Souvenirs

Artist Notes

Most souvenirs end up in a forgotten corner of the house after the initial desire to cherish a memory fades with time. Not this watering can. Found in a flea market somewhere in Kent, England, I immediately knew this would be the perfect souvenir to remember our garden tour by.

I like to fantasize about how beautiful the garden must have been where this old watering can fulfilled its task for years and years. A little beat-up, its paint flaking in spots, it certainly deserves a rest. And so here it is, transplanted from its former English home to my Dutch garden, surrounded by beautiful wildflowers. And there is no need to come out of retirement, these flowers are perfectly happy without our help. Seeing how my garden has adopted the watering can I couldn’t help myself, simply had to paint it! Another way to make sure these fond memories remain preserved.

Key Points

• Identify birds

• Two examples of the gardens that Marjolein visited during her trip to England include Kew Gardens and the Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

• The Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta, is a fairly common butterfly to Europe, Asia and North America.

• Foxglove, Digitalis, while a beautiful sight can be quite toxic. Its name is derived from the fact that the flowers have the shape of fingers.