Philadelphia Flower Show

You could be forgiven for thinking that I only returned to the US this week to take photos of flowers!  Not so, but if it was the case, I saved the biggest until last!

The Philadelphia Flower Show is huge - one of the biggest in the US and certainly the largest on the East Coast.

We visited it last year when the theme was ‘Holland’.  This year it was ‘The Wonder of Water’.  The showpiece garden over the main entrance represented a rainforest with exotic plants and flowers including many varieties of orchids and protea.

Other gardens had water as their centerpiece or demonstrated how gardens could be created using recycled water or very little water at all.

As last year, there were some beautiful flowering bulbs on display - most of these from a grower based in Stanmore, Middlesex.

More photos to follow!

Inside the Conservatory at Lewis Ginter

The  Conservatory was pleasantly warm in the sunshine.  One of the greenhouses was laid out as a Spring garden and the bulbs there were well advanced.

The Orchid house always has beautiful specimen plants to see..

It was quiet and warm in there and the ideal sunny spot for this little fellow..

Spring at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

This morning was sunny but cold in Richmond and when David went to his meeting I headed to visit the Lewis Ginter gardens to see what was in bloom.

Although only about 3 hours further south some of the trees and plants were quite a bit further on than in Northern Virginia.

Crocus and daffodils in full bloom, the snowdrops were over and the hyacinth just coming out.

There are some well established patches of hellebores.

This tiny flower reminded me of Wood Anemone - but is was labeled as ‘Bloodroot’.

Some beautiful blossom on the trees..

This redbud is flowering quite early.

Plum blossom..

Lovely japonica flowers.

Flowering cherry ‘Snow Showers’






Some lovely reflections in the lake..