Philadelphia Flower Show- A Twist in Time

 This competition at the Philadelphia Flower Show was similar to the one linked below from 2020. In that one, the exhibits were to capture the essence of an Impressionistic painting provided by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society.

This year, they were to interpret a poster provided by the PHS.

This one took honorable mention. The plants materials are aster matsumato, palm spathes and carnation. I tell you this so you can see that you don't have to use a huge variety of plants. The judges liked the proportions and called it "whimsical and playful," but they said it mimicked the poster rather than interpreted it. Whatever.

This one has a long plant list- I won't list them all- just making the point that the idea is to use plant materials... the finished result does not have to look like a flower.

I think this is my favorite one, but the judges said it was out of balance and lacked a strong focal point.

The red ribbon went to this one. It's also right up there in my list of ones I liked. The "industrial" look is great.

The judges liked the use of color. They didn't like that the center cluster was in the center of the circle. Well. I think I agree with that. But I don't understand why this one didn't get cited for mimicry, when the fourth place did. It seems to me they are about equal in that regard.

And here is the blue ribbon. Again, a long plant list. This entry is OK, but it doesn't speak to me.

The judges said it was "robust with easy interpretation of the poster," but they didn't like that the three elements were disconnected from each other.

It seems odd to me that three of the posters are graphic art and one is more realistic. I would think the contest would be more equalized if they were similar styles.

I was pretty productive today, but no walking occurred. It was cold and raw outside, and we've had just enough hints of spring that it makes me want it to be nicer to walk. I did errands and edited, and worked on a couple of my projects.

True confession: I'm wanting it to be nice enough to work on gardens. Now, if I were actually dedicated to that, I'd spend some time removing autumn olive now before I can play in the dirt. I also confess to looking at plants on the internet.

I have to report that I resisted buying the little $40 greenhouse at Aldi. It would probably last 5 minutes in the wind here, and I'm really not starting things from seeds anyway. But it was so cute!

See PFS 2020- Impressionistic

Real Life Window Boxes

 Many of the row houses in Philadelphia take the idea of window boxes and/or planters seriously. It's the only way to have any kind of front garden that anyone except the family can see. Most row houses have some kind of small backyard. A very few have an open deck or railed roof patio toward the front. Of course, the row houses vary from seriously in need of help to the one I showed you on March 1 that is selling for $4 million.

As you will see, there is often some combination of real plant material and plastic/silk. I think this is to be forgiven in the northern climate. People want nice winter decorations that will hold up longer than a few weeks.

This one is a combo, with the red berries and purple eucalyptus leaves being fake. All the greens are real, but cut.

This one seems to be all real except the blue berries.

This is a definite mixture, but I think it's really attractive, and has probably looked good for several months- a nice winter display.

Here's a mixed sidewalk planter that is nice.

The last two are all natural materials. However this first one has cut evergreens that didn't hold up so well. But the living ornamental kale is fantastic!

And this one gets the highest points from me because it is all natural and living material that will tolerate winter. I see boxwood, juniper, some dwarf hemlock or balsam (I think), a sedge, and ornamental kale. Not sure about the red berries.

Urban living is much nicer when there is plant material around. I appreciate that these homeowners took the trouble to add some beauty to their streets.

Today was rainy and nasty here, but I sure can't complain because we didn't get the ice that everyone north of us did. I worked some and fooled around a lot.

See PFS- Window Box and Lamppost

Philadelphia Flower Show- Window Box and Lamp Post

  This was a youth category this year. I'm not sure of the maximum age for participants, but the entrants were a Scout Troop, a high school, a girl's club, a vo-tech school (or whatever they call them now, but in essence that's what it is), a cultural club, and a garden club that I couldn't find out about.

So, you can forgive some of the entries for perhaps not being as "full" as they might have been, since the designers are still learning. The class was "Window Box and Lamp Post" (with a planter). Each entry was to have one predominant color.

I've always liked this category because it seems like a manageable sort of thing an actual normal human could create. The link at the end is to the same category from 2015. (Not all categories are offered every year.) I took a lot of care to put in all the entries because a lot of us would like to have pretty windows or entryways at our homes.

There were two honorable mentions. This is "Youth Horticulture in Bloom." The intent said, "We nourished not just a garden, but our culture." (Latino of some unspecified variety) The judges said, "Tropical feeling, but needed more thought in scale and design of basket."

