Email
Print
FeedGet it while it’s hot: flower porn in TO
They call it Canada Blooms for a reason. True to (one assumes must be) British models, the annual Toronto garden show is not just about gardens and gardening. It is a true flower show. It is also the largest garden show in Canada.
To see the largest indoor garden show in the world it would be necessary to travel to Philadelphia, a matter involving air travel and hotel reservations. To see the next best thing, one need only travel 90 minutes north of Buffalo. Canada Blooms is the garden show writ large, a tourist event that takes an army of professionals to create. Most garden shows try to create lush blooming spectacles that simulate springtime inside a big room or couple of rooms. None of them succeed, but Canada Blooms is one of the more interesting attempts.
Gardening shows are also meant to showcase the work of landscape designers, florists, growers, nurseries, and everyone who makes or sells anything to do with gardening—and a lot of things that have nothing to do with gardening, like jewelry, clothing, and energy drinks. I am less interesting in the selling part. I come for the flowers and the gardens.
Although the exhibition gardens in Canada Blooms are always attractive and innovative, the elaborate flower displays bring the magic and make the trip to TO worthwhile. This year, there is a pyramid of violas, a wall of daffodils, and, as always, a field of orange tulips in honor of major sponsor Home Depot. There are also at least a dozen tables of arranged orchids, gerberas, freesia, and other fresh blooms. Elsewhere, florists compete to make what can only be called flower sculptures. This being said, there were 2 exhibitions gardens that made me pause: a demo of how vegetable gardens can be landscaped attractively, and a little hobbit-like retreat.
Oh and there’s a large wine garden in the middle of it all. This is the type of garden show Martha Stewart visits—and she will be there Saturday, March 20, 2-2:30 p.m. Canada Blooms runs though Sunday. Visit the site to find out the rest.
