Tis the season, That makes me Jolly!

It' flower show season:
Starting with: The PA Garden Expo will be February 21st through February 23rd. This is a small show and without discounts can be an expense. $8 parking, $10 advance tickets, $13 door. It's so nice to see something Green. Nearly all exhibits are done by commercial landscapers, so there's a lot of hardscape, water features, and really nice plantings. Some years the plantings are a jumble of seasons and may have tropicals added as filler. This years show had more conservative and realistic plantings.http://www.pagardenexpo.org/

Next Friday February 28 starts the PA Garden Show of York and runs through Sunday March 2, 2014. This show seems to get better every year. Advance tickets are $10, with specials $5 at 5PM. Parking is free.http://pagsy.com/

March 1st also begins the 2014 Maryland Home & Garden Show MARYLAND STATE FAIRGROUNDS
TIMONIUM, MARYLAND
March 1 Saturday 10:00am - 9:00pm*
March 2 Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm
March 7 Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm
March 8 Saturday 10:00am - 9:00pm*
March 9 Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Adults $12.00
Seniors (62+) $10.00
Children Ages 6-12 $3.00 Parking is free.
There is also a large craft fair running in another building, By waiting till the second weekend you get a bonus of The Maryland Orchid Society Show & Sale in Horticulture Hall. Which only runs that last weekend.
http://www.mdhomeandgarden.com/spring

Last but definitely not least is the "REALLY BIG SHEW"
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is an annual event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in March. It is the world’s oldest and largest indoor flower show. http://theflowershow.com/show-info
Show Hours
Friday, February 28 (PHS members preview) 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Saturday, March 1 (PHS members preview) 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Saturday, March 1 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 2 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Mon. - Fri., March 3-7 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday, March 8 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 9 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
General admission is $27+1, but many different deals are available
https://secure.interactiveticketing.com/a/376694
Parking is expensive and a free for all.
Holly and I discovered how pleasant it is to go by train.
http://www.patripsbytrain.com/events/philadelphia-flower-show/#.UwjnLc5KY0M
A Duo Pack is available for adults for $60. 2 train tickets, 2 show tickets,Free transportation via SEPTA to Market East Station. We board at Middletown, Pa.(free parking)

A few pics from Harrisburg show:

a few more:

the third pic is a bleeding heart vine?

We lucked out and got 3 free passes to the Harrisburg show, plus $ 10 cash from my next door neighbor, who works for the company that sets up & tears down the carpets, tables, etc, PLUS he got me a FREE Mushroom growing kit from one of the vendors. I entered 5 plants and here they are plus me & BFF Bev Kremen and BFF daughter Loretta Hurley.

Fairy Garden from SKH, Another from SKH, What is this flower? Forgot, very pretty, This statue was more interesting to me than the Bonsai, and finally, a bonsai with cool rock mountains.

Neat little bonsai using ferns; Lovely Landscape; Wouldntcha like to have a wooden bench such as this? Pretty lanterns; very nice rock feature.

Great very large flower on this one; New Helleborus; Although these aren't my faves, included some; The still iifes were musically inclined to go with the show title; Neat fountain features. And that is enough on this end cause I'm tired. Will try to take a bunch at the Phila Flower Show next week.

LOL Judy, I saw your entries but didn't realize that they were yours. Kudos to you. I looked at those sea shells and thought just like Judy makes, but never saw the name. Looks like you and Bev were having a great time. Is that your plant in the 3rd pic, too. I really liked that one, thought it was one of the best plants in the show. Are entering any in the York show this weekend?

Holly, I was going to & I really wanted to But trying to save gas and save my money for the Philly show, but I do plan on attending the herb fest down there in York in April. Yes the Abromeitellia is my baby too and I was so happy it got a first place. Are you taking any plants down to show? I don't even have the categories & Classes. Judy

This message was edited Feb 24, 2014 9:16 PM

Karen Schwartzbauer with her winning succulent wreath. and a better photo of the abromietellia, which is a terrestrial bromeliad.

I am not sure Judy, We had several very nice plants that we were thinking we might enter then we had a problem with the GH heater a month or so ago and had a lot of damage and loss. A couple of my AV's look promising and I have been thinking of cutting some branches not entirely sure what they are looking for. I was out looking at the Black Pussywillow and trying to figure which branches are "good" branches.

Well you will figure it out.

Ric and Judy, thank you for sharing the pics. Lovely!

