Travelling pot exhibit at RBG Centre

Travelling Pot Exhibit at RBG Centre
By Kathy Renwald

Sometimes we treasure them sometimes we trash them, but the common flowerpot has a rich and touching history.

That history is now on display at Royal Botanical Gardens in a new exhibition called A Place to Take Root. The History of Flowerpots and Garden Containers in North America.

With the support of Grow-Bark (www.gro-bark.com) the exhibition will run through the month of November at RBG Centre.

Make your way to the Bulb Room at RBG Centre, which is just before the entrance to the Mediterranean Garden, and take in the collection of over 90 flowerpots from ornate to one could say ordinary.

Included in the collection is a marvelous cast iron container, used specifically for growing citrus. Each side of it lifts up to allow root pruning.

There are beautifully shaped modern pots from Italy. Made of terra-cotta they are designed to be used as temporary barriers for sidewalk cafes. It's easy to imagine them overflowing with plants and creating a lovely environment for outdoor dining.

The exhibition was created by museum curator Susan Tamulevich of Stonington Connecticut. It will travel for the next three years, Royal Botanical Gardens is its only Canadian stop.

In addition to contemporary pots, Susan worked with master potter Guy Wolff to add historic designs to the exhibition. After obtaining pots shards from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Wolf recreated the type of terracotta pot that would have been used during Jefferson's era.

In contrast to the simple and charming pots of the 1800s the exhibition includes a massive and ornate replica of a pot from Cosimo de Medici's famous Renaissance garden in Florence Italy.

At Royal Botanical Gardens, the work of two Ontario potters has been added to the exhibition. Richard Mund contributed a carved, wheel- thrown pot with glazed saucer. Paul Kaye’s frost proof terracotta includes a small lattice urn, and a large leaf pot with saucer.

In contrast to the rich, timeless designs in terracotta, the exhibition also includes the North American debut for the BLOOM pot, a new Dutch design of lightweight plastic, that also doubles as a light.

Come and experience A Place to Take Root, where the flowerpot has a brush with fame.