If your household was one of the lucky ones randomly selected for the city of Durango’s livability survey, you know how thorough it is. Questions about quality of life, infrastructure, parks, water, crime, education, affordability, the economy, city services and government performance, and how communities take care of vulnerable residents. And more.
One question we’d like to add, though, is to rate the delight factor in Durango. What is delightful here and costs nothing? What do residents marvel over, whether it’s something piercingly beautiful or whimsical or put together with many hands?
A few favorites come to mind. In summer, stepping into the bracing cold of the Animas River on a sweltering day. In winter, watching little ones find inventive ways to sled at Buckley Park – sliding down backward or stacking dogs onto sledders or rolling from top to bottom. At any time of the year, another delight is the craftsmanship built into historic buildings downtown, with precision and thoughtfulness evident in each feature.
We have a new delight to add: the Literary Garden at the Durango Public Library. Taking nearly two years to construct, residents, city donations and dozens of Durango Botanic Gardens volunteers literally brought this endeavor to life. Six sections make up the Literary Garden with each one dedicated to a genre: Indigenous, American Southwest, Youth, El Jardín Botánico (representing Hispanic literature), Contemporary and the Classics.
The Indigenous Garden has a traditional Navajo shade structure, a Diné Chach’oh. El Jardín Botánico features arched adobe walls, and the Contemporary Garden’s artworks honor nature writers, including Gary Snyder and Henry David Thoreau. Every part of this garden was carefully considered.
As reported in The Durango Herald on Monday, curators selected plants as well as reading lists of relevant works that draw on botanical influences. The result is a landscape that is thoughtful and amusing and lovely. A natural place to wander and reflect.
Bill LeMaire, president of Durango Botanic Gardens, said in the Herald, “We’re trying to show the relationship between how nature, gardens and botany have influenced works of literature.”
The garden does this nicely. A quote by Bob Dylan, awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, reads, “People disagreeing everywhere you look makes you wanna stop and read a book.” Amen to that.
Barbara Cooney’s book, “Miss Rumphius,” is referenced with the character Alice’s grandfather saying, “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” Alice then sows blue, purple and rose-colored lupines across countrysides.
Back to a simpler time, when we were children, summer afternoons were often spent in the shade reading a book. A patch of grass or chunk of rock or dirt not too dusty was all that was needed. The Literary Garden elevates this experience with scenic, sheltered areas near perennials that butterflies, bees and other pollinators can’t resist.
We especially like the stumps and steppingstones weaving through, meant for little feet to enter, and see, smell and feel an enchanted wonderland of flowering plants. The bench with legs of detailed, carved books is a nice touch. Plenty of places to play and pretend.
Well done.
So much growth to come as plots need tending, more seeds need planting and the garden fills in, bends and shapes to its surroundings. The beauty in this project – so much can be cultivated here.
We appreciate all that went into this little piece of paradise. The umpteen volunteer hours, the donations. The vision. The Literary Garden, a new favorite, offers pure delight.
