Philadelphia flower show: a great way to usher out winter!

"Riviera Holiday"

I've been to Flower Shows in the Pacific Northwest, in California--here and there across flyover country (which includes Colorado, incidentally)--and I've been to shows in Europe as well. There is nothing in my experience that comes close to the Philadelphia flower show: the mix of grand large scale gardens, a wide spectrum of competitive show categories (ranging from desert plants to all manner of small scale landscapes, rock gardens, the famous "niches" (pronounced "nitches" at the show--to rhyme, perhaps, with something else?)

I have been fortunate to have a rather long history with the show: I first judged in the early 1980's--hosted by the show designer at the time (John Kistler)--I shall never forget the day or two we came before the show opened: I couldn't believe they'd ever finish on time...but they always do...the gardens back then were enormous--and occupied a section of the show all to themselves. I remember judging one year when there was a Japanese theme--and they somehow rigged a stream flowing through the whole show! Another time it was an English Cottage Garden theme--and you would have sworn you were in the Cotswolds.

After an interminable Colorado Winter, walking into the Riviera simulacrum in Philadelphia was more than welcome!

The gardens had more hardscape than I remember--but then many small urban gardens benefit from this sort of inspiration.

Not sure what this little taste of Keukenhof has to do with the Riviera--but what the hey!

Now this is what I came for: the competitive classes have been the reason I've come four times over as many decades. This year I judged cacti and succulents (primarily) on March 2 and rock garden plants (primarily) on Thursday the fourth--but we always end up doing more than just our specialty (there are a LOT of entries, and even ten sets of judges are hard put to cover everything). I judged this category for instance (splendiferous, long dangling hanging pots): it was hard to pick!

 I did NOT judge the orchids...

 This was one of innumerable classes of succulents--that division has grown enormously since my first flower show!

I know it's a jade plant, but not just ANY Crassula ovata: this is 'Gollum': a gnarly miniature grown to perfection over a meter high and wide: how they transported it without shattering the stems is beyond me: I managed to persuade Mondays' judges to give it "Best in Show".

A gesneriad class (I didn't judge this, but admired the plants.

I thought of my good friends, Ernie Demarie and Robin Parer--who are both Pelargonium aficionados. I wondered which THEY would have picked as blue ribbon!

I was delighted to see Scilla mitschenkoana looking pretty good: I grow lots of this outside in my garden.

There were many bulb classes, hardy and tender...

Competition in growing Echium and the vivid blue Senecios...

Longwood had a spectacular green wall wrapped around part of their exhibit highlighting their incredible series of Plant Explorations over the last century...

I got a kick noting the expedition I joined Peter Zale in Georgia--in 2018. The vast empty gap of Central Asia will hopefully be featuring a pin soon too...barring certain annoying viruses...

More succulent classes fore and aft...

We judged this wonderful Sinningia: you can see which one got a blue ribbon! A pity we're a bit far away for Tom Lemieux to enter his monster specimen I featured a few years ago...

The Alpine troughs were superb--all three the work of John Ray--a fantastic local grower. Very hard to pick ribons among these! It did get a class commendation--by the way--see the pale blue ribbon!

I would love to have a trough as good as this!

I don't remember so many Amorphophallus in the past. They really smelled foul!

Look at the contrast of pot and flower!

I'm glad I didn't judge THIS class--I would have given them all blues (which is not allowed)

The Clivias were stunning...another class I'm glad I didn't judge...

MORE cacti...

A whole class for just Bowiea!

Near and dear to my heart, the Delaware Valley Chapter (a flagship chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society) staged a gold-medal exhibit with rock garden plants in a wall...and a demonstration of trough building...

With a superb Dionysia in the mix...

I was tickled to see Delosperma sphalmanthoides (which I helped introduce to science and horticulture) feautred prominently...In case you missed it I told the story a few years ago in a blog...check it out!

Two of the designers of the exhibit standing proudly in back (names to be added later when I get the names straight!)

Troughmaking demonstration

Of course there is a Bonsai exhibit--and very crowded at that!

An amazing Philodendron in bloom

Left to right: Kat McColough, Stefan Farage, Mobee Weinstein

 For many of us who volunteer and work at the show, one of the things that brings the greatest reward is getting to know the extraordinary people who work in this field (amateurs and professionals alike). There are hundreds there every day--I was particularly pleased to get to know these three delightful gardeners: Kat maintains the Silver Garden at Longwood (one of my favorite places in that amazing garden). Stefan works in the rock garden at New York Botanical Gardens (another of my favorite spots) and Mobee also works at NYBG. Getting to know these wonderful colleagues is a great boon whenever I come here.

But the color is what we all come to see--I was blown away by the vast arrangements over the arches near the entrance: they're real, really!

And one of my favorite "Riviera" gardens featured succulents...

There is so much: an incredible display of flower arrangements...HUGE ones..

And the niches (remember, pronounced "nitches") are great fun. How can you judge these, honestly?

 A rather classic one.. I've shown you just a fraction: there are endless booths selling all manner of plants, tools you name it--and more gardens and exhibits...you just have to go there....

 I shall end with some orchids--as I'll be visiting both Longwood and New York Botanical gardens which had extraordinary orchid shows at both sites--this is just a foretaste...

My final tip: I know it costs $50 to go to the show. You can just join P.H.S. (a great organization with a fine publication) and get two free tickets to the show! Or maybe you can volunteer...

I spent eight or ten hours last week--and barely saw half the show. And when the judging's done, you can stroll around and second guess the judges (I did)--worth the admission right there!

Thanks, P.H.S. for inviting me!