The other honorable mention had a similar problem. This is by the Scout Troop and is called "Seek Adventure." The intent was more like an ad for Scouting and didn't really say anything about how the plants tied in with that. The judges noted that the plants in the box were not in scale with the size of the box.

Two third places were awarded. One went to the high school. It is called "Shades of Green." The intent says, "the rich shades of green bring a reminder of dappled sunshine on a warm day." The judges really liked the textures, forms and color, but thought the window box needed to be fuller and better arranged.

The other third went to the Searth Garden Club. Their entry is tied to a Japanese folk tale where the lunar god invites a rabbit to live on the moon. The rabbit plants his favorite spring flowers. The judges said the labels were hard to read (not true) and the plants weren't in good condition. I would add that they didn't manage to hang the planter at the best angle to complement the box, and the rabbit should have a different pose with more motion. And there was no coordination of plants between the box and the planter. I think this one could have taken first place if they had managed to tweak a few things.

Here is the planter from a better angle. This was actually my favorite planter on a lamppost from the category.

And look at this stunning Streptocarpus 'Grape Ice!'

Second Place went to "Soeurs du Soliel" (Sisters of the Sun) by the girl's club. They said, "The Mauritanian sunset mirrors a spectacular array of bright flowers." The judges said it was a delicious variety of colors but they didn't like the ordinary plant sticks used to ID the plants. I would add that the design form of the box doesn't match the planter.

They really did a wonderful job with the plant selection. Here's the planter close-up.

Now for the blue ribbon. This is called "Blues for a Greening Future" and is done by the vo-tech students. The intent says, "our classroom and verandah's plants help bring beauty, harmony, and restoration while soothing the soul like a classic blues tune." Yes, that's nice verbiage, and yes, it's a FLOWER show, but tying the plants into the theme counts for something. The judges said, "horticulturally rich and voluptuous design."

Notice, too, that like the lunar rabbit, this exhibit chose to not leave the window blank. I suspect the view through the window is some of their students working in their own greenhouse. It adds depth and meaning. Here is the window box closer. I do think it's interesting that they got the most significant blue in only through use of the plant ID stakes. I was surprised that wasn't mentioned. But... it's definitely a nice entry.

Today I worked on various projects, including reclaiming two drawers of tablecloths and napkins from the mice. Sigh. I rested my back after yesterday, but it's pretty good. I took a very small walk just to keep from getting stiff. Misty rain in the afternoon.

Miles hiked in 2025: 91.

See PFS 2015- Window Boxes

Leitch Bayou

 Cathy and I took a hike today. I'm trying to get in shape for the summer. We did 6.5 miles and I carried 18 pounds. I'm tired but not totally wiped out, so I think this is good.

We started at Sawdust Hole. Of course, it's the gray and brown season, so it's not super spectacular.

We dropped down into Leitch Bayou. This is the spot where I ate my first ever meal on the NCT in (I think) 1991.

This is just a little backwater that the beavers play in from time to time. But I always think it makes a somewhat attractive picture with the Manistee River showing.

We saw three different boats of anglers, but I have no idea what they were fishing for.

We crossed the bayou and climbed back up the bluff on the other side, about 200 feet. Of course, we descended about 100 feet at the beginning, so about 300 total feet of elevation change in each direction. When you get to the top of the climb at the west end of the bayou, you can see the river from the high vantage point. Actually, the low area is where we just climbed up from.

We continued past and over the esker.

Our goal was to hike 3 NCT miles out (plus the spur from the parking) before we turned around. We accomplished that. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to carry the 18 pounds the whole distance, but it all went fine.

Miles hiked in 2025: 90. Hike 100 Challenge: 28.5

North Country Trail, Sawdust Hole, Manistee Co, MI. 3 miles plus spur west and back

See Loren Gets Her 100 Miles

Philadelphia Flower Show - Ikebana

  Ikebana is a Japanese style of flower arrangement with several schools. It is never judged, but is created for pure enjoyment.

Every time I think I understand something about one of the "schools," I find an arrangement that doesn't seem to fit the rules, despite its label.

Well, I THINK the Ohara school is supposed to have a shallow container and otherwise natural components. Here are three examples. I like the first one best.

And a more stylized one:

This one is labeled Ohara, but it does not have a low container, so as always in this art form, I'm confused.

I think my favorite school- of the ones I know anything at all about- is Sogetsu, which is kind of "anything goes." This is a large example.

I would have thought this was more Ohara, but I like it.

