Motivate - Hort Couture

This is the most important part of a garden show because we need to be motivated to incorporate new ideas into our future gardening experiences. 

Many times these regional garden shows are over-the-top and we can't imagine doing anything they display in our gardens.  I felt the Chicago show was a bit more realistic this year with some obvious flights of fancy.

I like all of these ideas for planter boxes but know the ferns cannot take full sun.  House plants are still big this year for outside and this doesn't bother me if you can find them for a reasonable price.  Bromiliads are expensive as are the ferns, maybe extensive use will bring the price down like it has for succulents.

Try to incorporate some sculpture into your garden this year, something homemade, garage sale, found or from one of the outlet stores.  It doesn't have to be expensive to add interest to the garden.

Water plants can be put in small fountains.  I have mine in a smaller area than this, so there is no excuse not to have that pond you have always wanted but lack the room for an in-ground one.

Create a vignette outside (not quite this fancy)

I have a few birdhouses but these were special, modeled after vintage homes.  A birdhouse might be something new for your garden this year!

This is from the "try a new weird plant" this year category.  I do not have room for a plant this big but I hear it is a beauty!

Save all of your old tires for this display?

Some Hort Couture to wear in your garden!

Can you imagine setting a table like this on your patio?

A bedroom to die for!

The above is the bling part of a garden show, but there is a lot of work that goes into executing one of these events and hopefully there is meaning in what the producers are trying to say.

Educate - Hort Couture

To appreciate a garden show, it should educate us in regard to a different way of doing things and this show certainly did that.

A pergola made out of logs

A small garden area accented by a piece of rusty fence

Conifers intermingled with perennials

We don't often think of planting conifers in the midst of a perennial bed.  Usually the evergreens are lined up in the back along the foundation with shrubs and perennials in front.

A class on spring potted arrangements

I love this berm with just about everything, conifers, perennials and shrubs.

The White House Raised beds were depicted in an even more upscale manner.  The garden show organizer actually went to Washington to see the White House Beds.  He was very proud of the fact that he even made them look better!  Raised beds are bigger than ever, and as you can see, can be placed right on the lawn.  I am not sure how easy this would be to mow!

Guess what?  Everything is in rows again, remember we were told to plant in threes and fives in triangle formations not soldiers!

I kind of like the look of these massed rows!  I have nothing planted in rows, just triangles but it looks like they may have incorporated the triangle formation within the rows.