Quite a few members of our club spend the winter away from Charlevoix – typically in a warmer climate. Even those who are full time residents of Northern Michigan find they need a winter break from the snow and cold. For gardeners, it’s revitalizing to see plants growing and blooming during this time of year.
During the first week of March, before astronomical spring began, I took a trip to the Brandywine Valley area of Delaware and Pennsylvania. This area, which includes Philadelphia (known as “America’s Garden Capital”) has more public gardens than anywhere else in the country. Less than a 30 minute drive from Philadelphia are the magnificent landscapes and greenhouses on former du Pont estates (Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, Nemours, and the Hagley Museum). Bartram’s Garden (the oldest botanic garden in the United States) is within Philadelphia’s city limits and John Bartram’s original house, dating from 1728 still stands along with his garden and greenhouse. The more than 30 area gardens also include well-known arboretums (Morris Arboretum, Scott Arboretum) and native gardens (Mt. Cuba Center and Stoneleigh).
Even in the mid-Atlantic area, gardens are not in full bloom in early March, but there are certainly signs of spring – such as a lawn covered by crocus at Winterthur and Galanthus popping up everywhere. Estates such as Longwood have enormous conservatories – where colorful blooms are in view all year long.
The focus of my visit (as it has been annually for quite a few years) was the Philadelphia Flower Show. If you have never attended the show, I can’t recommend it enough. The Show is both the nation's largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event. It began in 1829 and features stunning displays by premier floral and landscape designers from around the world. In addition to acres of garden displays (all inside the Philadelphia Convention Center), the Flower Show hosts competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations.
This year the theme for the show was “Gardens of Tomorrow”. The organizers hoped that the theme would be an invitation to envision a future where our actions today nurture a healthier planet. Conservation-themed displays were definitely on view at the show, as well as a lot of very “futuristic” looking vignettes. Many displays prominently featured native plants. One that I found most impressive was a pine forest featuring an arrangement of moss – highlighting its usefulness as a means of carbon sequestration.
With April here, and armed with all of this gardening inspiration, I am ready to get to work! I just hope nature provides us with some garden-friendly spring weather.
By: CACG Member, Beth Cowie
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