The Boston Flower & Garden Show

On Tuesday I had the kitchen window open while cleaning the house.  It was fifty-four degrees out and the fresh air was wonderful!  So two short days later I can't believe I'm saying this......it's snowing again!  That's why I'm so grateful we made the trek to Boston yesterday to visit the 2014 Boston Flower & Garden Show. 

Longing to dig in the dirt, I can't wait for some fresh and fragrant mulch to be delivered.  I can almost see the wheelbarrow now as it slowly appears from it's snowy abode.  I planted approximately two hundred bulbs last fall and simply can't wait to see them shoot up towards the sun!  The flower show gives us an opportunity to at least dream about the coming weeks.  Spring will be here in just eight days.  We can taste it even though the wind is blowing fiercely and it's the temperature outside of a mid-January day.  Let's revel in the sights and sounds of the warmer weather.  Enjoy the intense color schemes.  Come with me on a trip through the garden....

This display greets us as we enter the show.  The pretty purple hyacinths and white tulips beckon us to come in.

Pussy willows to take home! 

These aren't your mothers' bee hives!  Best Bees will deliver and install bees for you.  They'll also maintain your hive and harvest your honey.  I love this concept.

These fabulous and very creative fish were my favorite garden ornaments at the show.

My geraniums are upstairs in the "garden room" for the winter.  Will they ever look like this again?  I hope so!

A cherry tree in bloom; are we dreaming?

We are in the market for several rain barrels and had a lovely conversation with the woman at the Soak Up the Rain display provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

We just loved the small outdoor vignettes such as this one.

What an adorable topiary puppy.

Breath deep.  Can you smell the ambrosial lily of the valley?

There's nothing like the color of an orchid.

Live doves.  A superb addition to the show.

As soon as the snow melts off of my forsythia, I'm going to cut some and force the blooms indoors. 

There were several pleasing water features at the show.

Hydrangeas in bloom.  Magnificent. 

Romance in the Garden is this year's show theme.  The Garden of Cakes was not to be missed.  Simply elegant.

This exhibit, complete with working locomotive, was ingenious.  We loved it because my husbands' grandfather worked on the New York Central Railroad.

There were opportunities for attendees to participate in floral design classes. 

I put this clever class on my wishlist...a Petals to Paint class!  Design the flower arrangement then paint it on canvas.  What a creative way to spend an afternoon. 

I thought my husband was going to order this on the spot!

 

As educated gardeners, we have to be aware that along with the beauty comes the beast.  It's important to know the facts.

There were several garden sheds available to peruse.  I thought this would make a nice summer "guest room".

Bulbs, roots and pips were available for purchase.

We browsed the flower marketplace before our departure.

The rain had begun to fall upon our exit from the show.  A quick walk from the seaport to Faneuil Hall and we were seated for a cozy lunch at the Union Oyster House.  It was a great day.

The Boston Flower & Garden Show runs through March 16th at the Seaport World Trade Center.

Note - We were given two tiny flower pots with unknown seeds planted in them.  They made the long trip home, but apparently we lost a seed along the way!  Plant Something MA is a new initiative to get more people involved in planting for themselves, their community and their local economy.  

Our seed that grew is lettuce.  Gourmet salad mix according to the Plant Something website.