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The 2004
Philadelphia Flower Show
The chaps from WNEP and I got to the
flower extra early on Monday. (5am) We were rewarded with no crowds and plenty
of time and space to shoot our half hour special. As is usual I shot some
digital pictures for you to enjoy the show.
Here is an imaginary Benjamin Franklin's
Garden. The statue is a French original, carved when he was staying in
Paris. |
| The main theme of
this year's show is "Destination Paradise". Thanks to Waldor Orchids,
there
were more orchids displayed here than had ever been gathered before in
North America. Using huge Ficus and Palm Trees the show had plenty of
vertical impact too. |
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The show is always
full of contrasts. You'll see some of the most amazing elaborate floral
displays and then some simple, but just as effective ones. These Ikebana
arrangements were really eye catching. |
| There are so many
wonderful pots and containers available nowadays. Here is a display
showing what kind of things you can do with them. Pedestals are a must to
gain the height needed.
I would work out a sensible watering system! |
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A peaceful scene but
with some amazing statistics. That giant ball in the fore ground weighs
over 2000 lbs and is actually spinning on a bed of water. The flowers are
arranged in wonderful drifts with Lily of the Valley marching over
the small granite bridge. |
| By creating a little
elevated platform, the garden is transformed. The greenhouse is a
much stronger focal point and when you are in it, you can see much more of
your gardens. The blocks fit together without mortar and can be easily
assembled by your average home owner. |
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Comic touches are
never far away. Here the display consisted of angels in paradise. How
angels get their wings was beautifully and comically illustrated with
these funny caricatures. Feather washing, feather making, wing drying,
wing fitting and halo fitting were all depicted in hilarious scenes. |
| Advice for the
practical garden is never far away. Here one of the Philadelphian colleges
displayed what you need to think about in making a bird garden. Food,
water and shelter were are carefully written about inside the shed and
outside, a garden was created with these themes in mind! |
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Garden Photography
leads to thousands if not millions of plants sold each year. The close
observation of a flowers detail can inspire all kinds of gardens and
books. There were some wonderful photographs at the flower show. The one
to the left is a red lotus. |
| Without any doubt,
the star of this years' flower show was the orchid. There were thousands
of them. I heard somebody say upwards of 100,000. With careful selection
and breeding, they are much more accessible to the average grower. Still I
have one in my kitchen that is refusing to flower! |
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Perhaps my favorite
display. This gorgeous visual feast replicates a coral reef using nothing
but cacti and succulents. Up above (Not in the picture) Floats a boat and
around the reef majestic paper Mache fish swim. It's amazing how representative
the cacti are of coral. |
| A display that is
causing a huge amount of interest. Raymond Elvison clematis. These are an
easy grow free flowering selection. They can even be grown in containers
as in the picture. There are a lot more to come. The first selection are
named in honor of the RHS' 200th anniversary.
They will soon be available to us. If they
are grown in a container they will have to be moved to an heated garage
for the winter. But for flowers every winter for up to 5 years before
repotting is necessary.
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It is difficult to
imagine the amount of effort and time that is invested in these massive
floral designs. This one is full of roses tulips and lilies. Exploding at
the top are burst of Forsythia. I like the lead containers (lead colored)
they are becoming more and more popular. We sell arrange at out garden
shop |
| A little pond scene
surrounded by all the signs of spring. Bulbs are popping up everywhere.
The use of rock is fantastic. It creates a wonderfully natural looking
pond. So much so that the swimming Koi have smiles on their faces. |
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A blue trellis is a
wonderful foil for various shades of blue delphinium. It creates a
lovely cool feeling. You can imagine this in your own garden. There
are lots of lovely early blues available for our gardens. Try the Siberian
squill for a lovely carpeting effect. |
| The angel at the
Pearly Gates. This was part of a display imagining what Paradise is like.
We have the job, here on Earth, of trying to create paradise in our own
back yards.
It's here that Greystone Gardens can help.
We have such a great selection of plants that with our help you can have a
stunning display all year around. |
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Drifts of edible
greens provide a very attractive carpet of color. It's always amazes me
just how much stuff you can grow in a small space. |
| One of my favorite
landscape designs. It's a very comfortable landscape. A pleasing blend of
hardscape, perennials, shrubs and trees. There is a little strip of
grass in the foreground. I must admit, I was tempted to take a quick
nap on the lounge chairs. |
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The show gets very
crowded so choose you time to visit carefully. We are allowed to get in
very early which is great. The recommended time is after 4 pm. Do
bring some sensible walking shoes as there are 30 acres to explore.
To keep the flowers healthy the temps in the
hall are a little chilly early on but very soon the masses of people cause
it to rise. Dress appropriately! |
| We wrapped our visit
up with a chat with Jane Pepper, the President of the PHS. As usual Jane
is fountain of enthusiasm and inspiration. Thanks to all who allowed us to
visit...We had a great time....The Apple dumpling at the reading Market
below was well earned. |
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