2021 Philadelphia Flower Show

Attend the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show

Get your tickets NOW! The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) announced today that tickets to the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show, June 5 – 13, are available for purchase at PHSonline.org. 

Photo Credit: Rob Cardillo Photography

Attendees are asked to select their preferred date and session at the time of purchase. To allow for social distance protocols, a limited number of tickets will be available for each day and time segment. Early purchase is highly recommended!

 
The Philadelphia Flower Show, typically held each March at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, will be held outdoors for the first time in its history this summer at the historic Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) in South Philadelphia. Given the pandemic, the move will allow PHS to present the Show safely, at the height of the gardening season and with the added health benefits of the outdoors. The central location, situated adjacent to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, is accessible to major highways and mass transit.   The Park features inspiring natural beauty and an expansive setting that also provides Show designers with an exciting new layout for creative expression and horticultural displays.  Visitors will experience the Show through three distinct “Districts” that feature all manner of Plants, Design, and Gardening created for all skill levels. 
 
The Flower Show "footprint” will span 15 acres of FDR Park’s 348 acres parallel to Pattison Avenue allowing the vast majority of FDR Park and its amenities to remain accessible to the public during the Flower Show dates. PHS is working closely with local community leaders and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation on Show planning.

 

“We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the outdoors and offer joy and beauty after a year that has been marked by so many challenges. This experience is a wonderful example of the enduring and combined power of green space, plants, and gardeners to create impact and inspiration,” 

-Sam Lemheney, PHS Chief of Shows & Events. 

 

FDR Park, a registered historical district, was built to the design of Olmsted Brothers, the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and John Charles Olmsted in the early 20th century. With walkable pathways, majestic trees and breathtaking views, FDR Park is an inspiring venue that contributes to the splendor that the Flower Show is known for.
 

2021 Philadelphia Flower Show Information

Public safety is a critical component for the upcoming Show and adherence to recommendations from the CDC and City/State health officials is paramount to Show planning. PHS will continue to work closely with health officials with updated guidance available at  PHSonline.org  

 

Ticketing:

Attendees must reserve a date and time of visit for all tickets purchased. Tickets are limited. Early purchase is recommended. 
 
Show admission, membership, special events, tours and packages are available for purchase via the PHS website and early purchase is recommended:   PHSonline.org
 
PHS members enjoy special entry privileges. Members provide needed funds to advance PHS’s impact year-round through a variety of efforts that create health and wellness throughout the region. Membership includes a variety of ticket offers, such as ticket discounts or complimentary admission during special preview hours.  

To become a PHS member, visit: https://phsonline.org/support-phs/membership
 

Location:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
1500 Pattison Avenue & South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145

 

Show Dates and Hours:

Saturday, June 5: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

• AM Entry: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• PM Entry: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, June 6 through Sunday, June 13: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• AM Entry: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• PM Entry: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Entry is prohibited within 30 minutes of Show closing each day.

 

Hotel Accommodations:

Special hotel discounts are available for The Flower Show. Please visit: Hotel Packages

 

ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, plays an essential role in the vitality of the Philadelphia region by creating healthier living environments, increasing access to fresh food, growing economic opportunity, and building deeper social connections between people. PHS delivers this impact through comprehensive greening and engagement initiatives in more than 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this work, please visit PHSonline.org.

 

ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW 

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation's largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event and features stunning displays by some of the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. The Show has been named “Best Event” by the International Festivals and Events Association and “Best of the Best” by the American Bus Association (for the fifth consecutive year) in 2020-2021. 

 

Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Show introduces diverse and sustainable plant varieties and garden and design concepts. In addition to acres of garden displays, the Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations, special events, and the citywide Bloom Philly pre-Show celebration. 

 

PHILADELPHIA PARKS & RECREATION (PPR) advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of her people through stewardship of nearly 10,200 acres of public land and waterways, and management of 500 recreation buildings, 166 miles of trail, and 250 playgrounds. PPR offers safe, enjoyable recreation, environmental and cultural programs and events throughout Philadelphia's parks and recreation system.PPR promotes the well-being and growth of the city’s residents by connecting them to the natural world, to each other and to fun, physical and social opportunities.

