Garden show time!

It’s snowing…again!  And, the 10-day forecast has been revised to include night-time temperatures in the low to mid-20’s, which means plants still can’t be moved into the little greenhouse.  Nor can mulch be pulled back, or planting begin.  Sigh!  What’s a gardener to do when she/he can’t garden?  Hop in the car and go to a garden show!  In my case, it was the Indianapolis Flower & Patio show.  While not a grand event, like the Philadelphia Flower Show (my favorite!) or the Chelsea Flower show (elegant, but crowded) or the Hampton Court Show (my second favorite) the Indy show is a worthwhile event, especially at this time of year when the snow blows and every fiber of your being just craves green and blooms.    Wouldn’t this birthday “cake” be perfect for a farmer or rancher?  Livestock tanks filled with flowers, and the top “60” rotated while the candles flickered.  The rest of the booth was brimming with colorful buckets.  I suddenly felt much, much better.  While sadly most of the “landscapes” were more focused on patios and outdoor kitchens than plants, there were a few plantings    to enjoy.  This stone fountain was pretty.  Maybe that’s what I need in my Front Garden Re-Do?    The brilliant forsythia, yellow-trumpeted daffodils and perky blue crocuses were very cheering.  And since none of my hellebores are even budded, seeing these in flower made me hopeful.    I know, the bright orange kalanchoe in the foreground wouldn’t be blooming (or safe outdoors) while the hellebores flower, but with all the recent beastly storms, getting enough plants in bloom trucked in was no doubt a challenge.  I’m willing to give them a pass, aren’t you?  The same applies to this tulip, oxalis combination.    Do purple-leaved shamrocks count for St. Patrick’s Day luck?  And this setting inspired me for Easter.    I’ll show you some close-ups of some of the ideas I’ll copy and more bits of the show when I figure out how to get them off my phone and into this blog, because unfortunately, my camera battery died and I hadn’t brought a back-up.  Technology…it’s a love/hate relationship….