Flowering Up In Philly

By Mitch Traphagen

mitch@observernews.net

PHILADELPHIA - The next week or so will bring the peak of the snowbird and tourist season in Florida. Spring break will have sprung and tens of thousands of sun-starved Northerners will descend upon Florida's sun-soaked coasts. For many of those Northerners, the winter of 2003 will be one to remember and one to forget. Simply put, it's been cold, really cold.

Many of the snowbirds in our area have enjoyed their five o'clock smile. That is when they see the weather on the five o'clock news, a smile appears when they see the horrible conditions up north.

The north, however, is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The sun is beginning to peak out and, like bears emerging from their winter hibernation, the people are coming out to see the first signs of spring.

After a particularly harsh northeastern winter, the Philadelphia Flower Show provided a glimpse - and some hope - for the weather weary populace. As if on cue the weather was perfect for the opening of the show - for the first time in what some believed was a lifetime, the temperatures climbed up into the 50's under clear blue skies.

The Philadelphia Flower show is considered to be the largest and most prestigious indoor flower show in the world. Each year more than 300,000 visitors come from around the country and around the world to view more than 100 landscape, floral, artistic and educational displays as well as the 2,500 individual amateur entries.

One of the artistic displays, created by Florida born horticulturist Samia Rose, was the Mexican Cantina and it captivated the crowd at the show. The exhibit consisted of a cantina scene with life-size topiaries - from dancers to gamblers to a sexy lady on the stairs.

Each of the moss and ivy covered sculptures has a plaster mold face of a real person. The project was just over two years in the making, beginning with the metal work of the sculptures. The exhibit, however, left the crowd wondering, "How did they do that?"

Rose, who currently owns a nursery near San Diego has also created large topiary displays for Busch Gardens in Tampa and for Universal Studios in Orlando. The Busch Gardens display, entitled a Victorian Garden Party, involved more than 100 topiary figures and was complete with a life-size horse drawn carriage.

The Philadelphia Flower Show is produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. More than $1 million will be raised through the show and related events that the PHS uses to transform vacant lots into gardens, to restore parks and to plant street trees in the Philadelphia area.

Of course aspiring gardeners don't have to travel to Philly for inspiration. The Tampa Bay area is host to several organizations that produce shows, provide seminars and even provide free trees and other plants.

On Mar. 14-16, the Tampa Federation of Garden Club Circles will hold their Standard Flower Show at the Tampa Garden Center on Bayshore Blvd. The Tampa Federation, which has more than 600 members, places an emphasis on community outreach and education programs. The upcoming show will include a special area focusing on youth gardening. For information call 251-5059.

On Mar. 22-23, the Sarasota Garden Club will present the Symphony of the Season, their 66th annual standard flower show. The event held at the Municipal Auditorium in Sarasota will include a Junior Gardener's area and two educational exhibits. In addition to the show, the SGC also offers workshops throughout the year and plant identification assistance each Friday morning. Plant identification is intended to help people learn what is growing in their yards and how to better care for it. For information call 941-955-0875.

The Garden Club of St. Petersburg will hold their annual Flower Show at Walter Fuller Park on April 26-27. In addition to the flower show the event will also include vendor displays, lectures and even free trees. For information call 727-343-2776.

Finally, the USF Botanical Gardens will present a Butterfly and Herb Fair at the Botanical Gardens in Tampa on June 14-15. This family oriented show and plant sale will include a butterfly tent with more than 1,000 free flying butterflies inside. For information call 974-2329.

Back in Philadelphia, the brief taste of spring with warm temperatures and blue skies, apparently left town along with the flower show. Forecasts for the following week included highs in the 30's, lows in the teens and possible snow flurries. For the snowbirds still enjoying their five o'clock smiles, it may be best to postpone that return trip north for a few extra weeks.