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2008 Spring Flower Shows

February 9-10: 17th Annual New Hampshire Orchid Show and Sale at the Radisson in Nashua. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for seniors, and kids 12 and under are free - which I like. Why not bring your children, and get them interested in growing orchids? Some are very easy to grow indoors, and there will be inexpensive starter orchids for sale. For directions and more information, go to http://www.nhorchids.org.

February 21-24: The 15th Annual Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show at Rhode Island Convention Center in downtown Providence. The theme this year is "Fairy Tales", which sounds kid-friendly. Tickets cost $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $7 for children ages 6 to 12. For more info call 4(01) 272-0980 or go to http://www.flowershow.com.

Feb 21-24: This also the weekend for Connecticut Flower and Garden Show at the Convention Center in Hartford, CT. The theme this year is "Once Upon a Time". This a big show, with over 80 hours of seminars and demonstrations. It costs $14 for adults, and only $2 for kids. For more info go to Http://www.ctflowershow.com or call (860) 844-8461

February 29-March 2, 2008: The Flower and Patio Show in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center. Although I admit to a certain skepticism about anything touting itself as a flower and PATIO show, I know that Worcester has always been a hotbed for flower enthusiasts, and have wanted to attend this show for years. Tickets are just $8, and kids 12 and under are free. For more info call (800) 533-0229 or go to http://www.centralmaflowershow.com

March 1-14: The Annual Spring Flower Show at Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden in South Hadley, MA. This horticultural event will showcase hundreds of spring-blossoming bulbs and plants, which will be displayed in the main Show House. And it's free! For more info call (413) 538-2116 or go to http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/botan/greenhouse/show/index.shtml

March 2-9: Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. This is America's biggest flower show. Ticket prices range from $24-28 for adults, $13 for kids. For more info go to www.theflowershow.com or call (215) 988-8800.

March 6-9: Portland, Maine Spring Flower Show at the Waterfront Complex. This event is a fundraiser for a non-profit organization that helps people of all ages with developmental difficulties. Adults are $15, seniors over 65 get in for $11, and children under 12 are fee with an adult. It looks like lots to do for kids, from a daily scavenger hunt to puppet shows on Sunday morning. For more info go to http://www.portlandcompany.com/flower/index.html or call (207) 775-4403.

March 8-16: The New England Spring Flower Show, a.k.a The Boston Flower Show. This is the Grandaddy of New England Shows, a must-see for all gardeners - at least once. It is held at Bayside Expo Center, Boston. As many as 40 fully landscaped gardens are at the heart of this show, with 5 acres of gardens. Some 200 vendors will be selling whatever you need, and lots more that you don't - but may want! The theme this year is Rhapsody in Green, focusing on environmentally sound gardening techniques. Admission is pricey: $20 for adults, $17 over 65, students (with I.D.) $12, and kids 4-12 are $10. Or you can join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for $50 and get 2 free tickets, and be allowed in the show before the throngs arrive - it's open to members only from 7-10AM each day. For more info go to http://www.masshort.org/ .

March 15-16: Floribunda Flower Show and Sale at Tracy Hall in Norwich, VT. This is a lovely local flower show features 20 or so vendors of plants and plant accessories to raise money for the Norwich Community Project Fund. Admission is just $5 for adults, and children 12 and under are free (with an adult). Open 9:30 to 5pm on Saturday, 10-2 on Sunday. Don't miss it! For further information contact: Mindy Penny (802) 649-2169 or dmpenny2@comcast.net.

March 28-30: Seacoast Home, Garden and Flower Show at the Whittemore Arena at UNH in Durham. This has a heavy emphasis on cooking and home décor. For more info go to http://www.dicksonandmcgonigle.com.

April 4-6: Bangor Flower Show at Bass Park Civic Center in Bangor, ME. The theme this year is "Your Back Yard - Where Imagination Grows". Adults are $10, and kids 12 and under are free with an adult. For more info e-mail bangor.beautiful@bangormaine.gov.

May 20-24: Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show in London, England. Sigh. Never been there, done that, but I hear it's great, the ultimate show. Many of the exhibits are outdoors. Tickets for a day cost $82, or $36-46 for the afternoon. For more info go to http://www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/events/chelsea2008.htm. Let me know if you go.

Lastly, two of my favorite shows will not be happening this year: The Vermont Flower Show decided to have a bang-up show every other year, which makes sense for an all-volunteer show. The Keene, NH flower show, another all-volunteer event, has been discontinued permanently.

So get out of the winter doldrums, and plan on visiting a flower show. Maybe I'll see you there!

Henry Homeyer's new book is the Vermont Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Green Mountain State. His Web site is www.Gardening-Guy.com.