 

In 2017, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, set about implementing the park system’s first strategic plan: Our Path to 2020 and Beyond. As a result, PPR is undertaking a period of historic change, setting the department on a course to become a modern, equitable and exceptional parks and recreation system. Visit us at www.phila.gov/parksandrec, and follow @philaparkandrec on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

 

FDR PARK

1500 Pattison Avenue and S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) is Philadelphia’s iconic 348-acre park carved out of the tidal marshes in South Philadelphia. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1914, FDR Park’s sequence of picturesque lakes with adjacent lawns are connected by a network of carriage and foot paths. In 1926, the park hosted the national Sesquicentennial Exhibition and several grand civic buildings, including the iconic Boathouse, opened for the first time. 

 

Today, FDR Park hosts a playground, 4 baseball diamonds, a renowned skate park, a network of lakes, the Swedish American Museum, and 126 acres of woodland. In 2019, after engaging with nearly 3,000 community members and stakeholders, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy published a master plan to reimagine a historic Olmsted Park to serve 21st century Philadelphians. The plan, designed by WRT, creates an ecologically sustainable vision for FDR Park that inspires investment, meets the needs of all users today and tomorrow, and focuses on resiliency in the face of a changing climate. 
Read more at: https://myphillypark.org/what-we-do/capital-projects/fdr-park/

Information courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), 100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA 

The Annual Spring Bulb Show at Smith College in Western Massachusetts

Social Media Promotion: Hosted

This weekend we headed up north to Western Massachusetts, aka "the other side of MA" to visit the Annual Spring Bulb Show at the Botanic Garden of Smith College in Northampton Massachusetts. The northeast section of the U.S. has been experiencing some downright frigid temperatures - so a glimpse of spring would be a welcome respite to all us New Englanders!

The Botanic Garden of Smith College, developed in 1875, was the brainchild of  L. Clarke Seelye, the College's first president, who had a vision for the entire campus to be developed as a botanic garden. In addition to the aesthetic beauty it brought to the campus, this innovative concept would also allow for scientific research. While strolling the campus grounds don't be surprised if the  landscape feels somewhat familiar -  the same firm that designed Central Park was hired to bring President Seelye's vision to life. (Smith College, About Us)

Fast forward to Smith College in the 21st century and the Botanic Garden of today includes thousands of plants, including those grown under glass in the Lyman Conservatory and outdoors in the campus arboretum, the landscape for student learning, and various specialty gardens around campus. Additionally, there are 60,000 pressed specimens available for research in the herbarium.

The living plant specimens are the heart of the Botanic Garden and their bridge to the rest of the botanical world, studying the past through the future. (Smith College, About Us)

One of their most popular exhibitions is the Annual Spring Bulb Show which dates back to the early 1900's. This showcase of spring blooming flowers includes crocuses, hyacinths, narcissi, irises, lilies and tulips as well as non-hardy South African Bulbs. The process begins in October, when Smith College horticulture students pot up the bulbs and put them into cold storage. Starting in January, the bulbs are moved to the greenhouses. It takes careful timing and temperature control to orchestrate their colorful and fragrant debut in March.

Here are some of the beautiful sights from the 2017 showcase:

In addition to the flowering bulbs there is a tropical rainforest area with ponds, water features, exotic orchids, and tropical plants

The Spring Bulb Show opens the first Saturday in March; runs for two weeks including the third weekend.

Weekday Hours: Monday through Thursday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily.
Extended Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Suggested Donation: $5.00

This year the Spring Bulb Show Runs March 4th through March 19th - don't miss this beautiful 'welcome to spring' with a bounty of blooming flowers at Smith College Botanic Garden.

The Botanic Garden at Smith College

16 College Lane
Northampton, MA 01063


The bulb show also offers a bulb sale the weekend after the show. Details are available at https://www.smith.edu/garden/event/after-the-show-bulb-sale

Don't miss any of the upcoming events at the Botanic Garden - look here https://www.smith.edu/garden/events and save the dates of November 4 - November 19th for their Fall themed Chrysanthemum Show where the deep autumnal tones of fall are featured.

Look for more beauty in 'the other side of MA" by searching  the hashtags #InBloomMA and #otherSideMA on your favorite social media outlets.

