Taste of Spring at the Philadelphia Flower Show @PhilaFlowerShow #GardenCuizine #gardenchat

Philadelphia 

Flower Show 2013

'Brilliant'

The harbinger of Spring for us is always the Philadelphia Flower Show. The show is held annually in March. Today is spring-like, but yesterday was snowing as we departed for the show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. We were hoping for less of a crowd, but as always it was packed with people like us with spring fever.

The cost was on the expensive side. We had to purchase our tickets at their box office at $32.00 per ticket with no discount for senior citizens. I had to remind my family that the proceeds from the Flower Show benefit the year-round programs that PHS offers, such as their PHS City Harvest program, which helps to fight hunger and supports community gardens; plus, provides green jobs for families in need.

Brilliant
The Philly Flower Show's grand entrance stopped us in our tracks. With cameras in hand, we snapped away, taking pictures of the creative floral gate adorned with a crown filled of red roses.

We slowly made our way past white birch trees and down the red carpet that directed us to the 38-foot tall center of attraction - Big Ben. The real Big Ben is in London located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. I was in London only once, many years ago to see it. At the show, Big Ben periodically played music videos by the Beatles. The display was surrounded by a water feature and gardens that featured large white illuminated pots. Surrounding plantings included English roses and spurge.

The show displays showcased many colorful delphiniums and hollyhocks. One of my favorite areas was a display that focused on clematis by Raymond Evison Clematis, a popular breeder from the UK. Of course, now I'll have to get my namesake - Clematis Diana's Delight. 

And, being a green plant lover, I especially liked the vertical wall behind PHS Meadowbrook Farms garden display that featured green chrysanthemum spider mums. 

Some of my favorite plants were:

• Cerinthe major 'Kiwi Blue' Honeywort
• Clematis Diana's Delight
• scented geranium
•  bat pollinated Louteridium mexicanum
• Abutilon 'Bella Select Mix' Flowering maple 
• Brassica oleracea (Capitata group) 'Ruby Perfection' cabbage
• Soleno (Coleus) Solenostemon scutellarioides- 'Fishnet Stockings'

Here are a few more photos from the show:

Happy and Healthy Gardening! 
Don't forget, now is the time to get your garden plans going. You can start your seeds now indoors and then transplant your seedlings outside when the soil warms. I picked up dirt for our seeds today.
Related Links
Philadelphia PHS Flower Show  
Meadowbrook PHS Farm 
Blog post and photographs Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.