"The Summer Palace" garden sculpture created by Patrick Dougherty for the Morris Arboretum

As a follow-up to my post about my visit to the Morris Arboretum, here is more information about the fabulous garden sculpture that was pictured in my post. It's one of the most creative and awesome (in the true sense of that word) structures I've ever seen in any garden. I wonder if I can get my husband to build something like that for my garden?

Download a Brochure about The Summer Palace

Some Statistics:

*Over 25 feet high
*Built in only 19 days (March 30 - April 17, 2009)
*Over 75 Volunteers helped to construct it
*Made mostly of willow, dogwood, maple and birch
*Materials were gathered locally
*No nails or other hardware were used
.
"On display in the Morris Arboretum’s Madeleine K. Butcher Sculpture Garden, the site-specific piece consists of three rounded “layers” with a top that resembles the quintessential onion-dome characteristic of Russian and Byzantine architecture."