February is the month when those winter blahs really set in. Even if weather-wise this winter hasn’t been a rough one in your area, months of looking at bare trees and brown lawns can bring the most cheerful of us down. People who aren’t into plants find themselves longing for a glimpse of green, and this goes double for gardeners. If you’re counting the days until spring, let a flower show come to the rescue!
Walking around beautifully landscaped displays and thousands of blooms is just the thing to restore the soul. In addition to the clever designs and loads of tulips, daffodils, and other spring-flowering plants, there are gardening seminars and demonstrations by experts on subjects ranging from kitchen garden design to raising chickens, water gardening to flower arranging. There’s also usually a vendor area with interesting and useful gardening items and crafts.
Between the design inspiration, educational opportunities, and great shopping, flower shows offer good bang for the buck. But for most people, the smell of fresh mulch and the sight of all those flowers in bloom is the real attraction.
These are six of the larger flower shows in the United States. Smaller home and garden shows take place all over the country throughout the spring.
Beat the crowds. Go on a weekday, and/or go early in the day. It’s easier to walk around and you’ll be able to get closer to the displays.
Wear your most comfortable walking shoes and make sure to sit every so often. The concrete floors can be hard on your feet. Dress in layers; venues are kept cool to extend the life of the flowers.
Pack a snack and a bottle of water. The food offering at many flower shows is often stadium food, and can leave a lot to be desired. Plus, it’s expensive.
Look for last-day bargains. You may find that vendors lower their prices the final day of the show – especially if their wares are heavy or large – so that there’s less to pack up and ship back.
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By Dan Heims, President, Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Photographs courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Terra Nova’s breeders have created a series of outstanding world-class echinaceas that are consistent in size, bloom power, color intensity and are a pollinator buffet. What’s not to like.
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