This was my favorite Sogetsu.

Just one more, from the Ichiyo school, because I like it too.

I got myself in gear and did quite a few things today that I am supposed to be doing, including a load of laundry dried outside in the sun. And I got the fencing around the rock garden. No walk of any length though. Cathy and I are going for a hike tomorrow.

See Ikebana 2023

Philadelphia Flower Show - Thanks for the Meadow

  This was a spectacular and colorful display at the Flower Show. It's mostly prairie plants, but at a density far beyond what you'd ever find in nature. It was gorgeous, but I was faintly unhappy that it was all cut flowers. The stems were in "vases" made of PVC pipe mounted at an angle on plywood dividers. And these have been forced- these don't all bloom at the same time in nature.

Of course, I loved all the blue!

Orange and pink were well represented. This is pretty much what the long view looked like- just a dense field of color.

One more...

I got my act together today and did quite a lot of work. Also walked to town- 2.5 miles with 20 pounds. But it did not feel good. Have to keep working on this. The snow is finally going away, again. Hope to hang clothes outside tomorrow before we return to winter for the weekend.

Miles hiked in 2025: 83.5

See PFS- Four Not Aloes

Philadelphia Flower Show - Four Not Aloes

 You needn't think that I just know all these spiky plants without help. Ha! Lots of times I can't even tell the genus. Aloe and Agave are particularly hard to tell apart. These four plants are in neither of those genera.

Probably the shapes of the flowers have something to do with the differences. And now that they are DNA testing all the plants, things are being changed all the time. In theory, Aloe branches are fleshy with a soft middle, like the Aloe vera you may grow and break to spread the sap on a burn. But I doubt that some of the aloes I showed yesterday are very soft inside.

This is Dyckia 'Twisted Twirl.' Dyckia are actually not succulents. They are bromeliads. Spanish Moss and Pineapple are also bromeliads. I like this one a lot.

I might have recognized this one as a Gasteria. The leaves are often patterned like this. They get their name from the shape of the flowers which look like little stomachs. I talked about that at Spring in the Kitchen. They can grow in a spiral like this or in a flat sheaf of leaves. This is Gasteria batesiana 'Variegata.'

Here's another one that sure could be mistaken for an Aloe. It's a Mangave, a cross between an Agave and a Manfreda. But, modern taxonomy has eliminated Manfreda and made them all part of Agave anyway. So I guess that makes it just an Agave. Variety is 'Blazing Saddles.' Most agave have spines along the edges of the leaves. This has short ones. It's a nice color.

I had no idea what genus to put this one in when I saw it. Turns out the taxonomists have made a new genus for it and 5 friends. They used to be in the genus Senecio, which was almost as weird a collection of plants as Euphorbia.

Anyway, it is Caputia scaposa.

Here is the plant you may know that has been moved into this new genus with it. This is the former Senecio haworthii, now Caputia haworthii. This picture was taken at Meijer Gardens a few years ago.

Today has been a non-starter. I was tired and groggy all day. I did a few things, went to bell choir practice, and got some groceries. Bleah.

See PFS- Six Aloes

Philadelphia Flower Show - Six Aloes

 You knew we'd eventually get to succulents, right? But with my diminished energy, I had to make choices about what I could see. I skipped the succulent contests and just browsed the Philadelphia Succulent Society display. Their labels are usually accurate and the plants beautifully presented.

They had six wonderful aloe plants that I don't think I've previously seen. That said, there are about 600 species of aloe, and who knows how many varieties.

This is Aloe sp. 'Velociraptor,' and I think you can easily see why!

This one's name doesn't seem as obvious to me, except maybe the spots are suppoed to look like stars. This is Aloe sp. 'Night Sky.'

The one that looks more like a night sky is called 'Blue Hawaii!' The color is unusual and stunning. You know that when I am a millionaire, I'll have a climate-controlled attached greenhouse with an entire succulent garden, right.

I like this one quite a lot too. It's 'Swordfish' for a fairly obvious reason.

'Crimson Dragon' has dragon-like skin.

And this one is 'Blizzard.' It's much more purple than the pictures that come up when you search the internet. But... who knows?

Any search you do for a particular variety of Aloe seems to bring up a wide range of appearances.

In other news: I wrote two articles for publications, and worked on a pet project, accomplishing a new piece of it without too much difficulty! We had at least 2 inches of snow and it was cold. No walking occurred.

See PFS- Don't Call it Trash See Aloe