I left home at 8:30 last Saturday morning and arrived in Philadelphia, about 11 a.m. but then I took some time walking from the garage where I parked the car into the Convention Center. I booked my ticket on line the same morning so I had to retrieve an actual ticket at the members’ kiosk.
I expected the Convention Center to be very busy when I arrived, just after the opening time on Saturday, but for two hours the crowds were quite manageable.
The theme this year was Dutch culture. Soon I saw the traditional windmills and many gardens planted with tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The first photo I took was of the 6,000 purple blooms that flowed down from a roof canopy. (Click any photo to enlarge)
1
2
I always think of tulips when I think of Holland so I then went for a photo for the tulips.
3
One of the bridges combined the use of bicycles (orange) with water lilies floating on a canal.
4
Next I looked at the Japanese Ikenobo designs. I liked the simplicity of the pussy willow and the tulip design. I later bought some pussy willow to take home.
5
More white tulips.
6
It’s only the second day of the show so the flowers are just so fresh and beautiful. More competitions and a design with red anthuriums and red Gloriosa Lilies “Rothschildiana”.
7
Sometimes it was hard to get close enough to see all four designs in a class so sometimes I just looked at the one the judges had chosen as their blue ribbon winner.
8
I have a succulent like this one that grows vertically around our pool and I like the way they had let it trail down from a vertical pole. This is an idea for my garden if the snow ever goes away.
9
Then I went over to the miniatures. I was attracted by two roses in a small container but it was the outstretched branches that I found so interesting.
10
There were several table designs and I liked the one with hoops and the way the napkin was draped over the edge of the table.
11
Cycles and bikes are typically Dutch so I liked the designs made around bike wheels. The design with blue hoops was one of several in the miniature category.
-
- 12
-
- 13
-
- 14
One of the specialists gave me a lecture on the difference between azaleas and rhododendrons–must remember to count the stamens.
15
Lots of individual plants in pots.
16
Finally, I took a photo of the Windmills.
17
I had been touring round for three hours. I know that younger folks stay about six hours but that was enough for me. Last but not least, I bought a few plants which I hope to plant out in the garden when spring time comes.
*****
Here is part of this year’s scheme:
Here is a write up about this flower show and theme:
