Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Art & Nature

 

In the mid-1950s, Yayoi Kusama was a young artist living in Japan, where her future was very uncertain. Seeking advice from a more established female artist, Kusama wrote to Georgia O’Keeffe, whose work she greatly admired but whom she had never met. To Kusama’s surprise, O’Keeffe responded, thus establishing a correspondence that gave the young Japanese artist the courage to move to America and pursue her career in New York City, which was then the centre of the art world. Kusama’s decision, with O’Keeffe’s encouragement, forever changed the course of modern art history. The exhibition explores the mentoring relationship between Kusama and O'Keeffe.

Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe examines the work of these two major artists through the lens of their connection to nature. The exhibition, which is on view until June 2024, explores the unexpected yet profoundly impactful mentoring relationship that developed between the iconic artists Kusama and O’Keeffe, and explores the ways in which the work of both artists is rooted in nature, befitting an art and horticultural experience set in a botanical garden.

The new Marie Selby Welcome Centre launched this year

'Dot Matrix' features golden barrel cacti suspended upside down at the Marie Selby Welcome Centre,

as part of the current exhibition 'Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe'

Entrance to the current 'Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe' exhibition

'Moments of Levity' installation inspired by Yayoi Kusama, features small grey pebble flowers 

depicted as a polka dot garden

'Shear Repetion' features a footpath of circular stepping stones leading to a quiet bench amid 

a garden of spherical topiaries

Meandering boardwalk through the mangroves

'Emmeshed in Nature' features red bromeliads

The maze of red bromeliads 'emmeshed in nature'

'Tillandsia Tunnel' features hundreds of tillandsias in nets suspended from Ficus trees

The exquisite outdoor Schimmel Wedding Pavilion

Pink Trumpet from Argentina

Staghorn Fern which branch out to look like antlers

Ball Cactus in the Desert Garden

Desert 'Triple Star' Rose

Giant Ficus tree wth great undulating root structure

The Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden and Educational Treehouse

Cascading Waterfall

The serene Koi pond

Buddhist statue overlooks the Koi Pond

Zamia Floridana flower from Florida and the West Indies

Beautiful wild flower 

The Pitcher Plant is a carnivorous plant that have modified leaves known as pitfall traps, 

a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid

Beautiful pink and orange orchid

Glass balls appearing to float on water surrounded by Koi, carry on Yayoi Kusama's signature use of polka dots in the Tropical Conservatory

selby.org

The Green Orchid at Selby Botanical Gardens

 

When it came time to rethink the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens campus in downtown Sarasota, president Jennifer Rominiecki gave her design team a simple request — 'make the project as green as possible'. About seven years, a new three-building complex, and 55,000 square feet of solar panels later, the team exceeded her wildest expectations. The reimagined space is now the first net-positive-energy botanical garden complex in the world, generating more energy than it consumes. The Green Orchid by Michael’s on East, which pays homage to the 'green' components of the building as well as to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ researchers who have been studying orchids – including the very rare green orchid, since Selby Gardens’ founding in 1973. 

Featuring an innovative rooftop garden that grows much of the fresh produce for its garden-to-plate menu, the globally inspired cuisine focuses on sustainably sourced options for produce, seafood, poultry and other meats, with a major focus on local ingredients. This means the garden is essential for supplying a substantial portion of the daily offerings, drawing inspiration from around the world, including Asian, European, Spanish and Korean cuisines. For instance, during the upcoming art show, "Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe," which runs from February to June 2024, the restaurant reflects the artist’s home country with Japanese-inspired dishes, in addition to cuisine inspired from the coastal regions of the northeast with their preparation of lobster, a pair of dishes from Cape Malay in South Africa and a Korean-inspired dish featuring kimchi.

Offering elevated casual dining featuring a globally inspired menu with a focus on local, regional, and sustainably sourced produce, seafood, meats, and poultry options, the menu changes seasonally, highlighting the freshest ingredients from local farms and the restaurant’s rooftop garden, drawing inspiration from around the world, including Asian, European, Spanish and Korean cuisines. During the current art show, “Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe,” the restaurant reflects the artist’s home country with Japanese-inspired dishes, including cuisine inspired by the coastal regions of the northeast, dishes from Cape Malay in South Africa and a Korean-inspired dish featuring kimchi. The Green Orchid's stylish bar program featuring botanical-inspired cocktails with finishing touches straight from the rooftop garden. The Green Orchid also features a wine list with international selections that use organic, biodynamic or sustainable practices, and most of the wineries powered by solar renewable energy.

