Over this past weekend, I had a chance to attend the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, as part of a Garden Writers Association meeting. This is my second time at the show, and I really enjoy the colors, the flowers and the great information we garden writers are exposed to. (More on that in future posts.)
Forced daffodil in pot.
But the truth about the gardens at home and garden shows is they are not real. Just like Hollywood starlets did not start out that thin or with that perfectly styled big hair, the flowers at these shows have been manipulated and tarted up. The plants are all in pots and they have been forced to bloom earlier and harder than they normally would with the addition of fertilizer and extra light. By the end of the shows, some look very sad. But to remember their glory, I’m putting up a picture of the flower garden I enjoyed the most, a fantastic collage of tulips.
As Roy Diblik, a very thoughtful nursery owner from Wisconsin noted, “they are entertainers. They’re in some pain out there, but they are putting on a show.”
Yes, but even though I know this, it still somehow makes me feel like my gardens are inadequate. LOL!
Amy