My mom and I are planning to attend the Maryland Home & Garden Show at Timonium Fairgrounds, next week either Friday night or Sunday. I saw coupons in my local paper for $2 off.

Typ, Gita may have tickets to that!

Terp donated 5 or 6 tickets to be given away at the seed swap, and I think Gita may have picked up the extras that weren't taken.

Thanks, SSG! I'm always looking for a bargain! :)

SS--

I only ended up with 2 tickets--as Ric decided to take the other two as he
thought they may have some friends that wanted to go. What would i do with 4"

Karen--
Well--now I know--but too late. I DO have one extra ticket--it is yours.
I have to bring your seeds from the Swap to you anyway.
I can do either Friday or Saturday. We could meet up--even thought it is
VERY hard to stay together--as everyone has different interest...

But--we could all meet up again for a late lunch somewhere,,,
The "Neptune Diner" is right around there on York Rd...They have awesome food!

Keep in touch re this....G.

Gita we are planing on coming Sunday, if I am able. We would liked to have come earlier but it is the only day we have open.

I will be there sunday morning until lunch maybe longer. Come by the rhododendron stand and visit! I believe we will have displays of different stages of rhododendron seeds.

If anybody coming on Sunday needs tickets give me a heads up asap and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks Gita, looks like Terp's got it covered! :)

My mom and I will probably not be able to get up there till 1pm. Bummer that I will just miss you, Paul.

You're right that it is very tough to meet up. It is SOOO crowded there.

Karen--

Are you saying you do not need the free ticket i have? I was not clear on that.

I could not go on Sunday--as that is my work day.

I'll see how things are--and maybe make it down there on Saturday.
...maybe.....
G.

That's right, Gita. Paul is giving me some. Thank you!

Had lots of fun at the show! Today was the last day of the show and I made a point of asking the people manning the displays if they were selling their display plants. Most of them were selling for $5 per plant (heucheras specifically). Next year I will be going back again on the last day of the show and will bring more cash for these purchases. I was able to pick up one of the Gold Lace Junipers (very big plant in a very big pot) for $18 which I was very happy about. I think I could have gotten 4 Plum Pudding heucheras for that if I had tried. Also got a baby Winterberry Holly for $5 and two mini Iris reticulata for $5.

My son got tons of business cards, magnets, and pens. He was happy!

Usually we spend more time in the orchid show than the garden show. Not this year. I think the petting zoo was a bad addition to the building. :( We kind of rushed through the displays because the building smelled like livestock.

1. A paper flower wreath in the Kindsdene Nursery booth
2. A gorgeous camellia just blooming
3. The display with the Gold Lace juniper that I bought. Tete-a-tete daffodils and Plum Pudding heucheras accent beautifully.
4. Look at those begonias!
5. Coleus, coleus, coleus, Marmalade heuchera

6. A wide view of the show
7-8. The air plant booth, very busy!
9. My boy. :)
10. The mini iris I picked up at Bridenbaugh's booth

Karen---

What a great idea to ask for plants on sale!! I would have never thought of it!

That chartreuse Coleus looks like the one I got cuttings of @ Lowes last year.
It was called "Wasabi Coleus". Fast grower--tall--I bet it would fill in a bed.

I have several growing under lights.. Pinch them off--and they grow again.
You like this color--don't you? It goes with EVERYTHING!

The seeds I gave you from the $ O'Clock "Limelight" will look the same.

Very nice pictures!!! I took a few as well--haven't had time to upload..

G.

Typwc, Thanks so much for posting the pictures. Ric and I really missed seeing this show. What were they thinking putting a petting zoo in the same room with the Orchids. Ric and I started buying after show plants several years ago and have gotten some really nice plants at very good prices. I just love those yellow begonias with the dark leaves. So dramatic. Love the Iris you bought it is a beauty. What a great pic of your son, looks like he is having a great time. I'd love to see more pic;s if you have them.

Holly---

Sorry you missed it....but there will be one again next year...

My eye caught those yellow begonias as well---those were Rieger begonias.

As for the "Petting Zoo"---I know there was a stink in there--but not too offensive to me...
Remember--the building the Orchid Shpow was in IS also the 4H building...
SO--animals had the right to be there..timing may have been off-but the kids and their
goats ans llamas were all there...
G.

Typ, what a deal! All of your pictures are gorgeous. If I remember, I'll try to go on the last day of the show next year.

