English Stumpery and other delights

In the hopes of calming myself down, and maybe you too, I bring you these delights from the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio.

Helpful sign explaining English Stumpery

The sign says:
English Stumpery
Originating in the Victorian period in the 19th century, a stumpery is a garden whose structure is based on the organic form of tree stumps.  Traditionally made from fallen trees or trees removed to make way for farmland, stumperies create an environment where moss and ferns intermingle with spring flowering perennials and lush green vegetation.

I think "stumpery" is an excellent word.

And here is an actual stumpery!

The Conservatory also had a room full of fairy gardens.

Fairy Garden tea party.

We will now take a pause from our visit to the Conservatory, to bring you two photos of that time my darling daughter served our served our extended family a tea party consisting of various rocks, mosses, grass, and dirt.

An uncle helping himself to a bit of delicious moss and a stone.

Grass cupcakes, with muddy water tea (in a wine glass, of course)

Now back to the Conservatory fairy gardens.  Please please click to embiggen.

Fairy farm stand.  Note the adorable little pie.

Fairy hedgehog campground.  In a Coleman cooler.

Fairy home scene.  The fairy swing is hanging from a bonzai tree.

Fairy readers' paradise

No Conservatory is complete without a butterfly room and Chihuly glass.  

There are butterflies on this glass sculpture.  Trust me.

Follow the butterflies.

All the photos were taken with my cell phone.  That's my excuse.

You may ask, why do I need to calm down?  Well, because of all the usual atrocious things going on in the wide world, plus these:  I have a cold.  Not just that, but I told my mother that I have a cold.  It was unavoidable, as she called when I was still in the mouth-breathing, congested beyond belief stage.  Not just that, but Passover starts on Monday and I haven't made the chicken soup yet.  You would think that since I have a cold I would have made the chicken soup already.  Not just that, but I just went to the optometrist and ordered my first pair of progressive lenses.  That's trifocals, people.

I said to my daughter, "You know you are getting old when you have to get progressive lenses."  She said, "Mom.  Actually, you know you are getting old when you find you are wearing two different pairs of glasses at the same time."  I have done this numerous times lately (for the past five years).

In sum, nothing is wrong here, but there is a greater tendency for agitation.

Carry on, lads!  Off to the English Stumpery.