artists actually doing their art.

Yeah.

Garden.

Right.

Absolutely.

They'll be working in the gardens I love that.

So maybe they're going to take some of the background, I guess.

I don't know, that house is probably one of your favorites I love yes, yes, yeah.

Do but like finding those unique pieces, unique, visuals.

Yeah.

To make and create art.

What happens with art afterwards?

Afterwards, I think the artists decide what they want to do with it.

I think some of them, actually donate the pieces to the the garden owners, just as a kind of a thank you.

Otherwise they get to decide what they do with it.

And I want to point out this isn't a free event.

You have to get your ticket.

And that's also how you get the information of where the gardens are at.

Yes.

So you can get your tickets.

You can get them online at, South Bend art.com.

You can go to the South Bend Museum of Art and you can get them directly from the counter.

Or you can get them the day off at the hospitality center.

So they're $20 in advance, but $25 if you, get them the day of.

Okay.

And this is really, like, a fundraiser for you guys.

It's a fundraiser.

It's a fundraiser to support our arts and outreach programs.

I love it, I love it.

I think we're going to talk to some of the artists.

Yes.

Okay.

Let's do that.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Now we're going to talk to some of the artists.

And some of you have done this before, but you have not.

This is your first time doing arts in the garden.

Tell me about what you're expecting out of this experience.

I'm honestly not sure what to expect.

I usually do plain air paintings, which is.

What does that mean?

So plain air is where you sit in nature and you draw what you see as it is.

So it's not from a picture.

So I'm hoping to do some of that.

Well, okay.

Sitting in the garden wherever they place me.

And I'm really excited.

Hopefully some people are intrigued and want to try it for themselves someday.

Maybe.

Yeah.

And this is one of your drawings here?

Yes.

What did you use for this one?

This I used chalk pastel.

Okay, okay.

It's beautiful.

Now it's just something you saw here in Michiana.

So this is from Kobus Creek in Elkhart, okay.

And I sat next to the creek and there was this little stump covered in moss, and I just decided to sit and draw it.

I love it, I love it.

Okay, tell me about yours, too.

This is a beautiful piece.

Thank you.

My piece is of cone flowers and lavender, and, cone flowers are an Indiana flower.

So I made this, very much, you know, within our region.

Yeah.

This is, plein air as well.

So just done or done, like immediately.

So in oil painting, we say all prima.

This is a fancy way to say it, but, I'm excited.

I'm excited to be in the garden.

And this is my second time doing this, okay.

And back when I was in college, ten years ago, I was doing it at another garden, so I'm excited.

Oh, cool.

And I know you guys don't know yet where you're going to be placed yet, right?

Okay.

So it's going to be a surprise.

We're going to see that Kolton tell me about your art.

Yeah.

So I did a charcoal drawing of some calla lilies.

We did this in a studio.

And so when you're working with charcoal, you can get a lot of heavy contrast and be able to create a lot of form.

So it'll be excited to come out here and be able to work in the outside of the studio and be able to lighten up the drawing and do some different things with it.

Now you guys have done this before?

Yes, yes.

How does that feel when you're able to kind of do your art surrounded by others and surrounded by nature?

It's it's really nice.

It kind of breaks the pattern.

As artists, a lot of the times we're in our studios, we're alone.

We're, you know, we're focusing on like our more personal visions and being able to go out and not only share our art, but share that experience with others.

I think is a really unique and beneficial thing for us as artists, but also the community.

Yeah, I think the when we're out in, in the field or in the yard, per se, it's fun because, yeah, we might work on our own type of work, different genres of work as well.

But being out in the air and outside is really freeing, and it's really fun and it's very meditative.

So hopefully people traveling through the gardens will get that experience as well.

Or you'll see me in the background like, oh no, I think you need to add more paintings.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally.

Absolutely.

You know, I love that.

It's such a great experience for you guys.

How long have you been doing art?