Disclaimer: This visit was part of a trip sponsored in part by the Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council, however all opinions are my own.


© Home Place 2017

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show Feb 23rd-26th 2017

The 36th Annual 

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show 

returns to 

Hartford Connecticut!

Save the dates for the annual CT Flower and Garden Show at the Connecticut Convention Center.

February 23-26, 2017 

Get ready for spring months before the weather warms up at the 36th annual “Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” on Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26, 2017 at the Connecticut Convention Center on 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford.

Show Times:

One of the largest and most prestigious flower shows in all of New England, the show’s hours are:

• Thursday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
• Friday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The colorful, fragrant show covers almost three acres with the 2017 theme, “Woodland Enchantment”, with creative and practical ideas for house, apartment and condo dwellers alike.

 Highlights include:

- Over an acre of gardens in full bloom, created by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, and include naturalistic, low maintenance, native, organic, herb and pollinator gardens.

- The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 2017 Advanced Standard Flower Show: more than 12,000-square feet of a design, horticulture and photography competition with more than 250 judged entries, all with the “Woodland Enchantment” theme.

- Over 300 booths of displays, activities and shopping: artisans and handcrafted gifts, fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, metalwork sculptures, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture and lawn and garden tools and equipment. Bring a 1/2 cup of soil to the UConn Co-op booth for free soil testing.

- More than 80 hours of seminars by horticulturists and experts are included in general admission (see www.CTFlowerShow.com for full schedule) including:

• Roger Swain, The Man in the Red Suspenders, former host of PBS’ The Victory Garden and HGTV’s People, Places & Plants: “No Fruit Like Your Own Fruit” on Thursday at 2 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m.;
• Nancy DuBrule-Clemente: “More Food from Small Gardens” and “Plants with a Purpose – More Than Just a Pretty Face!”;
• Carol King Platt: “The Year Round Cutting Garden” and “Vertical Gardening”;
• Helen Yetman-Bellows: “The Yogic Gardener™” Clinic”;
• Bob Buettner:  Connecticut Florist of the Year 2010, floral design instructor, and Connecticut Florists Association Board member presenting on “Floral Arranging”;
• Karen Bussolini: “The Year Round Pollinator Garden” and “Eco-Friendly Garden Coach; Problem Solving & Brainstorming Session”;
• Amanda Morris: “Backyard Chickens”; and
• Andy Brand: “Plants with Year Round Appeal”.

Admission: 

$18 Adults;
$16 Seniors Age 62 and Over on Thursday/Friday only;
$4 Children 5-12;
Free under age 5 

Admission payment by Cash Only.
Group rates for 15 or more people: contact 860-844-8461 or Kristie@northeastexpos.com.

Advance tickets are discounted by $2 and can be purchased no later than February 20, 2017 at the following Connecticut locations:

• The Garden Barn Nursery in Vernon; 
• Garden Specialties in Mystic; 
• Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe in West Hartford; 
• Natureworks in Northford; 
• Stonehedge Garden Center in Newington; 
• Woodland Gardens in Manchester.

Show sponsors include B & P Turf Farm, Maple Meadow Farm, Bob Buettner Florist, WRCH Light 100.5, WFSB Channel 3, Bedard Enterprises, and North East Expos, Inc.

To join the email list and get more information about the 2017 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show, seminars, and driving directions, visit www.CTFlowerShow.com or our Facebook page, or call North East Expos, Inc. at 860-844-8461.

2015 Connecticut Flower and Garden Show in Hartford CT

Save the date!

“Spirit of Spring”

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show

The 34th Annual 

“Connecticut Flower & Garden Show”

February 19-22, 2015 

 Connecticut Convention Center

“Spirit of Spring” is the theme of the “34th annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” to take place on Thursday, February 19 through Sunday, February 22, 2015 at the Connecticut Convention Center on 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford. This is THE Hartford Garden Show and is one of the largest and most prestigious flower shows in New England. The show’s hours are: Thursday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The colorful, fragrant show covers almost three acres with the 2015 theme, “Spirit of Spring”, with fresh, creative and wonderful ideas for homeowners and apartment and condo dwellers alike. This is the best Hartford Flower Show! Highlights include:

• Eighteen (18) gardens fill over an acre, created by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, and include naturalistic, low maintenance, native and organic gardens.
• Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 2015 Advanced Standard Flower Show: more than 12,000-square feet of design and horticulture competition and more than 250 judged entries, all with a “Ports of Call” theme.
• More than 300 booths with displays, activities, artisans and handcrafted gifts,  and aisles of fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, ornaments and lawn equipment for purchase. Bring a 1/2 cup of soil to the UConn Co-op booth for free soil testing.

