It somehow felt fitting that on the morning the Flower Show gets its official send-up, the temperature outside is flirting with 70. At least it seemed that way to me. But no, Sam Lemheney, the show's director, had the opposite view. "I hope it snows!" he said. That way, come March 2, we'll all troop down to the Convention Center in our boots and parkas, starved for the warm, moist, floral blast only those first few steps into the Philadelphia Flower Show can provide.
Ah well. It wasn't the most auspicious beginning to the festivities. A marching band from Camden failed to show this morning. The event's freebies - gumbo and cornbread - seemed a bit early in the day even for journos. And speaking of journos, there weren't many.
But no matter. Jane Pepper stepped up in her bright fuschia blazer, cheery as a tulip, to get things going. The show does sound like fun ... and you know it's a ton of work. Floral chandeliers hanging overhead, "more bromeliads than you've ever seen in your entire life," Sam says. Secret gardens, hidden courtyards, balconies riffing with cascading greenery ... I could deal with this!
And good news for those of you who loved the Celtic Gardens exhibit that ran way with so many honors last year. This was the haunting scene of the chapel ruins. It was one of my favorites. They'll be back, Sam says. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.
Michael Bruce's exhibit will be all hanging stuff with sound pockets to get us dancing! He's a clever fellow. Can't wait to see that. Robertson's, another perennial, is planning an oversized piano room. And the Men's Garden Club is doing a juke joint in a bayou.
I've already interviewed Bob and Karen Lamsback, who're doing the central feature. They're cool cats at the moment, and they pretty much convinced me they'll stay that way throughout. They've organized the set-building, the flower-ordering, the temporary student-workers ... everything's ready to go. I'm curious to see their "rhythm rooms," each with a contemporary design and bold colors.
Which leads me to a resolution. This year, in addition to enjoying the color, scents and sounds of the show, to say nothing of all that shopping, I'm going to try to do what Sam and Jane and Bob and Karen and everyone else is telling me and all the other show-goers: Find new ideas, practical and beautiful, for my garden.
So, come to think of it, let it snow!