So I've been doing art since I was a little kid, and it just was something that I love so much that I decided to go to art school, and now I work at the museum, so everything's worked out.

I guess.

I love this, this is an example of how things work out.

That's great.

Well, I'm really excited for you guys to be a part of the garden Walk and just to get out and experience nature and seeing in so many different ways.

So when people are here, they're watching you do their artwork.

I mean, what has been some of your guys's experience in the past when you are interacting with those individuals?

Yeah.

So when they come around, they're always curious about the medium we're using.

What we're looking at, how we do it.

And so it's fun to explain to people the process.

So they're very interested in the process and what goes into it, maybe even what materials we're using specifically.

It's really fun to see people really curious.

How did you start with the background?

Do you start with the Foreground?

Right.

Right.

Like these are these are questions we need.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

It's very educational in that way where as artists we're giving to explain what we're doing.

But it's also things that we don't expect.

I remember someone asking me like, oh, how did you choose your composition?

What made you choose this spot compared to other ones?

And sometimes, you know, as artists, we're like, I don't know.

You know, I have to think about it a little bit more.

Yeah.

So, you know, it's I think overall it's just a good way for us to interact with the broader community as well.

Absolutely.

This is rain or shine.

So I hope you guys are going to have maybe a tent over if you need it to.

Yeah.

We're going to bring our umbrellas.

Yep.

Yeah okay.

Hopefully not.

So we're going to have a watercolor painting.

Yeah absolutely.

Yeah.

There you go.

Yeah absolutely.

Okay.

Now Julie you are one of the homeowners.

And you've been a part of this process for a long time, or at least you've been visiting it for a very long time.

Yes.

I've been going to, the garden walks for the last 24 years.

Oh my gosh.

So my husband's grandmother was a member of the Art League and would take me every, every year, every summer, onto the garden walk.

And I would leave each year saying some year, maybe my garden will be on the garden wall.

And this is your year.

This is my year, I guess I was okay, so here I am.

Ready or not, I have to ask, how long did it take you to get the garden ready?

24 year, too We've been here for 20 years.

Oh my gosh.

Okay.

Yeah.

So it's evolved over the years into many different things.

So but exciting.

What are some of your favorite things in your garden?

You know what?

We love to have as many birds present in our in our landscape and safe spaces for the birds to be.

We love the different colors and the various things that bloom throughout each different season.

So absolutely, I love that.

So you have been doing this a long time.

What does that experience look like or what should somebody expect when they're coming to a garden walk?

I think just keeping an open mind because each each home or each garden, totally reflects the person or reflects different things that happen within or their loves or their passions.

Sometimes it's, all perennials or sometimes it's, lots of different types of trees or.

Sure.

So sure.

So kind of keeping that perspective that there's different there's variety, every variety everywhere and abilities everywhere as well.

And how does that incorporate into the art element for those who are going to be making their art that day?

I think they find, what speaks to them when they arrive in the garden?

For sure.

The artist can definitely look around, and I see that they kind of walk around and look to see where a space that they might like to, you know, spend their day creating, a beautiful, a beautiful picture.

And I love the studio.

You said you've been coming here for 20 plus years.

And I mentioned when I pulled in, I said, oh my God, your neighbor.

I've stopped them before and told them how much I love their garden.

I didn't see all this.

Something you have back here?

You do.

But this is a beautiful area that you guys have, especially in this neighborhood.

And I talk about what that means to somebody who might be coming and visiting the garden walk that they get to experience what maybe they want to bring into their own garden.

Sure.

I think, you know, hopefully we get to see things that people feel they're comfortable to try or that they enjoy or like or colors that they might want to use within their own garden.

And you're going to be available that day, too.

So if I have questions, okay, because I know everybody's asking, what kind of tree is that one.

Yes.

Well, yes.

Okay.

Here.

Yes.

And I'll make sure I know all my trees by that.

Thanks, Julie.

That's thank you Courtney.