With a hammer in one hand and a metal dust pan in the other, Lynne Thompson chases a six-point buck out of her driveway. The impressive ungulate saunters further up Connorton Lane, in the hills of Saanich’s Maplewood area.
Thompson bangs the makeshift noisemakers together to stop “Buck” from doing what he always doing: eating her flowers. Only this time, Buck was after a rare prize.
He was dining on the coloured fibres of sisal and moss on Thompson’s black and white chess board, a feature of land art she made for the upcoming Arts and Music in the Garden festival at the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, Aug. 9 and 10.
“Buck lives in the area, I can’t stop him. He’s not so bad except he isn’t just eating the same flowers anymore, now he’s trying out a lot more,” Thompson says.
Buck clearly knows a good thing, as Thompson is a member of the Victoria Flower Arrangers’ Guild. Her yard boasts dozens of plants, a smorgasbord for the big beast.
He’ll be back, she says, but by that time the land art will be safely tucked in the garage.
Thompson has been building land art features for over 10 years, usually for the Arts and Music in the Garden.
She’s also built a life-size buck, ironically, for the B.C. Blooms showcase at the Government House in 2012.
And she’s made an octopus using monkey tree limbs for an event at the Coast Collective at Esquimalt Lagoon.
About 24 members of the Guild have formed various partnerships to build 17 features for this year’s land art exhibition at Arts and Music in the Park.
“It’s great fun to get together and work in small teams,” Thompson says.
“The challenge is getting the flowers to survive during the shows,” says fellow Guild member Ann Gargett.
“I love creating land art because it’s all outside.”
This year, Gargett, who also feeds Buck with her Maplewood plants, has happily used strands of surplus honeysuckle vine from her place on Saltspring Island to create Hanging Around.
The woody vines will be decorated with brightly coloured blooms.
A map of all the land art will direct garden goers around HCP on Saturday and Sunday, where there will be 60 artists, a classic car show, music, food and other entertainment.
Arts and Music in the Garden runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and are $2 off when purchased online at hcp.ca. Visit victoriaflowerarrangers.com for more information about the Victoria Flower Arrangers’ Guild.
reporter@saanichnews.com