Derek Seward of Blazing Star Woodworks in Ames built “The Burrow.” (Photo: Reiman Gardens)
Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard the dictum that “form follows function.” That’s usually wise advice, but sometimes it’s OK to throw common sense right out the window and lean into creative imagination.
Eleven whimsical, well-built and wonderfully impractical Garden Playhouses have popped up this summer at Reiman Gardens in Ames, where they’ll remain through Sept. 30. They’re all designed and built by local and national artists and architects who chose different themes and materials for inspiration. The humble “Hobbit House” is covered with plants. The “Stargazer” consists of colored glass panels with a screen roof. The “Dear Reader” house features two sturdy chairs surrounded by shelves of books.
Garden visitors can walk in and around each tiny house and even purchase them at the end of the exhibition, for $2,000 to $10,000.
