It’s finally here, the first day of the long-awaited Southeastern Flower Show!

spring (and a hint of summer) arrive today at the flower show!

There’s so much to see and do, you’ll want to wear a pair of good walking shoes as you stroll through the many beautiful gardens we have planned for you this year.  Bring your notebook, so you can jot down ideas for your own landscape, container plantings, and floral designs—you’ll find plenty of inspiration and “ah”-inspiring ideas starting today through Sunday.

Hope to see you at the show. I’ll be arriving around 5 P.M. to blog live and make some pictures of the gorgeous flowers, shrubs, and other plants.

Look forward to meeting you!

cheers,

Lynn

your “master blogger” for the flower show

Gardening friends, there’s just one day left, and the 2009 Southeastern Flower Show will open its doors for the 22nd year!

I can’t wait.  Strolling through the fabulous gardens, smelling sweet-scented daffodils and narcissus, learning new ways to grow my favorite plants, and discovering new plants to grow—the flower show is the highlight of the season.

Remember, this year the show is in a new location, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.  Parking is free.

The show opens on Wed., Jan. 28 and it’s packed with things to see and do.  I want to catch Lori Kunkle, owner of Posh Pots, when she speaks from the Demo Stage at 11:30 A.M. on how to make a garden chair (haven’t you seen those old wooden chairs with cane seats, moved outdoors and converted into living flower “pots”?  I want to make one for my own garden.)

magnolia stellata

At 4 P.M. you’ll find Tom Johnson, from Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, on the Home Depot Stage, discussing “Creating the Romantic Garden.”   Magnolia Plantation is located in Charleston, SC, and it’s one of the last large-scale romantic gardens left in the U.S.  Tom says that romantic gardens never use anything that would remind you of everyday life, so he’s the go-to guy for tips on making your own garden lush, glorious, and “ah-inspiring”.   Just in time for Valentine’s Day, too!

Dennis McHugh, from the wonderful Atlanta Bonsai Society, finishes up the list of speakers at 6 P.M., with a workshop from the Demo Stage.  And of course there are many other great speakers and demonstrations on the schedule—these are just a few of the ones I want to see.

Japanese bonsai

Be sure to look for me on Wednesday.  I’ll be blogging live from the show daily, and on Jan. 28, I’ll be there at 5 P.M.  You can’t miss me—I’ll be wearing the straw hat in the picture below.  I’d be happy to sign my book for you, Gardening with Heirloom Seeds, which will be available in the Eagle Eye Bookstore inside the show.

I’d also love to hear your comments about what you’re seeing and enjoying the most.  I’m taking my camera, so I’ll post snapshots of some of the exhibits and displays.

See you at the show!

cheers,

Lynn

“Master Blogger” for the 2009 SE Flower Show

Passion is the flower show’s theme this year, an emotion we usually associate with red.  But did you know that green is the new color for passion?

It is, thanks to the community gardens sprouting up in suburbs, schools, senior centers, and downtown areas.  A community garden is simply a piece of land tended by people who are passionate about helping others.  Although they may keep a portion of their harvest to share among themselves, they also donate their fruits and vegetables to local food banks or soup kitchens.

Want to help?  Fred Conrad is the Community Garden Coordinator for the Atlanta Food Bank, and you can reach him at fred.conrad@acfb.org or call 678.553.5932.

Community gardens help in many ways.  Not only do they feed the hungry, but they also beautify our neighborhoods, encourage fellowship, and preserve green space.  When you join in, you’re not just helping to grow a garden.  You’re helping grow a community.

digging in, to raise a harvest of hope and help

Cheers,
Lynn

Be sure to bring your kids to the flower show on Saturday, Jan. 31.  If you’ve been reading, you already know that storyteller Joyce Revoir will be here at 12 noon, and author Grady Thrasher will spin more tales for the little ones at 5:30 P.M.

Saturday is also the day you can meet the Imaginators. They’re a group of entertainers from the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, and they’ll perform a 20-minute “mini-musical” for students and kids at 2:30 P.M.  The musical, “Georgia Grown,” is all about the plants that provide healthy food for us to eat, and the trees that give us fresh, clean air to breathe.

Hey–you can come even if you’re not a kid!

See you there.

Lynn

author, Gardening with Heirloom Seeds and your “Master Blogger” for the 2009 Southeastern Flower Show

Twilight - time for a discounted ticket, Wed. through Fri., at the flower show.

No, no, no….don’t let this title mislead you. We’re not talking those best-selling vampire books right now.

But we do want you to think about that special time of day known as twilight. Here in Atlanta, it’s good for one thing: getting stuck in traffic.

So why not plan a twilight trip to the flower show on your way home instead?  Join us Wed. through Friday nights (that’s Jan. 28 through Jan. 30) for a special $10 discounted Twilight Ticket. You’ll still find all the wonderful attractions that you’d see during the day, PLUS you’ll enjoy nightly entertainment, speakers, demonstrations, and a cash bar.

So skip the traffic for once, and come relax in our gardens instead.  We promise:  you won’t need to bring any garlic!

Cheers,
Lynn
Your “Master Blogger” for the SE Flower Show

Emily G's jams - try them for a taste of love!

