Ceramics and a Passion for Dahlias with Frances Palmer

Wheel of Fortune

After the birth of her daughter and a move to Connecticut, Frances Palmer felt she would like to add something extra to her life. Frances, who studied art history in college, took a pottery class and it was love at first throw. As soon as the clay hit the wheel, there was no turning back. She had found her raison d'être. Clay is earth, after all, a living thing that gave life to her unique works, and ultimately to the garden she made to grow flowers (especially dahlias) for cutting and testing in her exquisite pieces, which are all functional, as well as works of art. (Frances tells us about her passion for dahlias and a bit about how she grows them.)

Something that distinguishes her works is that each one has its own personality, sometimes quirky, humorous and always beautiful. Her vases may have scored lines, bulbous tummies, folded or crushed tops, pedestals, tiny handles like babies’ ears, beaded ornament or just be simple elegant cylinders.

Frances will be one of the headliners at Earthly Delights, the fundraiser in northern New Jersey on May 21^st, 2011 where garden antiques, rare and unusual plants and garden art will be sold to raise money for public gardens and to promote garden education. There will also be lectures throughout the day, and speakers will sign their books. The event will take place at Andrea Filippone’s remarkable property where former dairy barns have been connected for living and working spaces, rescued, recycled and joined by a new orangerie – and discrete garden areas developed – including one of the official national boxwood trial locations.

To see more of her pottery, visit francespalmerpottery.com.

Some recommended sources for dahlia tubers include:

ENDLESS SUMMER FLOWERS, Camden, Maine; FERNCLIFF GARDENS, Sumas, Washington; SWAN ISLAND DAHLIAS, Canby, Oregon.

Click on the small black arrow at the left on the bar below to start listening, or click on the MP3 link to download the show into Windows Media Player or iTunes:

MP3 File