Hi Sheila, Getting our webmaster to do anything is a job in itself, but I can send you the list of vendors if you like? See you next year! Geoff

Annabeth-- we entered a few. We won the Bob Simon Trophy for the best Bob Simon introduction in the show. He was our mentor & we learned a lot about hybridizing from him so we sponsored a trophy in his memory when he passed into that big dahlia garden in the sky. We've won it a lot - we still grow lots of his introductions because they're all AA or A sizes & we use them to create new dahlias. We also won lots of firsts & some Best of Types & Sections. We didn't enter many because I'm chair of Judges & Clerks for that show & it gets CRAZY the morning of the show & it's hard to enter & help people & answer questions, too. The very best part for us was seeing our daughter get her first ribbons in a show- she was soooo happy! You can see us with our award & our daughter under the other posting I did a few days ago titled WCDS Show. Pictures.

These are two very interesting comments, since I actually thought the Philadelpdia Flower Show was one of the better ones I've seen. . .but Ginny's observation, now that I reflect on my visit, may be quite accurate: there may have been fewer flowering plants than the past, and almost NO introduction of new plants, which has always been one of the hallmarks of the Philly show. Hard times this season for the nursery trade? After faithfully trudging to this show every year (for what seems like an eternity!), I have developed the habit of rooting out the often overlooked uniqueness of some of the smaller exhibits, rather than just being bowled over by (or yawning over) the major exhibitors. This year was no exception: the bulb specialist, Jacque Armand, delivered the most cohesive (and breathtakingly beautiful) display that I can recall from this veteran. Another favorite: the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades (really!) presented an intense Tuscan landscape - house, terrace and garden, in exquisite detail - but the best part of it (and missed by many!) was the compelling video catalogue of the whole projects genesis, from initial design to final installation at the show, with the video cleverly tucked away beneath a shrub so as not to detract from the exhibit. Also fascinating: the Temple Univ. ("Yeah, KT!") Ambler Schools' use of copper gutter as a design element in a garden, complete with an incredibly lovely "rain curtain" - but best of all, all the copper led to a series of water spills which ended up as the center of a "water table". . . picture a large stone table whose center rectangle was a shimmering surface of constantly recyled water. I can just imagine eating dinner there and asking someone at the far end of the table to "please pass the salad". . .and then they would just float the salad bowl down to you !!! Ah, ha! All of which makes me realize that I tend to look at the Flower Show very much from a designer perspective, not just as massive floral display. . .which might explain the difference in perception. But, honestly, there is just so MUCH going in that vast Convention Hall, that there's bound to be something for everyone. One of my favorites has always been the numerous "competitions", and these Delaware Valley gardeners are deadly serious about what they're doing! This year, there were the usual table settings, porch entryways, balcony baskets, huge "themed" urn plantings, some novel "sustainable" back yards - and a new one, I don't ever recall seeing: "Elegante Craveat", or men's ties decorated with pressed plant materials! Much of the fun of these competitive exhibits is comparing YOUR impressions with those of the judges (they are judged twice during the Show: once during Saturday preview, and again on Wednesday) - it's not that unusual for a single exhibit to win the blue (1st) one day, but only get yellow (3rd) from a second judge. . .but ALL the judges' notes are posted for ALL entries so you can follow their thought process. In a post earlier this month, I fantisized about spending an entire week at the Show, attending ALL the lectures and demos, ferreting out every possible detail from every exhibit. Well, I got a preview of that experience: after my knee gave out after only six hours on Wednesday, I returned on Sunday (closing day) for another four hours - and accidentally discovered something worth knowing. . .the Show opens at 8:00am on Saturday and Sunday (I had always gone at 10:00am weekdays, deliberately avoiding the legendary weekend crowds), and when I turned up a 8:00am yesterday morning, I practically had the place to myself! What an unmitigated joy to roam about without the usual attendant high-energy crowd activity. . .and it REMAINED relatively tranquil throughout the first two hours, only slowly picking up after 10:00am. When I checked out at noon, I felt as if I'd just had a private showing. . .the only other time it gets like that is mid-week evenings after 6:00pm. An old-timer working the info booth confirmed my observation. . .she warned that the first Sunday at 8:00am was a zoo (opening day), but the last Sunday morning was one of the best-kept secrets of show attendance! So: one more Flower Show to go ("Springfest", later this week in Northwestern New Jersey) and then it's "Off to the Races", Spring officially arrives and we can all fall back into our annual cycle of creativity and craziness for another season - see you in the garden ! Carl

Thank you for posting the Orchid Show, ewamaria. It is very interesting. We don't see enough of European shows. The orchids are beautiful, and in such a gorgeous setting. I also like your blog. Yu certainly do have beautiful orchids, too. Carol