The best friend on earth of man is the tree: when we use the tree respectfully and economically we have one of the greatest resources of the earth.
– Frank Lloyd Wright
There’s nothing quite like a flower show to get your creativity blooming.
Some are large and grand, while others are more modest affairs. But what they all have in common is the excitement that a new gardening season is about to begin.
We’ve gathered a bouquet of the some of the best garden shows happening across the country in 2019.
Northwest Flower & Garden Show
February 20-24, 2019, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle
This year’s theme for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show is “Gardens of the World.” The second-largest flower show in the country features an acre of display gardens and the most extensive roster of FREE horticulture seminars found anywhere.
Whether you’re a novice gardener, or a well-seasoned veteran, the show’s experts will demonstrate how to create gracious outdoor living spaces and luscious, sustainable gardens. With more than 20 fully landscaped display gardens, 100 free world-class seminars, and thousands of treasures in the marketplaces, you’re sure to find plenty of inspiration. You can even learn how to grow year-round edible gardens, and incorporate sustainable materials and practices into your landscapes.
Tickets may be purchased from the Northwest Flower & Garden Show website.
Nashville Lawn & Garden Show
February 28-March 3, 2019, Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville
Sponsored by the Horticultural Association of Tennessee, the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show is one of the largest garden shows in the South. Interactive, walk-through garden displays from some of Tennessee’s top landscape and gardening companies will cover more than an acre. This year’s theme is “Changing Times, Changing Gardens.”
Expect big things, including hundreds of vendors from 16 states, and a full line-up of seminars. There’s also a floral design gallery, multiple interactive activities for children of all ages, and the ever-popular Tennessee Wine Festival. More than 18,000 people from around the region visit this show each year.
Tickets may be purchased from the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show website.
Boise Flower & Garden Show
March 22-24, 2019, Boise Centre on the Grove
A bit closer to home is the 23rd annual Boise Flower & Garden Show. Here you can shop for everything garden related: Outdoor furniture, sunrooms, tools and garden gadgets, gutter gardens, and orchids. All this amid spectacular display gardens, fun and educational gardening seminars and demonstrations, bonsai displays, and much more.
Don’t forget to visit the Buy Idaho Pavilion, where you can enjoy samples of Idaho-grown food–always a crowd favorite!
Tickets may be purchased from the Boise Flower & Garden Show website.
Dallas Blooms
February 24–April 8, 2019, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Not surprisingly, the biggest floral festival in the Southwest happens in Texas. Dallas Blooms begins in February with more than 500,000 blooming bulbs (think tulips, hyacinths and daffodils). In April, the show finally wraps up with the flowering of more than 3,000 azaleas.
Dallas Blooms is generally more about viewing the dazzling displays than growing them. But interested visitors can check out the arboretum’s Trial Gardens. There you’ll find plenty of tips and information for successful gardening in unpredictable climates.
Tickets may be purchased from the Dallas Blooms website.
Quick Tips for Fully Enjoying a Flower & Garden Show
Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a tote bag to carry all those impulse buys.- Bring a sweater. They usually keep the temperature a little low, to keep the plants and flowers looking their best.
- The best time to take in a show is on a weekday evening. By 4:00 pm most visitors are making their way back home and the crowds are the thinnest.
Many garden clubs, cooperative extensions, and other organizations sponsor day trips to nearby shows, saving you the tiring drive after you’ve been on your feet all day.- Don’t overlook the seminars and demonstrations. You’ll learn a lot and the time spent off your feet will give you a second wind to walk around and learn some more.
Source: The Spruce
San Francisco Flower & Garden Show
March 20-24, 2019, The Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Avenue in Daly City
The third-largest garden show in the nation offers acre upon acre of inspiration, with over 20 full-sized showcase gardens. And five stages offer more than 80 seminars from some of America’s most renowned garden experts.
Show features include:
Rare, unique and drought-tolerant plants
Creative ways to grow an edible garden
Displays from the San Francisco Bonsai Society
“Sproutopia” children’s activities
Backyard paradise display
With a strong commitment to green practices, this show has a policy of using only sustainable flowers.
Tickets may be purchased from the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show website.
The Granddaddy of Them All: Philadelphia Flower Show
March 2-10, 2019, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia
Philadelphia is home to this country’s first horticultural society, founded in 1827. The inaugural Philadelphia Flower Show followed two years later, in 1829. It’s now the world’s largest and longest-running indoor flower show, covering an amazing 33 acres and attracting more than 265,000 people annually.
Attractions include “Butterflies Live!, ” an interactive and educational exhibit featuring native plants that attract butterflies and encourage pollination. More than 1,000 butterflies of 20+ domestic and exotic species are on display here. You even get a chance to feed them!
The show also features:
The Designer’s Studio, where floral designers from around the globe go head-to-head in a fast-paced, fun-filled competition.
The Gardener’s Studio, where gardening experts from across the country share their passion and expertise with flower show visitors.
The Hamilton Horticourt, where visitors can attend horticulture classes and view flower show prize winners.
Guests of the four-legged variety are invited to attend Fido Friday. Check it out:
Tickets may be purchased from the Philadelphia Flower Show website.
Tulip Time
May 4-12, 2019, Holland, Michigan
For eight days in May, the entire town of Holland, Michigan, is transformed into a floral fantasy to celebrate its Dutch heritage. Located on the shores of beautiful Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan, the Holland area boasts more than five million tulips, all bursting in bloom at this time of year. You’ll find them in city parks, at public attractions, and along six miles of Tulip Lanes. This year, they’ll be “painting the town orange.”
Tulip Time festivities include:
A three-day Carnival and Kinder Carnival
The ninth annual Tulip Time Run (5K, 10K, 15K and Kids’ Fun Run)
Three separate parades (a street-scrubbing “Volksparade,” Children’s Parade and Music Parade)
A free vintage baseball game, where the Douglas Dutchers take on the Continental Baseball Club of Kalamazoo
More than 1,000 Dutch dancers performing nightly
Plus, an art party, photo walk, quilt show, Yoga in the Tulips, a wooden shoe display, concerts, and numerous other events. You’ll also have lots of opportunities to purchase the area’s legendary tulip bulbs. Tulip City Tours are offered to help you take it all in.
Tickets for the various events may be purchased from the Tulip Time website.
Sources:
Northwest Flower & Garden Show
