Did you checkout the one bonsai place? I got a dwarf spruce, and two types of dwarf cypress. Not sure if they had any "unusual" ones, but they'd bring out new ones every couple hours. I went back there twice and found different things both times. It was the same way at that vendor last year too.

I would like to see less displays that look like a flower shop or a bizare wedding reception. I realize that this is called a flower show - but the number of landscape type dislays has decreased and the wild floral displays have increased. I remember in the other building when there were large natual looking woodland setting or great back yard patios.

My 2Cents

The food is still good at the Reading Market!

I agree with plantman. The first year I went to the flower show, probably in 2000, I got so many ideas for plant combinations and landscape designs I couldn't write fast enough. This time, I was very disappointed with the amount of landscapes. I only wrote down a few ideas, and most of them I believe came from the Styers' nursery display. They must know their clientele!

While the flower arrangements are a sight to behold, I just don't get out of it what I used to. I don't know if I'll go next year.

I had fun at the Flower Show, but I do wish they had more displays that focused on stuff of use to the average gardener. How about plants that can be grown in small spaces or balcony? Or proper tree and shrub care? Long-flowering perennials? And so on... Orchids, perfect roses, and heaps of tropical plants don't do me much good.

The displays I like the most are ones with plants that I can actually grow and buy AND have look good without needing full-time staff to maintain. While the "garden party" arrangements are cute, they don't really hold my interest, nor do the funky "garden art" arrangements. Maybe I am just overly practical, but that's me!

I like the tree-place that was handing out packets of red oak acorns. Even if 1 in 100 becomes trees, that is still a decent number of trees!

I've been going almost every year since I was a kid in the '60s (when it was in the old Civic Center, a space 1/3rd the size of the current location) and the one thing I noticed this year was that the more traditional landscape entries, although actually numerous believe it or not, were smaller/self-contained and clustered along the back 3rd of the show. These were generally presented by area garden clubs, horticultural schools, and horticultural programs of the area colleges. And to find them, you had to really refocus your eyes away from the bigger displays and realize that these smaller displays were actually there... tucked in between everything else... otherwise you'd miss them (like I did during my initial walk-through). Ie., I think this year's show had a layout problem with respect to positioning those little landscapes, which were certainly hidden gems IMHO. These smaller entries represented the more down-to-earth type of display showing many nice combinations of typical temperate home landscape plants (using the "garden room" idea) vs the large nursery displays that tend to project "wow and whimsy".

I will give kudos to the fact that for the past couple years, I have been seeing more displays that utilize and show-off (and teach about) our native plants, most notably one of the show winners (Delaware Valley College) that did a display about Penn's Woods (the translation for our state name "Pennsylvania"), showcasing many of the plants that were around at the time of the early European settlements.

I wasn't there this year, but I noticed other years that they have displays of flowers blooming together that don't bloom at the same time in the garden! I'm sure that confuses some novice gardeners who think they can duplicate the effect.

I am so hoping you can help me. Did you see that volcano exhibit? What intrigued me was that plant with the red/orange/yellow leaves that they used for the "lava flow" I forgot t get the name but would love it in my garden. ANy ideas?

How about a rose display and various companion plants? Overall, I'd like to see less vendors and more displays. Even though I got some great pruners and one cute plant, I can go shopping on-line of from my catalogues.

Sorry sewanhaka, I was so distracted by the volcano, that I didn't really notice the flowers.

Here is what I posted on the NHGC website Pennsylvania forum in response to a question about my Philly Garden show experience:

Posted March 13, 2006 08:45 PM
Well, I enjoyed the Philly show, but I think the landscapes designed at the Harrisburg Garden Expo were more of the type that I could see in the average or a little above average Pennsylvania landscape. Some, but not all of the Philly displays seem to be more (for lack of a better word) artistic. Fountains with champagne glasses incorporated. Ponds with bright silver balls floating around, etc. I did take a roll of 24 pics at the Philly show. When I get them, where is the best place to share them? I really enjoyed going to the Reading Terminal Market for lunch and dinner. I took in one speaker - Mike McGrath, former editor of Organic Gardening magazine. One thing I came away with from that talk was to use a dozen eggshells in the hole when you plant tomatoes to ward off blossom end rot. Or, if you can't find eggshells, Mike said use Calcium Carbonate. When I talked to the Fertrell Organic Fertilzier man at the Harrisburg Garden Expo, he said they have a product that is even better - Crab Meal. Crab Meal is a potent organic fertilizer derived from the Blue Crab after 40% of the crab meat has been removed. Shells are kiln dried and pulverized into a beige colored meal. NPK averages 5-2-5 with over 13% natural calcium, which virtually eliminates blossom-end rot in tomatoes and peppers. Over 30 trace elements and vitamins Apply 5 lbs per 45-60 feet of garden row or 2 tablespoons per 1 gallon pot.

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Zone 6 (South Central PA)