More than 80 hours of seminars by horticulturists and experts including::

• Daily seminars by Mar Jennings of Greenwich, CT, Emmy-nominated TV host, best-selling author and America's top Lifestyle Expert: Creating Casual Luxury in Your Home & Garden;
• Roger Swain, known as The Man in the Red Suspenders, former host of PBS’ The Victory Garden and HGTV’s People, Places & Plants: Vegetables That I Have Known & You Will Love;
• Connecticut Florist of the Year 2010, floral design instructor, and Connecticut Florists Association Board member Bob Buettner: Floral Arranging;Award-winning photographer and author Ken Druse: Making More Plants – Propagation and Natural Companions;
• Lifelong organic gardener, photographer and lecturer Karen Bussolini: 40 Great Plants for Connecticut Gardens and Gardens in Winter;
• Plant Pathologist Dr. Wade Elmer of New Haven, CT: Fighting Fusarium in Flowers, Nutrition to Manage Disease;
• Award-winning container garden designer and certified horticulturist & landscape professional Deborah Trickett: Celebrity Containers and Jaw Dropping, Get Your Neighbors Talking Containers;
• Wildlife biologist Peter Picone: Create & Enhance Wildlife Habitats in Your Surroundings;
• Baroness Maureen Haseley-Jones a.k.a. The English Lady of Old Lyme, CT: Mother Earth;
• Jeffrey Eleveld, who provides therapeutic horticulture to older adults, including individuals with dementia: Tropical Plants – Clean Air;
• Rich Howard, retired civil engineer and past president of the Connecticut Daylily Society: Daylilies;
• Plant Pathologist Dr. Yonghao Li, who heads up the Plant Disease Information Office at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: Disease Control in Home Vegetable Gardens;
• Master Gardener Dawn Pettinelli of the University of Connecticut in Storrs: Soils for Gardeners;
• Master Gardener and Landscaper Thomas Mickey: America's Romance with the English Garden

And there's more!!!!

• Charlotte Albers, environmental educator and owner of Paintbox Garden landscape design in Shelburne, VT: Gardens of Paris;
• Rob Townsend: Watergardening Basics and Pond Ecology;
• Pamm Cooper of the UConn Home and Garden Education Center, and a former golf course superintendent who teaches the entomology and turf portions of the Connecticut Master Gardener Program AND Carol Quish Advanced Master Gardener, Master Composter, horticulturist and certified accredited nursery & landscape professional: Our Gardens, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly;
• Soil scientist and wetlands Ecologist Kyle Turoczi, Co-Founder of Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery & Landscapes in Woodbury, CT: Working With Wetlands on Your Property;
• Donna Katsuranis, an Advanced Master Gardener and interfaith minister from Brookfield, CT: Composting & Soil Health and Rain Gardens; and
• Master Gardener author, photographer and designer Amy Ziffer of Sherman, CT: Shade Revealed.
• Denise Ciastko of Pan Acres Nursery in Canterbury, CT: Creating Sustainable Habitat for Pollinators;
• Allison Kaminski: Winter Interest in Your Garden;
• Kasha Furman of Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston: Peonies; and
• Dan Furman of Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston: Backyard Orchards.

Admission: $16 Adults; $14 Seniors Age 62 and Over on Thursday/Friday only; $4 Children 5-12; Free under age 5 – Cash Only. Group rates for 15 or more people: contact 860-844-8461 or Kristie@northeastexpos.com.

Advance tickets are discounted by $2 and can be purchased no later than February 17, 2015 at the following Connecticut locations: The Garden Barn in Vernon; Garden Specialties in Mystic; Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe in West Hartford; Natureworks in Northford; Stonehedge Garden Center in Newington and Woodland Gardens in Manchester.

