Philadelphia Flower Show - Spectrum of Fire

 There are two more categories of miniature arrangements to show you from this year at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and I think they are both very interesting. If spring continues to refuse to arrive here, you'll continue to see flower show pictures. The title of this class is "Spectrum of Fire." The contestants were provided with an array of materials in January, and they had to use those for the entry. I'll show you the list in a minute, but here is the honorable mention entry.

The judges said the "flash of fire was dramatic," but said there was too much heavy texture, and the mechanics of holding the materials to the niche were a problem.

Here is the collection of things the contestants had to work with. They are: a plastic bottle, grevllea (spider flower), itea seed pod (sweetspire), sweetgum seed pods, grapevine, eryngium (sea holly), umbrella pine cone, and copper wire.

This is third place. The judges liked the bold and vibrant colors and said they interpreted the class well, but they thought there was too much Grevillea. I liked this one a lot if the bottle had been cut more carefully... and OK, maybe added some of the more feathery plants.

Second place was significantly different. The judges said it was imaginative, but didn't think it had good balance and rhythm. I thought the wire was bent poorly.

And first place. Well... it's OK, but I'm not as excited about it as the judges. They said (and I'll quote the whole thing), "exciting and elegant expression of the title, skillfully executed through form, texture and color creating a dynamic rhythm." I agree with most of the artistic critique, but it just doesn't say "fire" to me.

I really need to up my game as far as walking goes, so today I walked to bell practice (and bummed a ride home with someone). That's 8.5 miles. I did it in 2.5 hours, so 17 minutes per mile. All road. Speed is great, but my back is sore and I wasn't even carrying anything except a belt pack. Ugh. My first test/shakedown hike is next week. Need to be doing better. Heading for the heating pad soon.

Miles hiked in 2025: 114.

See PFS- Count Your Lucky Stars