The Green Orchid by Michael’s on East is the world’s first net-positive energy restaurant, 

which operates entirely on solar power

Terrace dining at the Green Orchid

The Green Orchid by Michael’s on East features an innovative rooftop garden 

that grows much of the fresh produce 

Lovely cold Stella Artois

The Selby Reuben Sandwich with brown sugar and mustard-glazed corned beef,

black navel pastrami, sauerkraut, Gruyere cheese and house made dressing on marble rye with frites

Green Orchid Salad with hearts of romaine, avocado, English cucumber, celery, 

toasted pistachios, fresh mint and housemate Green Goddess dressing

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl with brown rice, edamame, avocado, kimchi, cucumber,

beets, seaweed salad, sweet soy vinaigrette and Green Goddess dressing

bestfood.com/restaurant/the-green-orchid

Rosemary & Thyme: Modern American Cuisine

 

Located in the Rosemary District of downtown Sarasota, Rosemary & Thyme features an eclectic menu inspired by the travels of owners George and Jessica Armstrong. Born in Bermuda, Armstrong moved every two years growing up, collecting local recipes like seashells in places such as Hawaii, Philadelphia, Charleston and Virginia, but Armstrong credits Bermuda, Texas and North Carolina as having the most influence on his palate. Rosemary & Thyme's menu rides the wave from North Carolina-style barbecue to Austin-inspired Tex-Mex to pan-seared island-style fish and seafood, however his Bermudan roots shine with the tomato-based Bermuda fish chowder with black rum and a sherry pepper sauce, to the Bermuda Fish Cake Benedict, where flaky white fish and potato replace the English muffin, topped with a poached or fried egg and coated in a Key lime Hollandaise sauce. "My family was always focused on food and we would talk about cities based on the foods we remember eating there", says George. "My vision was to open a restaurant that reminded me of all the different places I’ve lived, and wanted to create that environment for other people, too."

Arriving for dinner with good friends on a warm Sarasota evening, we sat in Rosemary & Thyme's beautiful outdoor courtyard serenaded by a local musician playing light jazz framed by the warm light of the setting sun. Beginning with cocktails and some lovely French Rosé, we shared some appetizers and followed with entrées such as Black Grouper served with creamy vegetable risotto and grilled asparagus, Pan-Seared Halibut with risotto and grilled green asparagus topped with a mélange of watermelon radishes, arugula, roasted pineapple and shallots, Grilled Ribeye Steak served with Pinot Noir demiglace, Bearnaise sauce and frites, and their signature Grilled Swordfish served with Key Lime Beurre Blanc and creamy vegetable risotto made with roasted peppers, Bermuda red onions, Parmesan cheese and fragrant white truffle oil. Spending quality time with special friends over a lovely dinner is simply the best. 

Guitarist playing light jazz in the Rosemary & Thyme courtyard

Bread and butter 

Flower Drop Martini with St Germaine, Grey Goose Vodka, Simple Syrup, lemon

and garnished with an orchid

Grey Goose Vodka Martini

Our server opening the Domaine de Nizas Rosé from Langedoc

Lush and lively, the Rosé was delicious on a lovely warm Sarasota evening

Rosemary Classic Iceberg Wedge Salad with blue cheese, feta, roasted walnuts, 

cherry tomatoes, smoked bacon, and red onion with balsamic glaze and creamy blue cheese dressing

Calamari Fritti with marinara sauce

Ancient Peaks Californian Cabernet Sauvignon

Ripe and rich Cabernet from Margarita Vineyard

14 oz Grilled Ribeye Steak served with Pinot Noir demiglace and 

Bearnaise sauce and frites

Blackened Black Grouper with creamy vegetable risotto and grilled asparagus

Pan-seared halibut filet with risotto, grilled green asparagus, topped with a mélange of watermelon radishes, arugula, roasted pineapple & shallots

www.therosemarysarasota.com

Pistachio-Crusted Salmon

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of chef Sebastian Salazar

 

Salmon:

4 serving-size pieces of salmon

1/2 cup pistachios

Summer Salsa:

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp honey

Pinch salt and pepper

2 tbsp roasted peppers

2 tbsp diced pears

2 tbsp diced peaches

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Roast the pistachios in oven with a pinch of salt and pepper, then chop and set aside. To make summer salsa, combine all of the ingredients in bowl, and set aside. Grill the salmon to your preferred temperature. Spoon the pistachios on top of salmon and top with the summer salsa.