I love reticulated irises and yours are adorable! Mine are stubbornly slow in coming up.

Gita, the smell of animals wouldn't be offensive to me either. But the Orchids have such a lovely delicate scent I am sure the animal smell overwhelmed them. Plus I remember the Orchid show as a quiet peaceful area with the lovely scent of orchids and just seems that to fill up half the building with noisily animals and kids plus the scent would change the entire experience.

Gita, Yes I also believe the chartreuse coleus was Wasabi. But there is another chartreuse coleus with yellow veins in there too. I have a purple-red coleus carried over from last year that looks like the one in the display but I don't know it's name. It's a very nice coleus too. I really liked the combo with the Marmalade heuchera. The designer did a nice job with the colors.

That's what I like: the combination of the plants for the overall effect. I am not a plant collector and that's why I like annuals.

Holly, glad you liked the pictures. I should be able to come up with another 5-10 pics since you asked. I'll try to get them up tonight.

The petting zoo smell was offensive to me. I guess I should be clear that it wasn't the smell of hay or animals in general, but urine specifically. It smelled like a port-a-potty. I don't think it was a good fit for the orchid show. It may be a 4-H building but it's not what brought me through those doors. I'm not bothered by animal smells at the fair, but the orchid show is different. I sort of forgot the smell after a little while but a day later it's what I think of and not the beautiful orchid displays. and they were beautiful! I only took one picture of the orchids and it didn't turn out well. I regret that. Many of the for sale orchids were picked through so there really wasn't much to see there.

SSG, definitely recommend going on the last day! I got my fix of beautiful displays plus plant shopping PLUS bargaining at the same time! FUN FUN! I love to bargain! You can't be shy, just go ask if they are selling the plants and at what time and how much.

John's Landscaping does the PA York show every year, if you want any of his plants you need to be on a list they start at the beginning of the show. Since they are forced I just put them in the garage to protect them and drag them to the driveway during the day and to water them. I've gotten some great deals usually getting them for wholesale. Most landscapers do not have GHs so it's easy to just sell them.

What's going on????

Twice now--I wrote a post and started adding photos from the Garden Show--
and when I click "send"--it takes me to a screen that says--"Assign tags"....

I went "back'--and tried sending it again--same thing... There is NO "X" to close
this "Tags" screen. Went " back" one more time--but my Post was gone and so were the 5 pictures I had posted. Never seen this screen before--it does seem to belong to DG.
Anyone else have this problem? WHY can I not send my Post and pictures w/o this
coming up?

Problem #2---

I usually keep MAG and also X-Finity-(my e-mail page) links in my bottom tool bar.
Usually--they both sit there--and i can open one or the other to work on it.
The other problem I have now been having for a few days is that--only one of the two
sites is in the tool bar at one time.
If I am done with MAF--and minimize it--it overrides the X-Finity site in my tool bar--
and v v. Then I have to open it all over again to use it. Really odd!
Have I, accidentally, clicked on something? My fingers often his sruff I have
NO idea where it came from...

HELP!!!!!

OK! Now I will add a couple pictures and see if it goes...

edited to say--it went OK...Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

This message was edited Mar 10, 2014 5:39 PM

Will try the Show's pictures now---

1&2--the culprits

OK????????????
Maybe whatever I clicked on in the "Tab Screen" worked...

Continued...

More---

Last one is my DD Aina behind the waterfall....

That's it. G.

Gorgeous pictures, Gita!

This message was edited Mar 10, 2014 7:19 PM

Thanks for the pictures Gita, Oh those orchids are just so beautiful. I have one that I bought at last years show that is getting ready to bloom.

Oh Gita, I'm glad you got the orchid pics!

Here are the others from the show, as promised to Holly:
1. Another border with daffs and azelias
2. A waterfall display. This one was really beautiful and intricate. Lots of little details like moss. Smelled like a real waterfall. :)
3. A wall garden full of sedum. Let me tell you, it was REALLY hard not to pick up the bits of sedum that had fallen on the floor to take home and try to root.
4. A gorgeous anemone in a container with some other plant I couldn't figure out.
5. Another waterfall display

1. Close up of some of the HUGE Daff blooms, the huge flowered kind that I love the most. Poorly composed shot.
2. Witchhazel, very pretty. Need to zoom in to really see the details though.
3. Another pic of those begonias.
4. The only picture I took in the orchid show. Sorry it's blurry. This was what you saw when you came in the front doors. Breathtaking display!