Elisabeth’s Faeries
At the end of July, faeries will invade the gardens at Oakhurst, bringing their magic with them to delight our visitors. The event Faeries, Sprites, & Lights was conceived more than twenty years ago as a tribute to Elisabeth “Betty” Ball’s childhood belief in faeries. Betty, the only child of George A. and Frances Woodworth Ball, grew up playing in the woods and gardens surrounding her Oakhurst home. Her active imagination allowed her to see the faeries dancing under the trees, skipping through the grasses, and sitting on the flowers.
Muncie Pottery - Bringing Beauty to the Masses
With popular magazines like Elle Decor stocked near the checkout line and design blogs available at the tap of a screen, recommendations for home decoration are never in short supply. This year, House Beautiful predicts that pendant lights, pedestals, and traditional tableware will be all the rage. A century ago, art pottery found itself near the top of the list. More elaborate than utilitarian pottery, art potters focused on aesthetic qualities, putting beauty first and function second.
Strange Things Are Happening In My Yard
Some weird stuff has been happening on my home lawn this spring. Examples include:
Small brown patches across my lawn.
Tar like spots on the outside of our picture window.
Something digging soil out of our flower containers and tossing it on our patio.
8 Perfect Picnic Spots at Minnetrista
The month of June at Minnetrista means blooming gardens, a bustling Farmer’s Market and one quintessential summer activity: picnicking! We have rounded up the top 8 most scenic spaces on campus for your picnicking pleasure.
Holiday Inn
After being disappointed with the quality of motels available during a family road trip, Kemmons Wilson decided to build his own hotel. The first Holiday Inn opened in Memphis, Tennessee in August 1952. A little more than seven years later, the 119th hotel in the chain opened in Muncie at South Madison Street and U.S. 35. Although some of the hotels were company owned, the hotel in Muncie was franchised by Harper Hotels, Inc. Company president was Henry “Hank” Harper, Jr.
Checkers Anyone?
A lot of time goes into maintaining a home lawn. For many of us, sad to say, more time is spent taking care of our lawn than using our lawn for enjoyable activities.
Why not take a little time to look for ways to have a good time outside with family and friends so as to enjoy the hard work that goes into a beautiful lawn.
Ah ha! Happens Here: Minnetrista's 2016 Annual Campaign
Your pulse quickens, your eyes widen, and ah ha! The light bulb switches on!
We’ve all experienced the joy of an unanticipated discovery — a brief moment of exhilaration followed by a nod of the head and a knowing grin that creeps slowly across your lips. Minnetrista specializes in ah ha! Moments. Our 40 acre campus is a giant canvas for discovery — a playground for the curious! Donors help throw the switch!
The Ball Family Homes
While it’s fun to look at historic black and white images of the five Ball brothers’ homes, it’s also great to see them in glorious color. Albany, Indiana artist Alan Patrick made sure that we will always have that color record of the homes. In 1996, Patrick received a commission from Alltrista (now Jarden Home Brands) to create paintings of the homes. At first, he considered making one painting that would be a collage of all five houses. After consideration and study, however, he decided to make a separate painting of each house. He photographed the four standing houses—the Frank C. Ball home was destroyed by fire in 1967—in the early spring, and went to work in his studio.
The Day That the Teachers Took a Field Trip
From now until the end of the school year, Minnetrista will bustle with school tours. Elementary students from throughout East Central Indiana will hunt habitats, discover gardens, and meet the creepy crawlies. School bus drivers will open the doors, and kids will spill out. Teachers will herd them, and a good time will be had by all.
Minnetrista: 40 Acres of Fun!
It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, the birds are chirping, and it’s time to plan your next outdoor visit to Minnetrista!
When you think of Minnetrista, what do you instantly think of? Beautiful gardens, scenic nature areas, outdoor activities, readily available venues? Many people do.
Partners for Daffodils
Nothing says spring quite like a daffodil. After a long winter, their sunny faces popping up all over town is one of the cheeriest sights I know. Add to that their resilience and dependability, and it’s no wonder that the daffodil is one of the best loved spring perennials. But what if you are hungry for something new? Several lesser-known plants exhibit beautiful blooms this time of year. Pair these with daffodils, and both really shine!
Minnetrista and Indiana Historical Society Create “Communities Can!”
On March 4, several Minnetrista staff attended the grand opening of the latest in the series of “You Are There” exhibits at the Indiana Historical Society (IHS). In the “You Are There” exhibits, historic photographs are brought to life three-dimensionally with actors playing the people in the photos. The “Communities Can!” is special for us, because it features a photograph and artifacts from the Minnetrista Heritage Collection. The exhibit was funded by Ball Brothers Foundation.
The Green Silk Dress
When I give tours of the Heritage Collection storage area, I show examples of everything from Ball jars to artwork to furniture to clothing. More often than not, the piece of clothing that gets the most oohs and aahs, sometimes even from the men, is an evening gown and matching coat from the Jackie Kennedy era. Both pieces are made of heavy silk dyed a bright spring green. They are heavily beaded and sequined. The ensemble was tailored by George Chen & Co., Ltd. of Peninsula Court Kowloon, Hong Kong.
10 Cool Ways to Warm-up This Spring at Minnetrista
The weather is warmer and the days are longer. Are you are looking for ways to appease your spring fever? Look no further! Below are my top 10 picks for enjoying spring at Minnetrista.
Healthy Soil, Healthy Garden
I just got back from the annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference. Although I learned many exciting things, one theme emerged consistently—soil, soil, soil. Without healthy soil, we cannot have healthy plants. Here are a few tips for nurturing rich, resilient soil in your garden.
Memories of Ball Stores
Help, please. I’ve written about Ball Stores before, but I’m writing again to ask for your help. Please share your stories of Ball Stores for both a book and an exhibit. Did you or a family member work there? Was visiting Santa a yearly tradition? Do you have a particularly vivid memory of a shopping experience? Here are two memories that Hope Barnes shared in her December 12, 1989 article in the Muncie Star:
Phil and Esther Ball
When Phil Ball, of the “original” Ball family, passed away on February 4, 2016, Minnetrista lost another good friend. He and his wife Esther, who died in January 2015, donated money to the Annual Campaign and Endowment Fund, and artifacts to the Minnetrista Heritage Collection. More than that, though, they gave of themselves.
Use the Disease Triangle to Help Your Plants
I have written several articles about different plant diseases and pests that the horticulture team has dealt with at Minnetrista. I like sharing what choices we make to combat various plant issues for those of you that might be dealing with the same issue in your own garden—or at least give you a heads up on what might be coming your way.
A Fresh Take on Canning at Minnetrista
As we are looking to the future for our food preservation programming at Minnetrista, there are many questions that we have about what you, our visitors, would be interested in. With this blog I’m asking for your feedback. Tell me what you think about our current programs (if you are familiar with them), and what you’d like to see in future programming.