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Flower Shows

I won’t pretend that when I was a kid I walked to school through drifts of snow or that the local hockey pond (in Woodbridge, Connecticut) froze solid. But all the old timers are saying that this winter is like the winters of yore. Maybe. All I know is that I am starting to get sick of cold and deep snow. So I asked my doc to write me a prescription: Go to flower shows. As many as possible. As soon as possible. Smell daffodils and look at blooming shrubs. Listen to experts talk, hang out with ordinary gardeners. See friends.

The season starts with two major shows at the end of the month: Providence, Rhode Island and Hartford, Connecticut, February 24-27, and I intend to attend both (and will be presenting on Thursday and Friday afternoon at the Rhode Island Show.)

The theme of the Rhode Island Show is “Gardening with Heart”. It is partnering with the American Heart Association and features 28 floral exhibits that link the display with a romantic movie – from Gone with the Wind and Casablanca to Sleepless in Seattle. As always, there are numerous vendors and educational talks. Admission is $18 at the door, $15 for seniors and students, and $7 for kids 6-12. For more info, go to www.flowershow.com. I hope to see you there!

The Connecticut show will be held in the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford from 10-8 each day except Sunday, when it closes at 6pm. Hope for a thaw before then, as they are offering to test your soil for free – just bring a half cup of soil (let it dry out). The show has more than 250 exhibits/vendors and 8 lectures every day. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $2 for kids 7-14. For more info go to www.ctflowershow.com.

The next weekend, March 4-6, has two more shows, including my favorite, the Vermont Flower Show. The theme of that show is “Sweet Dreams”, featuring a Medieval-inspired journey through woods, flowers and a castle. The Vermont Railway Society will have a model train display and there is a room dedicated to activities for children. I hope to bring my grandkids. The show is in the Champlain Valley Exposition Hall in Essex Junction daily from 10-6, or to 4pm on Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $3 for students 3-17. More info at www.greenworksvermont.org.

The Central Massachusetts Flower Show will be held that same weekend in the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. It≠s not a show I’ve been to, but I chatted with a representative of the show and it sounds like it≠s a cross between a flower show and a home show. It’s called The Flower and Patio Show, and features many commercial exhibits. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and kids 12 and under are free. For more info go to www.centralmaflowershow.com/

The next weekend, March 11-13, is the Portland, Maine Flower Show at the Portland Company Complex, near the wharves. All tickets are $15 at the door, though advance sales are less. The theme of the show is ≥the Enchanted Earth≈. For more info go tohttp://portlandcompany.com.

Then comes the Boston Show, which runs from March 16-20 at the Seaport World Trade Center. The theme of the show is ≥A Burst of Color: Celebrating the Container Garden≈. It sounds like the problems the Boston had a while back have been sorted out, as the Massachusetts Horticultural Society is back and playing an important role. I recommend going to the show during the week when there are fewer attendees, and you may want to take a tour bus there to avoid the hassles of driving and parking. Tickets are $20, $17 for seniors and $10 for kids 6-17. In addition to the usual floral displays and vendors, this show has competitions for both professionals and amateurs. For more info, go to www.bostonflowershow.com.

Floribunda

Overlapping with Boston is the Norwich, Vermont flower show, called Floribunda, in Tracy Hall, from March 18-20. It is everything Boston is not: small, inexpensive and personal, with easy parking. I love this show. Your $5 admission fee (kids 12 and under free with adult) supports the “Community Projects Fund” of the Norwich Women’s Club. There are 20 vendors with plants, flowers, note cards, art and garden paraphernalia. There is a gala opening Friday night with wine and snacks (call Susan Pitiger at 802-649-1684 for reservations. Tickets are $40 or $75 per couple.)

flower show

And then there is the New Hampshire Seacoast Home and Garden show at the Whittemore Center in Durham, NH on March 25-27. With over 200 exhibitor booths, this is as much a home show as a flower show, but the cost is only $8 for adults , $6 for seniors, and $4 for youth 6-16. For more info, go to www.homegardenflowershow.com.

There are other shows, further afield if you wish to travel: Philadelphia March 6-13, Bangor, Maine, April 8-10, and Chelsea, England, May 26-28. But wherever you are, and no matter what your interest, there is a flower show for you. So mark your calendar, and plan to get an early taste of spring.