With its stunning garden exhibits, floral displays, miniatures, individual plant entries, and so much more, the Philadelphia Flower Show is always a delight to the senses – plenty to engage the eye and the nose. But if you know where to look, there’s also plenty to tickle your brain cells as well.
Every day of the show, expert gardeners, designers, bee-keepers, composters, authors, and others give lectures and demonstrations on a wide variety of topics. These are all designed to be of interest to gardeners and plant-lovers of all skill levels. The presentations are offered right on the show floor, at the Gardener’s Studio, and there is no fee to attend.
Here are some of this year’s talks that look interesting to me. I’ve highlighted the ones that focus on sustainability, but there are plenty more on topics such as roses, bulbs, tree-pruning, hollies, stormwater management, maintaining a perennial garden, and more. For the complete list, go to https://theflowershow.com/experiences/presentations.
Saturday, March 11
5 p.m. Birds in Your Garden: Attracting Birds to Your Yard
6 p.m. How to Save the Bees7 p.m. Good Organic Gardening to Prevent Pest Problems
Monday, March 131:00 p.m. Fearless Composting: The Simple Steps to Start Making Compost at Home (No matter where you live)
6:00 p.m. What’s Bugging You: Top 10 Insect Problems
Tuesday, March 14
1 p.m. How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
5 p.m. Great PHS Gold Medal Plants
Gold Medal Plants are selected for their exceptional performance in the mid-Atlantic gardening region.
6 p.m. Postage-Stamp Gardens: Beautiful Places in Small Spaces
Because we don’t all live on large lots or have the time/energy to devote to extensive gardens.
Wednesday, March 15
3 p.m. Resilient Seeds in a Changing Climate
We’ve lost over 80 percent of the genetic diversity of our agricultural crops in the last century. Hear inspirational stories of some of the easiest and most important seeds you can save for your own resilient garden and for future generations.
4 p.m. Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation for Food, Soil Health, and Diversity
Learn how to integrate this permaculture application to your garden and landscape.
Thursday, March 16
3 p.m. Great PHS Gold Medal Plants (see March 14)
5 p.m. The Foodscape Revolution
“Foodscaping” is a sustainable landscape practice that embraces beauty and utility. Learn how pairing edibles in a traditional ornamental landscape increases biodiversity and adds purpose to everyday spaces.
7 p.m. Edible Flower PowerFlowers can be stunning on your dinner plate as well as in your garden.
Friday, March 17
3 p.m. Growing Vegetables Year-Round North of the Mason-Dixon Line
Learn how you can produce your own organic vegetables all year in cold climates.
4 p.m. Roll Out the Monarch Red Carpet!
Learn which milkweed plant is best for your landscape or garden and which other native plants you should include to help monarch butterflies.
Saturday, March 18
4 p.m. Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife
Sunday, March 1911 a.m. Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife
2 p.m. Right Plant, Right Place-Going Native!
What do we need to think about when we build our landscapes to satisfy us and the environment? Can our native plants learn to adapt to our changing environment?
Over the years, it’s been encouraging to see a transition from the Show being mostly about “show,” to it now including – and in many instances showcasing – working more closely with the natural environment. Each year, I notice that more of the presentations are about sustainability in some form, e.g., landscaping with native plants, raising bees, home composting, and backyard vegetable-growing.
The Philadelphia Flower Show runs from March 11 through March 19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Tickets are required. Information at http://theflowershow.com/plan-your-visit/show-info.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pcbaxter@verizon.net, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Join the conversation at “Chester County Roots,” a Facebook page for gardeners in the Delaware Valley. 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.
