A Guide to Boston's 2012 Flower & Garden Show

Boston Flower Show

Seaport World Trade Center
Boston, MA 02210
Website

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - Sunday March 18, 2012

Hours:

• Wednesday, March 14, 9:00a.m. – 9:00p.m.
• Thursday, March 15, 9:00a.m. – 9:00p.m.
• Friday, March 16, 9:00a.m. – 9:00p.m.
• Saturday, March 17, 9:00a.m. – 9:00p.m.
• Sunday, March 18, 9:00a.m. – 6:00p.m.

Cost: Adults $20; Seniors (65+) $17; Children 6-17 $10; Under 6 Free

*Box Office closes 1 hour prior to the end of the Show each day.

Spring is in the air, well almost. Okay, maybe a little wishful thinking. If you, like me, have spring on the brain, take a trip to this local flower show to kick off the season! This is your guide to Boston's hottest flower show.

Everyone is a-buzz about this year's Boston Flower & Garden Show. Appropriately themed "first impressions" this year's event will surely leave you with just that for the coming season. With over 25 garden displays from innovative landscape geniuses, 48 lectures and demonstrations by super-star garden writers, industry professionals and chefs, 200 vendors with thousands of plants and the newest gardening products, and exciting giveaways there is something for everyone.

What to see & do:

The 2012 Invitational Garden displays are always impressive. This year check out:

•   The 2012 Florist Invitational: Professional florists create over-the-top wearable art. This year's most talked about fashion accessory, the fabulous floral hat, will come to life!
•   The 2012 Invitational Vignettes: This smaller show will express the "First Impressions" theme by asking the exhibitor to decorate his or her hometown's "Welcome to" sign.

Addicted to HGTV? You're not alone! This is your chance to meet an HGTV star! John Gidding, host of Curb Appeal: The Block, will be on hand on Friday, March 16 at 11:30a.m. and again at 2:00p.m., to demonstrate simple garden makeovers.

Be city-garden-chic. Check out of work and into the After Work Urban Gardening Series where the city garden center staff and horticultural non-profits will lead workshops on growing edibles in containers, community gardens and small space gardening.

Are you curb-appeal savvy? Chat with local real estate professionals as they offer landscape tips and estimates on the real value of specific upgrades.

Get the Party Started: Local chefs will transform easily grown produce and herbs into impressive, party-starting appetizers for your next backyard bash. Check out any of these:

• Wednesday, March 14th at 4:00p.m. Sous Vide: The Art of Slow & Low Temp Cooking, by Chef Jayson DeMarco, Bistro 44.
• Friday, March 16th at 4:00 PM Personal Chef, Carloe Murko from Heirloom Meals demos First Bites: Garden-Inspired Nibbles.
• Saturday, March 17th at noon Chef Todd Heberlein, from Wilson Farms will do a cooking demo.

Flaunt your Flower Power In the Floral Competitions: True to tradition the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts coordinate eye-catching competitions for the region's top amateur floral arrangers.

Are you enticed yet? Thought so! Flowers have a way of doing that, but once you heard about the star sitings and awesome demos we knew you'd be hooked.

Lauren is a Boston area transplant trying to figure out life in the city after graduating from art school. Read more of her pursuits on her blog,Packn' Play.