Rick Darke will talk at Art In Bloom on Thursday, April 30th

Rick Darke is the keynote speaker at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts “Art In Bloom.” The event, which invites floral designers to pair their work in relation to art works at the museum, takes place from April 30th to May 3rd. Always try to get there early when the floral arrangements are freshest.

Rick Darke is my absolute favorite garden personality. I have seen him speak twice and always leave inspired and engaged. Darke cuts through the noise of the debates around environmentalism, sustainability and the design of beautiful, natural spaces with candor and matter-of-factness.

At one talk I asked him, since his designs often include lots of tall grasses, whether his clients express safety concerns about the grasses. He paused and said simply that he wouldn’t work with anyone who expressed that concern.  To clarify he said that we each need to put our foot down against the “fear-of-everything” thinking that is gripping our society, especially when the concerns don’t hold up to firm reason.

If you haven’t read his books - go get one at the library or local bookstore. His “Ornamental Grasses for Livable Landscapes” and “The American Woodland Garden” are intelligent, multi-faceted feasts for both the eye and brain. The books feature his careful and studied photography, so they are great to leaf through. But, while most garden books are all pictures and little substance, his text his completely unexpected, personal and full of unique morsels of thought that could only come from a lively and incisive mind.

Like his books, his presentations are always full of surprises. He has a speaking style that resists easy definitions and solutions, and builds slowly from unexpected starting points to uncommon conclusions.