Show sponsors include B & P Turf Farm, Goodyear Farms, T.J. Bark Mulch, Bob Buettner Florist, WRCH Light 100.5, WFSB Channel 3, Bedard Enterprises and North East Expos, Inc.

To join the email list and get more information about the 2015 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show, seminars, and driving directions, visit www.ctflowershow.com or call North East Expos, Inc. at
860-844-8461.

See you at the Connecticut Convention Center on February 19th -22nd!

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show

Connecticut Convention Center

100 Columus Boulevard

Hartford, CT 06103

www.ctflowershow.com 

2014 CT Flower and Garden Show in Hartford CT

33rd Annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show

February 20-23 at the Connecticut Convention Center

If you are as tired of this winter’s deep freeze as I am then the  Connecticut Flower & Garden Show – one of the largest and most prestigious flower shows in New England, is for you!

The 33rd Annual event will take place this Thursday, February 20 through Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the Connecticut Convention Center on 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford. 

Hours: 
Thursday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 
Friday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; 
Saturday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and 
Sunday, February 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The colorful, fragrant show will cover almost three acres with the 2014 theme, “Backyard Paradise”, with wonderful ideas for homeowners and apartment and condo dwellers alike. 

Admission Info: 
Cash Only. 
$16 Adults; $14 Seniors Age 62 and Over on Thursday/Friday only; 
$4 Children 5-12; Free under age 5 – 
Group rates for 15 or more people: contact (860) 844-8461 or Kristie@northeastexpos.com.

Highlights include:

Twenty (20) gardens filling over an acre, created by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, and include naturalistic, low maintenance and organic gardens.

Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 2014 Advanced Standard Flower Show: 12,000+ square foot design and horticulture competition with more than 250 judged entries, all with a Backyard Paradise theme! Focal point is a grassy area with a fire pit and four different gardens with native Connecticut plants.

Hundreds of displays and activities and aisles of fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, ornaments and lawn equipment for purchase, floral and garden arts & crafts. People can bring a 1/2 cup of soil to the UConn Co-op booth for free soil testing.

More than 80 hours of seminars by horticulturists and experts including:

• Lorraine Ballato of Brookfield - "Foolproof Hydrangeas" and about "Vegetables Contained";
• Bob Buettner of East Hartford - "Floral Arranging";
• Tom Christopher of Middletown - "Low Maintenance Lawns";
• Mike & Angelina Chute of Riverside, RI - "Six Simple Steps to a Successful Rose Garden";
• Pamm Cooper of Storrs - "Butterfiles in Connecticut; The Food they Need As Adults & Larva";
• Phil Costello of South Hadley, Mass. - "Landscape Lighting";
• Tammy Cressotti of Granville, Mass. - "Introduction to Beekeeping";
• Anita Dafonte of Newtown - "Organic Vegetable Gardening" and on "Starting Seeds";
• Lelaneia Dubay of Hartford - "The Process of Landscape Design";
• Nancy DuBrule-Clemente of Northford – “Fearless Pruning" and about "Blended Gardens";
• Dr. Wade Elmer of New Haven - "Fighting Fusarium in Flowers";
• Maureen Hasley-Jones of Old Lyme - "Mother Earth";
• Rose Hiskes of New Haven - "Protecting Our Trees From Asian Longhorn Beetles & Emerald Ash Borers";
• Nick Mancini of Westport - "How to Grow True Organic Seeds"; 
• Tovah Martin of Roxbury - "The Unexpected House Plant";
• Kerry Mendez of Ballston Spa, NY - "Three Seasons of Outrageous Color from Perennials" and about "Simplifying Gardens";
• Penny O'Sullivan of Stratham, NH - "Fabulous Foliage: Year-Round Color with Trees & Shrubs" and about "Painless Pruning - Simple Solutions for Healthy Plants";
• Dawn Pettinelli of Storrs - "Fertilizers" and about "Soils for Gardeners";
• Peter Picone, author & wildlife biologist - "Ways to Create and Enhance Wildlife Habitat in Your Surroundings";
• Rich Pomerantz of Washington Depot - "Art in the Garden" and about "Relax, It's Only Garden Photography";
• Carol Quish of Storrs - "Pests in the Perennial Garden";
• Mark Richardson, New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham, Ma. - “Sustainable Horticulture - Redefining the American Landscape”;
• Experts from SavATree: The Tree & Shrub Care Company - "Choosing the Right Tree for the Right Location", about "Organic Lawncare", and about "Protecting Your Landscape from Deer Damage";
• Dr. Neil Schultes of New Haven - "Genetically Modified Crops";
• Paul Split of Bourne, Mass. - "Gardening Under Glass" and about "Organic Container Gardening with Herbs"; and
• Rob Townsend of Portland - "Watergardens".

