Passion---this year's theme at the flower show

No, friends, you haven’t stumbled onto the cover of a new romance novel, although the guy in this picture does look a lot like Fabio.  This is a poster on display at the flower show, and as you can see, there’s a cut-out where the woman’s face should be.  It’s there so that you can stand behind the poster and look out, while someone on the other side makes your picture.  Voila—you’re the star of a steamy scene.

And while you’re picturing yourself with this Fabio wanna-be, picture yourself here at the flower show, too.  I’ve been here most of the day, and I’m having a blast.

I’d like to extend sincere thanks to some friends who came by to see me as I signed books today at the Eagle Eye Bookstore inside the show:  Monteen, Cathy, Carolyn, Brenda, and Jeff (it was a pleasure to meet you at last).  How fun to see you all, and to see you all enjoying the fabulous flowers and landscapes.

The Eagle Eye booksellers are outstanding, too.  Whatever you are looking for, whether it’s a glossy coffee table book, an herbal handbook, a field guide for birders, or a reference book, Doug Robinson and his knowledgeable staff can steer you to it.  Don’t forget that many fine authors will be signing at the show on Sunday, so check them out.

Kids will also find plenty to do tomorrow, Feb. 1.  At 12:30 P.M., Louise Estabrook comes onboard to tell them about the wonders of worms–and worms are wonderful, when it comes to improving the soil.

At 1:30 P.M. and again at 2:30, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeepers will lead an “Enviroscape” activity for the small fry, to show them where water comes from, how it gets to our homes, and where it goes after it leaves our houses.

At 2 P.M., the Imaginators take the stage to perform “Georgia Grown,” a mini-musical.

Don’t miss children’s author Joyce Revoir at 3 P.M., as she spins stories for kids and helps them make a craft.

The show closes at 4 on Sunday.  But don’t worry–you still have an entire day to take it all in.

For today, I’ll leave you with a few more pictures I snapped:

Don't miss the designs created by Dutch floral arranger Els Teunissen

an Eco-Brite display showing how to collect rainwater run-off from your roof in a storage barrel

hydrangeas in a landscape setting

More to come!  Check back here on Sunday!

Lynn

We admit, we’re a little nosy here at the 2009 flower show.  What are you passionate about?

C’mon, you can tell us.  After all, the theme for the show is Passion:  How Do You Bloom?, and there’s no wrong answer to the question.

Passion is for…

• Flowers
• Gardening
• Life well-lived
• Garden parties
• Sharing with friends and family
• Simple pleasures
• Healthy food
• Environmental stewardship
• Nature
• Fun

As you might guess from the photos I posted above, I’m crazy-passionate about wildflowers.  I saw the dwarf crested iris and yellow trilliums on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, and I’ve wanted to go back ever since.  Spring would be a great time, when the rhododendrons are blooming.   But even if I don’t make it back to the mountains this year, I know the flower show will be filled with blooms, shrubs, trees, and every kind of garden and landscape feature you can image.

Remember, you can win a beautiful 2009 gardening calendar, absolutely free, by telling us what you’re passionate about.  Just send us a comment.   Don’t feel like writing?  That’s okay, too.  A picture is worth a 1,000 words, so you can send us an image of your favorite flower, garden party, houseplant, fruit, veggie, or…you get the idea.  We’ll pick the three best entries received by Jan. 21, and send those lucky gardeners a calendar.

green blessings!

Lynn

Red, the color of passion

Passion.

What does the word conjure up for you?

To me, it means feelings of intense emotion, like love, desire, devotion, and excitement.

Gardeners are usually passionate people, and often we fixate on something special.  Maybe your passion is a rose with petals the color of a tropical sunset, all mango and gold and flaming red.  Maybe you’re crazy about a bed of sunny daffodils in your yard, or a stately, Aromatic cedar tree, or a trellis filled with moonflower vines whose creamy-white flowers unfold each night after dark.

This year, the theme of the 22nd Southeastern Flower Show is Passion!  How do you bloom?  As the weeks go by, we hope you really will tell us how you bloom, and where your passions lie.  Soon we’ll set up a link so you can submit pictures from the plants you love to grow, and we’ll select the best of them to post online.

As the worker bees keep buzzing behind the flower show scenes, building exhibits, sketching designs, and growing the fabulous plants you’ll see next January and February, remember to keep sharing your passions with us.

Tell us about your green thumb, or about the uncooperative plants that make you want to throw away your hoe in despair.  Let us know how you’re teaching your kids or your class about organic practices and conservation and “living green.”  And please, somebody tell us how to use or get rid of all that extra zucchini that grows in the vegetable patch each summer!

As we post more information about the upcoming show, we’re looking forward to having a great dialogue with you. In fact, we’re passionate about it!

Lynn