Tired of the same old strawberry jam on your muffins?  The jam-makers at Emily G’s have a treat in store for you:  how about some rhubarb marmalade or chocolate cherry jam?

Emily G’s is a Dunwoody, GA-based company run by two outstanding caterers:  Emily Myers and Gina Bodell (also known as “G”).  They’ll be at the flower show on Sunday, Feb. 1, to tell you all about their delicious “Jams of Love” just in time for Valentine’s Day.

They’ll also be sharing recipes for their unique creations.  For example, try this dish, made with their rhubarb marmalade jam.  You can find this recipe and more by visiting their website, Emily G’s.

Sweet and Spicy Noodle Bowl – recipe by Emily G’s
Makes 2 bowls

1 T. butter
1 T extra virgin olive oil
½ onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
½ c. white wine
1 ½ t. ginger
¾ t. red curry paste
1 ¼ c. reduced fat coconut milk
½ c. chicken stock
½ c. Rhubarb Marmalade Jam
¾lb. pork tenderloin, sliced into thin pieces
¼ c. chopped cilantro
1/3 lb. spaghetti

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to directions. Add onion and garlic to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until softened. Add wine, ginger, and curry paste and reduce for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, stock, and jam. Simmer for 5 minutes whisking to combine. Add pork, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add cilantro, season with salt and pepper.

Using two soup bowls, place ½ the cooked spaghetti on the bottom of each bowl. Fill each bowl with pork and broth. Serve immediately.

Yum!

I’ll see you at the show!

Lynn

your “Master Blogger” for the 2009 Southeastern Flower Show

www.LynnCoulter.com

Are you a flower store owner or employee, or simply a flower-lover?  Whether you’re in the business of selling blooms or just raising them, don’t miss Els Tenunissen when she takes the Home Depot stage at the show on Thursday, Jan. 29.

Thursday is Gardener to Gardener Day, and Els, who is a renowned Dutch floral arranger, can help you become a better floral designer, no matter what your level of expertise.  She’s designed flowers for Royal Wedding of the Crown Prince of Holland, the United Nations, and even the 61st Academy Awards ceremonies.

Plan to attend Els’ demonstration at 3 P.M., and bring your notebook, so you can catch her expert advice and design tips!

cheers,

Lynn

Els Tenunissen, Dutch floral designer and speaker

spring workshop schedule for Faith Flowers

After all this dull, gray winter, don’t you long for a blast of color?  You’ll find it at the flower show when you meet Laura Iarocci and Victoria Denson, of Faith Flowers, and see their floral arranging demo on opening day, Wed., Jan. 28.

Laura and Victoria will appear at 1 P.M. on the Home Depot Stage, where they’ll discuss “Color, Color, Color!” You’ll learn how to make your own bright floral displays as they share tips for finding the best places to buy flower arranging supplies and  the freshest, boldest blossoms in town.

You can see a schedule of spring workshops for Faith Flowers above.  Although our blog space is rather limited (meaning, we wish we could provide a magnifying glass so you could read this lovely brochure), you can find out more, and get a easy-to-read printed schedule, when you visit Victoria and Laura at the show.

Until then, enjoy the brilliant colors in the flowers shown above.   Come see the real thing on Wednesday!

cheers,

Lynn

Quick: see if you know your hot stuff.  Which of these images represents authentic salsa?

The answer, of course, is that all 3 pictures represent salsa.  Salsa is a spicy mix of tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers from Mexcio that makes a delicious addtion to the table.  But it’s also an informal dance style with its roots in the Caribbean. And it even descirbes a kind of Latin music that incorporates jazz, Cuban  big band sounds, and Afro-Carribean rhythms.

At the flower show, salsa means all these things and more. It means a great line-up of entertainment, foods, and floral displays that we’ll have for you on Sat., Jan. 31.

Be sure to catch Chef Alex Palacios, owner of Salsa Havana, when he takes the Home Depot stage that afternoon at 5 P.M. to talk about cooking salsa-style.  At 4:15 P.M., try your fancy footwork to the Latin/jazz  melodies of Cliff and Sei deMarks.

Don’t worry if the weather is cold on Saturday. We’ll be nice and warm in the flower show as we ignite our gardening passions with a little salsa on the side!

cheers,

Lynn

everyone gets lost now and then

My family likes to say that I could get lost inside a paper bag.  That’s their (sort of) nice way of telling me that I’m directionally challenged, and it’s true.  I always need a map to my destination, even when I’ve been there before.

Just in case there are a few more paper bag wanderers out there, I wanted to post the show’s location.  You shouldn’t miss the gorgeous gardens, fabulous floral displays, and exciting speakers just because you don’t take the right turn.

And this is the show’s first year in its new venue, the Cobb Galleria, which is located off I-75 and I-285.  Since the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre has opened in this area, the Galleria is becoming a cultural focus point for NW Atlanta.

Look for the 2009 SE flower show in the Cobb Galler

If you need more information, or want to know about buying tickets ahead of time (and hurry: the last day for a $4 adult discount is Tuesday, Jan. 27), just click here: Southeastern Flower Show At A Glance.

I’ll see you there (because my family bought me a GPS this year.  Thanks, dear ones. )

cheers,

Lynn

“Master Blogger’ for the 22nd SE Flower Show

Lynn Coulter, author of Gardening with Heirloom Seeds