Boston Flower Show 2018: Garden Exhibitor Displays

Boston Flower Show 2018 posts:

*

[For introductory information on the 2018 Boston Flower Show, please check out the Intro post!]

*

On to the 2018 Boston Flower Show displays themselves:

The New England Hosta Society display — “We’re Not Your Grandparents’ Hostas” — was of particular interest to me; there are 3,000-4,000 host varieties registered in the U.S. and the sometimes subtle differences in them fascinate me. The Society’s statement in the show’s booklet states, in part: “[Hostas] transform into an eye-feast of leaf color, variegation, size and form. Savor the colors: green, blue, gold, white. Relish the sizes: from minis to giants. Partake of patterns: variegations, streaks, wavy margins.”

benchpathNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
path to bench, New England Hosta Society display
plantingsNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
hostas with heucheras, rhododendron, hellebores, evergreens, New England Hosta Society display
BlueMouseEarsNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
diminutive ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta, New England Hosta Society display
IslandBreezehostaNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
‘Island Breeze’ hosta, New England Hosta Society display
LunaMothhostaNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
‘Luna Moth’ hosta, New England Hosta Society display
RocketsRedGlarehostaredstemNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
‘Rocket’s Red Glare’ hosta with red stems, New England Hosta Society display
tinytrilliumNewEnglandHostaSocietydisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
tiny (real) trillium with tiny ceramic fairies in the New England Hosta Society display

I am a big shade garden fan; in my ideal garden, about half the land would be flat and in full sun for edibles, the other half with a more varied terrain in part-shade or even deep shade for shade plants, of which hostas, Rodgersia, carex and hakone grasses, bottle gentians, and woodland plants — gingers, ferns, columbines, bloodroot, et al.) — would constitute the lion’s share.

The hosta society offered a very useful handout, A Guide to Hosta; here’s one page from it:

pageNewEnglandHostaSocietybookletMarch2018

*

The Heimlich’s Nurseries (Woburn, MA) display, inspired by a poem written by their grandfather, featured a waterwheel in a pond, lots of trees (as usual for them), some forced shrubs and weeping trees, azaleas/rhodos, heathers, bulbs, and perennials.

pondwaterwheelconiferslandscapeHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
pond, waterwheel, conifers, hyacinths, shrubs – Heimlich’s Nurseries display
treesforsythiaheathersHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
forsythia, hyancinths, heathers, trees, Heimlich’s Nurseries display
pondwaterwheelconifersHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
another view of the pond and waterwheel, Heimlich’s Nurseries display
pinkheathershelleboresbulbsrockHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
array of pink heathers, Heimlich’s Nurseries display
orangeflowersLewisaCotyledonHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
Lewisa cotyledon flowers – a new one for me!, Heimlich’s Nurseries display
helleboreflowersHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
hellebore flowers, Heimlich’s Nurseries display
yellowpinktulipsHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
tulips, Heimlich’s Nurseries display
orangeredtulipHeimlichNurseriesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
orange-red tulip, Heimlich’s Nurseries display

*

Besides the nasturtium water feature mentioned above —

nasturtiumswaterfallwiderMinutemanRegionalVocTechdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018

— the Minuteman Regional High School (Horticulture & Plant Science Dept.; Lexington, MAdisplay — “An Edible Oasis” — also included deutzias (a plant I had in the Maryland garden but that’s not quite hardy enough for NH except in a reliable microclimate), a witch hazel, and some lovely watercolour-hued hyacinths.

DeutziaYukiCherryBlossomshrubMinutemanRegionalVocTechdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
Deutzia x Yuki ‘Cherry Blossom’ – Minuteman Regional HS display
witchhazelshrubMinutemanRegionalVocTechdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
witch hazel – – Minuteman Regional HS display
DelftBluehyacinthlettuceMinutemanRegionalVocTechdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
‘Delft Blue’ hyacinths – – Minuteman Regional HS display

*

Miskovsky Landscaping (Falmouth, MA) & Haskell Nursery (Fairhaven, MA) teamed up for this display, which includes a garden shed with window boxes and a living roof, an outdoor living space with high privacy fencing (a trellis arbor) augmented by bamboo plants, and a combination of interesting tree, shrub (a few topiaries), perennial, bulb, and container plantings.

shedwalkwaytopiaryMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
shed, walkway, topiary – Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display
landscapeshedrhodoMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
shed with landscaping, including rhododendrons – Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display
pinkdogwoodtreeflowersMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
pink dogwood tree flowers, Miskovsky and Haskell display
outdoorlivingroomrockMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
outdoor living room with palm, rock – Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display
shedhyacinthsgrassesroofMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
I like the hyacinths and grasses on the shed roof, though I wonder about the weight — Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display
fencebambooMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
wooden structure around outdoor living area, with bamboo planted alongside — Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display
PJMAgiorhodoMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
‘PJM Agio’ rhododendron – Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display
lilyofvalleyflowerMiskovskyHaskelldisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
lily of the valley in flower – Miskovsky Landscaping & Haskell Nursery display

*

The Joseph Gray Stonework (Stratham, NH) & Pleasant View Gardens (Loudon, NH) display — “Zen Garden” — showcased Gray’s sculpture and stonework and included a sandy zen garden and some pretty “Proven Winner” annuals. Their statement on the Zen garden, in part: “This is a Zen garden discovered in the mountains of Eastern Asia.  It is designed to bring peace and harmony while living in an unsettled world. … The garden allows you to be still with the world, escaping the everyday stress of work, life, and the overload of news from our social media existence.”

stonesculpturelandscapeJosephGrayStoneworkPleasantViewGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
statue, stonework – Joseph Gray Stonework & Pleasant View Gardens display
zengardenJosephGrayStoneworkPleasantViewGardensandArtofSeeddisplaysflowershowBostonMA14March2018
view of zen garden (and other booths) with statue and heron – Joseph Gray Stonework & Pleasant View Gardens display
stoneheronzengardenJosephGrayStoneworkPleasantViewGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
heron in zen garden – Joseph Gray Stonework & Pleasant View Gardens display
BloodorangeNemesiastoneheadsculptureJosephGrayStoneworkPleasantViewGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
I like this ‘Blood orange’ Nemesia, which I had never heard of — it’s an annual in the Proven Winners Sunsatia ™ line — and the sculpted head — Joseph Gray Stonework & Pleasant View Gardens display
turtlestoneJosephGrayStoneworkPleasantViewGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
turtle mosaic in stone – Joseph Gray Stonework & Pleasant View Gardens display

*

The gardenUP (Boston) display — “A Taste of Spring in Form, Function, and Beauty” —  offered four designs: a border garden, privacy planting, foundation planting, and island garden. I didn’t realise that as I was looking and photographing.

benchwalkwayshrubslongviewGardenUpdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
landscape with walkway, bench, trees, shrubs, rosemary – gardenUP display
pinkheathsGardenUpdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
pink heathers against rhodos/azaleas and boxwoods, I think — gardenUP display
redprimulaGardenUpdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
red primula flowers – gardenUP display
plantingsGardenUpdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
plantings – gardenUP display

gardenUP seems to specialise in developing computerised, detailed garden plans like this one:

gardendesignGardenUpBostonflowerShow14March2018

*

Artistic Landscapes‘ display — “Designed with Nature and Function in Mind” — is meant to emphasize “the importance of local harvesting, repurposing and upcycling while creating a gathering space that complements our interests, hobbies and lifestyles.” It includes an edible garden near the serving/prep area (see previous photo of a vertical herb garden); a pergola made from Alaskan yellow cedar from decommissioned high-tension electrical poles; and “zoned, dimmable, color-changing lights that can be controlled from your smartphone.”

patiostructureArtisticLandscapesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
patio with lattice structure, dining table, grill — Artistic Landscapes display
patiotablelogseatsArtisticLandscapesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
closer view of dining table, seating — Artistic Landscapes display
patiotablesettingdishesArtisticLandscapesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
table setting, grill — Artistic Landscapes display
redtulipPinocchioArtisticLandscapesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
Love this red tulip, ‘Pinocchio’ — Artistic Landscapes display
KoreanspiceviburnumArtisticLandscapesdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
close view of a Korean spice viburnum flower bud — Artistic Landscapes display

*

Samantha’s Gardens (Andover, MA), already mentioned a few times in the edible gardening section, titled their display “Backyard Family Retreat”: “Our idea for this garden was derived from a yearning for a new outdoor experience and living area.” They made the most of the display area with a large tipi (teepee), fire pit with s’mores, bee box, and an array of trees, shrubs, and perennials.

teepeelandscapeotterSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
tipi, otter or fisher, landscape, Samantha’s Gardens
teepeeothersideSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
view of tipi and gardens from another side, Samantha’s Gardens
TeepeeelkdesignSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
and tipi from yet another angle, Samantha’s Gardens
EnterTeepeeArchwaybraidedbeaverSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
you walk through the handmade arch along a path to the tipi entrance, Samantha’s Gardens
teepeeentranceinsideSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
looking inside the tipi (Samantha’s Gardens)
teepeesofainteriorSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
seating area in tipi (Samantha’s Gardens)
teepeetabledrumssucculentsSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
desk area in tipi (Samantha’s Gardens)
backyardcampfiremarshmallowsSmoresbenchSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
a little patio with a firepit and s’mores’ fixins (Samantha’s Gardens)
SmoresfixingscampfireSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
mmmm, s’mores! (Samantha’s Gardens)
backyardcampfiremarshmallowsSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
mmm, backyard campfire (Samantha’s Gardens)
TeepeeSmoresSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
wider view of gardens with tipi (Samantha’s Gardens)
BeeYardEtiquetteDontSwatbeesSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
bee box with bee etiquette (Samantha’s Gardens)
DontEvenThinkAboutSwattingBeeYardEtiquetteDontSwatbeesSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
close-up of bee box etiquette – don’t even think about swatting bees! (Samantha’s Gardens)

I like their Carex comens ‘Amazon Mist’ grasses:

CarexComensAmazonMistsedgegrassSamanthasGardensdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018

*

Oakwood Landscape & Construction (Millis, MA) built a patio from some kind of pavers, an imposing stone chimney, patio edging, and a pretty little shed — an outdoor spot that the whole family can enjoy.

chimneystoneworklittlehouseOakwoodLandscapedisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
patio, stonework, chimney, pretty shed – Oakwood Landscape & Construction
patiochairschimneyOakwoodLandscapedisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
patio, chairs, chimney – Oakwood Landscape & Construction
chimneystoneworkconifersOakwoodLandscapedisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
chimney with plantings – Oakwood Landscape & Construction
littlehousesideOakwoodLandscapedisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
side view of pretty shed – Oakwood Landscape & Construction
TomemerginglittlehouseOakwoodLandscapedisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
spouse ducking out of pretty shed – Oakwood Landscape & Construction

*

The New England Carnivorous Plant Society (Dracut, MA), a non-profit group, gave showgoers the opportunity to watch insect-eating plants at work, including pitcher plants, Venus flytraps, sundews — and neon-hued butterworts, as seen below:

butterwortsplantssignCarnivorousPlantsflowershowBostonMA14March2018butterwortssignpitcherplantCarnivorousPlantsflowershowBostonMA14March2018

*

Berry’s Greenhouses (Natick, MA) brought lots of succulents to the party. I enjoyed them.

IMG_5502
succulents – Berry’s Greenhouses
MintChocolateChipsucculentsflowershowBostonMA14March2018
“Mint Chocolate Chip” agave, among other succulents – Berry’s Greenhouses
succulentsflowershowBostonMA14March2018
rectangle of succulents – Berry’s Greenhouses
PineappleExpresssucculentsflowershowBostonMA14March2018
“Pineapple Express” agave, among other succulents – Berry’s Greenhouses

*

Not a garden at all, the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, MA, was nonetheless part of the garden exhibit area, giving out free or discounted tickets to people with children (not us). The booth was decorated with floral displays from the Mass. Florists’ Coalition.

HortonelephantplantarrangementDrSeussMuseumflowershowBostonMA14March2018LoraxfishflowersDrSeussMuseumflowershowBostonMA14March2018greeneggsandhamartDrSeussMuseumflowershowBostonMA14March2018

*

Finally, not in the official guide but certainly a garden exhibit on the floor was Currier Landscaping (Medfield, MA). I was taken by their hellebores.

landscapeCurrierLandscapingdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
formal landscape – Currier Landscaping
helleboreflowersrockbCurrierLandscapingdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
hellebores and rock – Currier Landscaping
helleboreflowersrockCurrierLandscapingdisplayflowershowBostonMA14March2018
hellebore flowers – Currier Landscaping

*

The only photo I took from the Urban Homesteading Pavilion this time was of the goats who weren’t there on Wednesday:

centralMassgoatrentalemptyflowershowBostonMA14March2018

*

All in all, a lovely way to spend a few hours on a cold, snowy winter day.

*

Featured image at top of page: Signage at the Mass Hort Society booth. They sponsor the show and manage some of the competitions (floral design, photography, ikebana, amateur horticultural).

3 comments

Leave a Reply