Garden Inspiration: The Philadelphia Flower Show

We're still working on the new blog and website! In the meantime....

Is the nice weather putting you in the mood to get outside and work in your garden? If so, I have some inspiration for you...

Waaayyyyy back in March, we visited the world famous Philadelphia Flower Show. Everything was so beautiful. It is amazing to think that all of the gardens and even buildings were constructed inside the convention center... you really feel like you are walking outdoors through garden after lovely garden.

This year the theme was English gardens. There were teapots, umbrellas, and Union Jacks everywhere! I loved it.

I have to say that the problem with going to this show is that I come home with way more ideas than I have the time, money, and energy to implement in my own garden. There was inspiration everywhere! Oh, how I wanted to come home and start digging in the dirt immediately!

You can't celebrate Britain without Big Ben:

Or a tribute to the Beatles:

All kinds of English gardens were represented at the show. A formal garden:

A quaint cottage:

A royal garden gate:

Beatrix Potter's garden... perhaps she sat in a garden like this and 

was inspired to write Peter Cottontail??

Jane Austen's garden:

One of my very favorite displays was this Cricket Club. (Remember- all of these displays were built inside the Convention Center building, were displayed for the 8 day show, and then had to be completely dismantled once again!)

Entrance to a "Secret Garden":

 Another of my favorite displays was this simple collection of cloches, glass jars, and concrete containers holding all types of vegetation: potted flowers, cut greenery, vegetables, and succulents:

(Don't you love the giant fern fronds in this cloche?) 

(Who would have thought that rutabagas & turnips planted in concrete containers 

could be so fun and attractive?? I love this!)

Harry Potter themed display:

There were also lots of ideas for fabulous and dramatic tablescapes:

 (In addition to the very large urns full of flowers shown above, there were also smaller arrangements scattered about):

So that is our tour of the Flower Show. This is just a small representation of what was shown there. Truly incredible and inspiring!

Now I must get out into my garden... While it's easy for me to have grand plans, it is usually all I can do to get my existing flower beds weeded and mulched... but it's nice to dream.

If you could have any kind of garden or outdoor feature (such as a fountain, fire pit, etc.) what would you choose? I have been telling my husband for years that I want him to build me a wood-burning pizza oven outside!! I'm still waiting!