From The Beautiful To The Bizarre...

It was 70 degrees out on Friday and I still have a ton of snow in my backyard!  Everything still looks dull, dead or dormant.

Melt, already!

Where is my garden??

What to do?  Head on down to the Boston Flower and Garden Show! The Massachusetts Horticultural Society presented five days of colorful displays, vignettes, mini gardens, floral arrangements and the latest in garden supplies.  The theme this year is "A Burst of Color: Celebrating the Container Garden".

The displays were magnificant!  Exotic newcomers, variations of the familiar, and tried and true favorites abound!

Nothing says "Spring" like tulips!  (Photography by R. Palazola)

A cottage in the forest...  (Photography by R. Palazola)

Then there are also displays that make you say "WTF"???  (In "designer speak" that can mean "What's the function?"  "Where's the fabric?"....or not....)

(Photography by R. Palazola)

I can understand the wood carved dead animal skeleton.  It is, after all, made of wood which is a garden material.

(Photography by R. Palazola)

But a lobster body arrangement with fluff inside???  WTF??? 

(Photography by R. Palazola)

Still shaking my head, we wandered over to the next display - beautiful stonework walls.  Got me wondering how they were going to take it apart when the show was over.  Can they salvage the stone?  Is it mortared in the way a wall would be in real life?  Did it come in semi constructed pieces that fit together?  Ok, too much thinking...move on!

One exhibit that offered a great surprise was from New England Reptile & Raptor Exhibits.  A beautiful forest with these very realistic stuffed, mechanical birds...the barn owl moved his head from side to side....the red-tailed hawk looked ahead with a steady gaze...so life-like!  Then the hawk flapped its wings and tried to fly away!  Those birds were real!!  They also had a peregrine falcon, great horned owl, a barred owl and a turkey vulture!

Red tailed hawk - (Photography by R. Palazola)

The Great Horned Owl - Such a cutie! (Photography by R. Palazola)

The Barn Owl - Come on, he looks too perfect to be real!! (Photography by R. Palazola)

Moving along, we encountered pathways...

(Photography by R. Palazola)

A mini waterfall amongst the flora... (Photography by R. Palazola)

and streams...

(Photography by R. Palazola)

Pretty tablescapes....love the pebble surface!

Citrus themed picnic!  (Photography by R. Palazola)

...award winning arrangements....

Leaves as sculpture

and garden hose as sculpture!

It was a wonderful day walking through magical gardens and blooming displays. I've taken away so many ideas for my garden.  Can't wait to start digging in the dirt....if I can find it under all the snow...!

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life". - Carson  (Seen on a plaque at the Boston Flower and Garden Show)