Took this shot as I was driving home from the hospital. Mum's new knee surgery was successful. It was a very long day - we and 6 other patients and their rellies were huddled together at 8:30 a.m. on the 5th floor of the Holland Orthopedic Hospital. We were given hope when the administrator
stormed into the room and paper-worked and braceletted the surgery patients so quickly. However, it wasn't until just before lunch when mum got to change, meet the surgeon, anesthesiologist, various nice nurses Gita and Vera. Mum and I had a good giggle about how nice it was that she wasn't feeling rushed at all. She finally was taken out at 1:00 for nerve block followed by surgery around 3:00 or so. Got a lot of knitting done. Saw her again at 5:15 p.m. She was looking great. At 78 she'll have a lot of hard work ahead of her just to get ready for her next surgery in 3 months time. A good friend of mine from Montreal, Diane told me how our former boss - age 92 - has just had a double by-pass. We may whine about our medical system , but for those of us in large cities in Canada, our parents and friends are very well taken care of.
Managed to make it down to Canada Blooms before I went back to visit the mum. It has moved to a new venue - the Ex - away from the Convention Centre. Which I think is a great thing. The show seemed to be dying in the last few years - the Convention Centre is vast and in each successive year there would be fewer and fewer display gardens - giving you far less for your $$$. The show just seems to have a greater energy this year and is nicely put together. So here are a few snaps -no awards for any of these - just to give you an idea of what was there. Any shot taken without flash was at 1/8 of a second and no tripod - so just give your head a bit of a jiggle and the focus will be perfectly clear.
The Ontario growers association had a nice display and were selling some of their product. Picked up a couple of cyclamen and a brugmansia in a box to replace the one I sacrificed when it became to buggy.
Does this look like a garden display, well no, but if you like to look at home stuff and pretty frivolous purchasable thingies, this was a nice place to browse.
ok, what is this. just dont do this. it is wrong. take their stupid boxes off their head and recyle them then drown big barbie and ken.
This is ParkLane - they don't show up unless you've got $50K to spend. I always enjoy seeing what they've got going on - kind of neat plants and their main feature was an adobe hut. The hut is cut in behind these statues below.
Everywhere Helebore 'Ivory Prince' - spectacular.
From those wonderfully mad designers at Reford Gardens in Quebec - who said old hockey sticks were just for tomatoes?
Trend: get your mother's (grandmother's) old Sterno and set it a blaze and sit back and enjoy. Who knew that the only thing that would remain from the cherished 1950s party events of cigarette smoking, whiskey sours, girdled gals, skinny tied handsome men be the little fuel can under the chaffing dish.
A wine-themed exhibit.
More 'Ivory Prince'
This was my favourite display - City of Toronto. Who says you can't grow veggies in the city?
Nice and tight - not a wasted space.
A lettuce obelisk.
Very pretty.
I'd never seen an ornamental cabbage go to seed.
Oooooo, I just wanted to get out into my garden after I saw this....
But alas, it's too soon. So I'll just fire up the fuel tin and sit on the deck and wait.
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Managed to make it down to Canada Blooms before I went back to visit the mum. It has moved to a new venue - the Ex - away from the Convention Centre. Which I think is a great thing. The show seemed to be dying in the last few years - the Convention Centre is vast and in each successive year there would be fewer and fewer display gardens - giving you far less for your $$$. The show just seems to have a greater energy this year and is nicely put together. So here are a few snaps -no awards for any of these - just to give you an idea of what was there. Any shot taken without flash was at 1/8 of a second and no tripod - so just give your head a bit of a jiggle and the focus will be perfectly clear.
The Ontario growers association had a nice display and were selling some of their product. Picked up a couple of cyclamen and a brugmansia in a box to replace the one I sacrificed when it became to buggy.
Does this look like a garden display, well no, but if you like to look at home stuff and pretty frivolous purchasable thingies, this was a nice place to browse.
ok, what is this. just dont do this. it is wrong. take their stupid boxes off their head and recyle them then drown big barbie and ken.
This is ParkLane - they don't show up unless you've got $50K to spend. I always enjoy seeing what they've got going on - kind of neat plants and their main feature was an adobe hut. The hut is cut in behind these statues below.
Everywhere Helebore 'Ivory Prince' - spectacular.
From those wonderfully mad designers at Reford Gardens in Quebec - who said old hockey sticks were just for tomatoes?
Trend: get your mother's (grandmother's) old Sterno and set it a blaze and sit back and enjoy. Who knew that the only thing that would remain from the cherished 1950s party events of cigarette smoking, whiskey sours, girdled gals, skinny tied handsome men be the little fuel can under the chaffing dish. 
A wine-themed exhibit.
More 'Ivory Prince' 
This was my favourite display - City of Toronto. Who says you can't grow veggies in the city?
Nice and tight - not a wasted space.
A lettuce obelisk.
Very pretty.
I'd never seen an ornamental cabbage go to seed.
Oooooo, I just wanted to get out into my garden after I saw this....
But alas, it's too soon. So I'll just fire up the fuel tin and sit on the deck and wait. 
10 comments:
Barbara, I was there on Wednesday, had mixed feelings. I liked the new venue, everything on the smae floor was easier, but I thought the Marketplace had gone down hill a bit. Starting to seem like those cheesy trade shows, why are they selling jewellery at a garden show, and not a lot of plants to buy. I am always hoping to get something new!
Deborah - I know what you mean. I was hunting about for more plant folks too. Landscape Ontario explained to me that it's the marketplace rentals that pay for the show, so it looks like the slicer and dicer folks are here to stay. B.
Oh how I wish I could see some those plant shows, but we are so far away from anything like that. Guess that's the price we pay for moving to the countryside.
Thank you so much for the photos. I can fantasize being at the show myself through the images.
I was unable to visit the show. Your pics are the next best thing to being there. Although, based on your comments, it seems that I didn't miss much.
Ceara - you're most welcome - it really is a tonic to stroll around and see flowers at this time of year.
Abgg - it's the sort of show that if you're in town and you love flowers, it's a fun show and I think much better than the past few years. Going again today - will take photos of the flower arrangements - although the better photographs would probably be the faces of the people while they're doing the arranging and watching to see who has won the ribbons.
Barbara, The red road to covered heads made no sense. It seems to me that designers get desperate to make some statement or to just get attention! But, it's worth it to see the plants and feel springy. Our show is called Lawn and Garden and there are plenty of mowers and tractors. Nashville loves its lawns!
Glad your mom's surgery went well~~
Gail
How was the rum and real coke?
Gail - it's about the 3rd time I've seen someone do this - and I'm none the wiser. Feel 10x better after seeing all the flowers today - nothing beats the end of March more than a flower show. When I visited Nashville many years ago I was impressed with how gorgeous the lawns were - can imagine what an industry it must be for the nursery and mower folks. And, as you would imagine, the Rum and Real Coke was simply and utterly divine!
Looks interesting Barbara. I'm not sure about some of these designers who are more interested in exotic art than in plants. But to each his own. Best wishes for your Mum.
I don't think I saw Richters Herbs. Must have missed them if they were there. No matter. Made a big order for spearmint, geraniums, they have the largest morning glory seeds and of course some lavender.
They should have had tree seedlings and more conservation, recycling products, water capture, solar, and greenhouse products. Not everything needs to promote the costly floral items and landscaping with massive rocks. Children would love to take a tree seedling home or have some seeds to plant.
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