In a Vase on Monday–March 21, 2015

Typically, I wouldn’t cut a native trillium for a vase, but the Trillium cuneatum below (commonly called Sweet Betsy, or sometimes Purple Toadshade) was collected for entry into the horticulture division of a recent flower show and, I’m happy to say, won  first place in the bulb/corm/rhizome/tuber class.  Though its foliage is not quite as turgid as it would be in the field, I’ve loved having the bloom on my windowsill and thought you would enjoy a look too.

First place winner!

This native plant is common across the Upstate in moist woodlands with calcium-rich soils derived from limestone.  On particularly favorable sites, thousands of plants can carpet the forest floor.  Since removing English ivy and other invasive species from our woodland garden over the past five years, the trillium has begun to make a strong comeback.  The area pictured below has nearly 60 blooming plants plus many immature specimens.

Trillium cuneatum in the woodland garden.

Surprisingly, we have not had a frost in Greenville in more than four weeks, but the forecast for tonight calls for a low of 34 degrees F.  Though these trilliums will be fine if there is frost, tender plants which have bloomed or leafed out ahead of schedule, such as azaleas and hydrangeas, might suffer.

To see what other gardeners are offering in a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Tea Anyone?

The Mad Hatter: Have I gone Mad?

Alice: I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

Why didn’t you arrive earlier? The clock says you’re two days late!

Can you believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast?

If you have to be mad as a hatter to attend a tea party like the one featured at the Philadelphia Flower Show, bring on the mercury! This display, created by Petals Lane in their debut year, took the ice cream along with the cake.

Every time I made a loop of the exhibit hall, I ended up at the tea table, not just to see it and photograph it again, but to watch others discover its magic. Twinkling chandeliers, an opulent table, mismatched chairs, touch-me florals, tree-sprouting treasure trunks, and Wonderland Bronze from the Robert James Workshop Ltd in Dorset, England, coalesced into a sumptuous and breathtaking craziness.

Who are YOU? said the caterpillar.

I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.

Curiouser and curiouser!

The pleasure it bestowed wasn’t the exhibit’s only reward. It was honored with the Special Achievement Award for a unique feature or design element, a Special Achievement Award of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania to an exhibit of unusual excellence (under 1,000 sq. feet) in the category of Creativity, and the Phyllis M. Craig Award for the Floral major exhibit demonstrating the best use of color in flowering and/or foliage plants in an innovative or unique design.

How do you know I’m mad? said Alice. You must be, said the cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.

Final Form of Philly Flower Show is “Brilliant!”

I could hardly believe my eyes and ears when I arrived for the PHS Member’s Opening of the Philadelphia Flower Show at 12 noon on Friday. Just 18 hours earlier the 10 acre hall had been a riot of bustling activity and tooting horns, but now every detail was in place and classical music greeted visitors at the Royal Gate.

Grand allee at the opening.

That is, until the clock struck 12 and Big Ben launched into its light and music show, a five minute video montage that roared to life with the Beatles “All We Need is Love,” and then flashed through an animated photo of the Royal Family and a dozen or more British TV and Pop icons from Twiggy to Monty Python. It was just the jolt of energy needed to put a smile on my face and spring in my step.

Good thing, too, as I spent the next 3 and a half hours on my feet, jostling along with thousands of PHS members seeing the exhibits for the first time.

There was plenty to excite. The Philly Show does a fabulous job of juxtaposing all the essential elements, from over-the-top floral displays, to incredible gardens and a myriad of competitive arts. There were juried flower arrangements, mailboxes, window boxes, stylized dresses, and doorway gardens, just to name a few. And Hamilton Horticort, with nearly 6,000 home-grown plants vying for ribbons, was the most impressive horticulture battle I’ve ever witnessed.

Hamilton Horticourt

Surprisingly, my three favorite displays were floral exhibits, not gardens. They included “Proper Hodgepodge” by Robertson’s Flowers, a five-piece roundabout that showcased a 60’s Mod Gala, a Medieval Feast, a Wartime Pottager, a Royal Tea Party, and a Storybook Wedding. I also adored “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” by Petals Lane, and was blown away by “Pure Britain,” a contemporary white wedding by Pure Design.

Royal Tea Party

Contempory White Wedding

I also particularly enjoyed the high school and college displays. It was a thrill to talk to these young horticulturists about their exhibits and to hear their future plans. (More on this topic in a later post.)

Today, the show opens to the public and programs of all kinds begin in earnest. There is both a Designer’s Studio and a Gardener’s Studio within the exhibit hall for hands-on presentations, as well as a handful of nearby lecture rooms for PowerPoint programs.

Sadly, I’ll only see a few of these before it’s time for me the head home. But Philly has been filled with flowers, fun, and friends, and I’m eager to sleep in my own bed for a couple nights before the next big adventure.

Two final notes:
First, I’m sharing additional photos on my Face Book page so join me there if you like. Just friend “Marian StClair” (no punctuation within name).

And finally, if you’re as besotted with the UK as I am, think about joining me on my September trip to Southern England. The tour features the best gardens of the region, including Great Dixter, Sissinghurst, and RHS Wisley, as well as historic sites such as Jane Austen’s House & Museum and Churchill’s Chartwell Estate. Find details here.

September in England is sure to be devine.