Flowers, and succulents, and a British-theme? Had all my cellulite turned to caramel-drizzled brownie, ready to be broken off and consumed, I could not have been more satisfied.
This past week Philadelphia had its big ol' flower show and it was brilliant. We waited for traffic to subside, and then drove to the city of brotherly love on Friday night so we could get up early Saturday to begin our floral wonderland wanderings.
The lighting is bad because it was in the caverns of the convention center, but that enormousness enabled a lot to happen. One of my favorite displays was one that took advantage of the dark and made an eerie alley that twisted the viewer through the bowels of Whitechapel, circa 1888... the place and time of Jack the Ripper. It whispered the question: what grows in the dark? And creepily, a lot of the flowers that were used were not growing at all... but cut and hanging.
Everything else was much more cheerful. Perhaps the cheer being enhanced because of that dark little corner.
There was a county fair-esque area where projects were displayed that had been entered in various themed categories (incorporate a teacup, Lord of the Rings, the Mad Hatter, "painting" using dried flowers, etc.).
Quite a bit of Beatles references, like the Yellow Submarine.
A wall with hanging silver and white plantings called "Fog on the Moors."
The tea party like the one that Alice attended, complete with the guy that was painting some roses red.
Areas where, as my friend said, "If you look close enough you should be able to find a fairy."
A folly-centered garden that would change from day to night and then back again.
Displays that made me wish that I had more indoor space, a bit of outdoor space... and millions of dollars...
The display that won Best in Show for Landscaping was rather ho-hum in my opinion... UNTIL The Sister gave me a quizzical look and pointed out this random painted baby tucked in between the fencing. I don't know why it was there, as it had no connection whatsoever that I could discover, but after spotting it I heartily supported the blue ribbon, just for sheer wtf(reak)?-ness.
I planted these same bulbs the fall I was pregnant with The Girl, when we were living out West (that was a lie; while I was puking my guts out The Dad planted them for me after I ordered them). They came up -- defiant in the still-harsh Nevada Spring -- right before she was born.
She thought, and I agreed, that these flowers looked like they were wearing dresses.
We decided that if we ever had a dog (with his own house), we would definitely plant succulents on the roof. Why doesn't everybody do that???
I could have stayed for a very long time. The moppets were mostly good, but were wholly convinced that we were trying to kill them by starvation. We stopped by the kids room and they did a quick craft, I had my picture taken with the Queen (she looks really happy about it -- we're like that, she and I... just us girls... hanging out...), and then we (my family and I... not the queen... she had to stay) headed across the street to Reading Terminal. The last time we were there I was not well (to say the least), so while I was grateful that I could eat lunch, I was pissed that I was still being messed with. My favorite thing there is Bassetts ice cream, and I could not partake because of these dratted teeth that were fine UNTIL I started going to the dentist. I felt like an old lady begging off because it was too cold for me bloomin' teeth. I really do need to move to England. They are my people.
We went home via Bucks County so the kids could stop and play at one of their favorite parks (actually called Central Park) outside of Doylestown.
Though they had been making snow angels less than 24 hours before, it was a bouncy Spring day... thus the castle was under siege by a million other kids also enjoying the warm weather.