Show sponsors include B & P Turf Farm, Goodyear Farms, T.J. Bark Mulch, Bob Kelly Florist, Inc., Bedard Enterprises, and North East Expos, Inc.

For full information about the 2014 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show, seminars, and driving directions, visit www.ctflowershow.com or call North East Expos, Inc. at (860) 844-8461.

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show 2013 at the CT Convention Center

In spite of still being somewhat buried under the remnants of snow...the Connecticut Convention Center was the first in Connecticut to welcome SPRING with the The 32nd Annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show!

The show opened on Thursday and the theme of this year's show was "Love in Bloom."  To help celebrate the romantic theme, the convention center was the venue for a local Glastonbury couple, married 50 years, to renew their wedding vows, immediately after the show's opening in the beautiful flower filled hall.

Together they joined the committee in officially opening the show with the ceremonial cutting of the garland.  

Source: CT Garden Clubs
Kristie Gonsalves, President of North East Expos, Inc. – the show’s organizer;
Becky Paul, Chair of The Federated Garden Clubs of CT’s Advanced Standard Flower Show competition;
Ronnie Schoelzel, President of The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut
Flower garland of flowers and wedding flowers created by Bob Kelly Florist of Hartford.

We made our way up early Sunday, while CT dodged another winter storm (hallelujah!) The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show was just what was needed to shake off the winter doldrums, and help us welcome spring!

Hello Spring!      Hello Flowers!     Hello Fresh Mulch!

Oh, how we've missed you!

It was wonderful to breathe in the earthy scent and enjoy the bright and vibrant colors!

There was so much to see in addition to flowers, although they were the highlights! Everything from birdhouses, to sculpture, to garden sheds and hot tubs. If you are looking for any product that has to do with landscaping, the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show is the place to go.

Grasshopper sculpture and landscape display

This beautifully set table was found under the flower and wire orbs and was designed by Creative Contours

Everything for the yard - from mulch to mowing to mod hot tubs

Beautiful Flower Arrangements

Amazing floral sculptures - These each stood approximately 4 ft tall.

Birdhouses, water features, and hanging pottery.

There were also household items available, for instance, this grater demonstration that I was drawn to because of the beautifully colored pottery.

Here's some of the other items that caught my eye. You'll see I seek out any tulips, Adirondack chairs, window boxes, or bunnies!

Bright and colorful garden tools! What's not to love?

so many amazing water features!

Every building looks better with a window box!

Someday I'll have a gazebo --- and I love this horse bench

My husband said to make sure I didn't come home with anything.
He didn't know there would be tomatoes there!!

Will someone come and do this landscaping in my yard for me? Please? 

ArtArondack!

 And for those planning weddings of their own...there were plenty of centerpieces and tablescapes for inspiration.

In addition there were over 80 hours of seminars by horticulturists and experts throughout the weekend, however, we were so caught up in the exhibits we were unable to attend any. Next year, though, we'll plan better.

Show sponsors include B & P Turf Farm, Goodyear Farms, T.J. Bark Mulch, Connecticut Horticulture Society, Bob Kelly Florist, Inc., WRCH Light 100.5, WFSB Channel 3, Bedard Enterprises, and North East Expos.

Special thanks to North East Expos for hosting the event and to my great friends Carol and Gayle for taking the trip to the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show with me!

For additional pictures visit the Home Place facebook page HERE

*********

Are you ready to get your "garden on" this year?

Do you have any landscape projects that you're planning?

I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!