Oshkosh in winter

 Thirteen named gardens grace the grounds of the Tudor-Revival-style mansion that is the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. At www.thepaine.org, you can read descriptions of the sweeping Front Lawn and the dramatic path through the Great Lawn. A silvery foliage palette in the Morning Terrace catches both sun and moonlight. By contrast, the Evening Terrace reflects the sunset’s golden glow. There’s a Rose Garden, a Shade Garden, U.S. Bank Garden, Mark L. Tremble Garden, Ceremony Garden, Pennau and Below Garden, and the New Formal Garden. Don’t forget the Woodland Path and Birch Grove.

 

Website photos of each named garden in the three-acre estate show blooming flowers, bountiful greenery, and flowing fountains. My photos, taken in winter, show just brown bark and gray stone paths—just a serene skeleton of summer’s colorful grandeur. But that’s enough to appreciate Nathan and Jessie Paine’s vision of an outdoor art gallery. The mansion interior’s artistry and special exhibit spaces flow into the gardens.

 

Wandering stone paths past classic statues, empty pergolas, and dry fountains was a contemplative pleasure. Floating, fleeting thoughts gave a sense of peace. That I didn’t know any of the names of the gardens now seems appropriate because I still don’t know the name for the fun surprise I stumbled upon. It looked like a large metal gyroscope with three spyglasses. A shallow bowl in the center held dead pine boughs and a birch log. My friend had seen one of these elsewhere in Wisconsin, so she clued me on how to use it. You slowly turn the bowl while looking through the eyepiece, and what’s in the bowl shifts in kaleidoscopic designs. Very cool! We had so much fun with this oversize, outdoor kaleidoscope. I don’t know if there’s a name for mid-meditation playfulness. I kind of hope not.