More Wisteria

My father planted this wisteria when I was in college - about 10+ years ago.

I remember, because they sent me a picture when I lived in Vermont of it blooming.
Wisteria take a few years to blossom, and apparently I was sold to the devil for a successful bloom.

Now it completely takes over the backyard and, if I was 7 again, I'm sure I would make a playhouse under the bower.
He built a "stand" and trained it up and over so it takes on an umbrella shape.

Magnificent...


Birds eye view


Inside the bower...

Concrete

Like any artist, my father played with a number of mediums over the years. In the late 1990s, he would pour concrete blocks and carve using chisels and elbow grease.

This is one of my favorites - he's always been able to create personalities out of thin air...

A new blog...

My father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in December 2007, and in the intervening months, I've tried to better understand his history and the stories of his life.

Like me, he's a maker - but 1,000x more prolific: blacksmith, carpenter, garden, painter and on and on and on... and as an only child, I feel this undeniable NEED to share, curate and contextualize the things he's done and made in his life.

It's really a personal piece, but I'm happy to share...

Dad and I, Summer 1977


Dad and the Wisteria that Ate Northeast Ohio, May 2008