Pat Sanders (right, in photo), a 25-year volunteer with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, calls the flower show "the most expensive volunteer gig ever." That's because she and the other volunteers end up buying so much. I'm no volunteer but this is getting expensive. Let's see what's in my bag ... two men's ties, two flower notecards, two plastic trays with floral designs on them, a necklace with ceramic blueberries on it ... and that's just from the PHS shop. Help!
Another PHS volunteer, Mary Ann Veneziale (left, in photo), wasn't quite as bad as I was but she did some damage, too: two felt watering cans that hold pencils, for her niece's kids; infant socks for the next baby gift, and a $7 shopping bag with tomatoes all over it. "I'm going to hold on to this till I go to somebody's house. It's a great gift," Mary Ann says. (Come on over anytime!)
I haven't even made it into the big vendors' area yet! I'm doomed.
When they're not shopping, Pat and Mary Ann are signing up new PHS members or renewing memberships. They typically enroll about 600 new members during the show's weeklong run. Way to go, ladies!
As we're chatting, a couple of people drift up to the counter to smell the royal blue hyacinths. They have a smell that spells S-P-R-I-N-G for many gardeners and reminds a lot of us of the old Flower Show days in the civic center in West Philly. You'd come down the escalator to enter the show and that fabulous smell would hit you. I'm seeing a similar effect here, as people enter the exhibit space. You hear, "That smells wonderful!" again and again. It was nice hanging out with Pat and Mary Ann and the hyacinths.
I think I need to go back in there to check out the vendors in proper fashion - I need to get past that PHS shop - and while I'm at it, smell the flowers. Hyacinths and all else.
