Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Celebrate America’s parks at the show
I thought that I might skip the Philadelphia Flower Show this year, but when I learned that the theme was going to be America’s National Parks I knew I couldn’t miss it. I have spent some of the best times of my life in various national parks, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to “visit” a few more.
The theme, “Explore America,” ties in with the National Park Service’s 100th Anniversary celebration. It was on Aug. 25, 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the National Park Service. Yellowstone was our first national park, established by an Act signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872.
In addition to highlighting dozens of our beautiful national parks from all around the country, exhibits will also help tell the diverse stories that forged the United States, with displays inspired by our national monuments, including “our own” Independence National Historical Park and Valley Forge National Historical Park. Plant-lovers visiting the show will also discover the range of horticulture in our national parks, including wildflowers, desert plants, coastal flora, meadows, pinelands, and ancient redwoods.
While there’s always plenty to soak in from the main exhibits, I learn a lot from attending some of the Gardener’s Studio expert presentations. These are held right on the show floor and there is no fee to attend.
Here are some of the talks that look interesting to me:
Friday, March 4
12:30 p.m., Veggie Gardening Basics
Saturday, March 5
4 p.m., Trees for Your Yard 5 p.m., All About Bees 7 p.m., Plant THESE for the BEES
6 p.m., Olmsted in the National Parks. Kirk Brown, a colleague of mine (he is a member and current president of the Garden Writers Association) assumes the persona of landscape
In addition to highlighting dozens of our beautiful national parks fromall around the country, exhibits will also help tell the diverse stories that forged the United States.
architect Frederick Law Olmstead, famous for his designs throughout America, including New York City’s Central Park and the grounds surrounding the U.S. Capitol building. Olmstead is possibly less well-known for his vision of Yosemite National Park and for all public lands.
Sunday, March 6
7 p.m., Organic Seed Starting: The Latest Propagation Techniques
Monday, March 7
11 a.m., The Zero Waste Project: Trash Your Trash Can
2 p.m., Compact & Portable: Organic Container Gardening with a Moss Basket
Tuesday, March 8
11 a.m., Garden Myths, Lies, and All the Latest Dirt, Book Signing
3 p.m., Build a Sustainable Ornamental Edible Garden, Book Signing
4 p.m., Beneficial Insects at Work: Changing Growing Practices to Protect Pollinators
5 p.m., Using Wildflowers as Inspiration in the
Garden, Book Signing
6 p.m., Winter Interest Gardening
7 p.m., The Ins and Outs of Self-Watering Containers, Book Signing
Wednesday, March 9
1 p.m., Trees Among Us, Bartlett Tree Experts
4 p.m., The Dirt on Potting Soil
6 p.m., Growing Organic Veggies
Thursday, March 10
11 a.m., Native Plants of the National Parks
4 p.m., Insects: The National Treasure in Our Parks
6 p.m., Mixing Veggies and Flowers in Your Containers
7 p.m., Natural Dyes
Friday, March 11
11 a.m., Let Me Tell You About the Birds and the Trees
2 p.m., There’s Something About Trees
3 p.m., Stormwater Management at Your Home: Rain Barrels, Downspout Planters, etc.
Saturday, March 12
11 a.m., Transforming Discarded Flowers into Handmade Paper
1 p.m., Garden for Wildlife: Attracting Birds, Butterflies and
Other Backyard Wildlife, Book Signing
2 p.m., Right Size Veggie Garden, Book Signing
5 p.m., The Allergy-Free Garden, Book Signing
Sunday, March 13
10 a.m., Young Tree Pruning
11 a.m., Garden for Wildlife: Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife, Book Signing
1 p.m., Planting for Pollinators
The Philadelphia Flower Show runs March 5-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Tickets required. Information at http:// theflowershow.com/ planyour-visit/show-info
Pam Baxter is an organic vegetable gardener in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pcbaxter@verizon.net, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. She invites you to check out “Chester County Roots,” the new Facebook page for Chester County gardeners. Go to Facebook, search for Chester County Roots, and “like” the page. To receive notice of updates, click or hover on “Liked” to set your preferences.