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Welcome Home! - 2006 Flower Show Theme
Announced
By Hilda M. Morrill
 On April 14, we were honored to have been invited by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (also referred to as the MHS or MassHort), to the 2005 New England Spring Flower Show Awards Ceremonies, which were held at the Society's headquarters at Elm Bank on the Wellesley/Dover line.
The festivities included a cocktail reception followed by a fabulous buffet dinner in the Hunnewell Building, the former carriage house for the original Cheney-Baltzell estate.
Seated at our table were Maureen Horn, MHS Librarian; several members of the New England Bromeliad Society (recipients of an MHS Bronze
Medal for educational information as well as three other awards); Gail L. Burnett (recipient of the 2005 Logee Award in the Amateur Horticulture Competition); and representing the Bonsai Study Group, Sharon Hoffman and Alyce Tangerini (a former Logee Award winner).
In welcoming the assembled guests, Show Director Carolyn Weston compared the floral extravaganza (the third largest on 'the planet'), to a major Broadway theatrical production as far as costs, efforts, time and planning.
The new Executive Director of the Society, Thomas Herrera-Mishler, who joined the organization just six weeks before the Flower Show opened, told the audience that the Show really "gives Boston bragging rights" and how it is "a gift to the region and beyond.' He looks forward to welcoming many new people and members to the Society. "It's your organization, your Flower Show," he added.
Then Ms. Weston made the highly anticipated announcement - the theme for the 2006 Flower Show, which is "Welcome Home! Celebrating Our Great New England Landscape." MassHort anticipates the 'Welcome Home!' theme will attract and inspire 2006 garden exhibitors to create elaborate and beautiful gardens that reflect New England's diversity and traditions. Mr. Herrera-Mishler believes the theme speaks to traditional as well as modern designs and influences.
We sincerely thank Ms. Weston for sharing the following comments regarding the 2006 theme: "The warmth of family and treasured good times are linked closely in our minds and senses with the environments in which we enjoy them. Here in New England, distinctive native plants provide rich backgrounds and focal points for our most beloved surroundings. Outdoor rooms for living have become a hallmark of many modern home gardens, adding enjoyment and comfort to our passion for plants. They create places to greet guests, entertain, dine and cook, moving these common indoor activities into an uncommon landscape setting."
"Native plants deserve to be the main attraction for the important ways in which they serve and protect our gardens. These hardy New Englanders evolved to withstand our rocky soils and harsh winters, presenting us with their unique beauty and charm. Placing each plant in the perfect growing conditions results in a horticultural feng shui, reducing our labor, expense, and pest control while increasing our enjoyment."
"Gardening in America began in New England. Early settlers learned gardening skills from Native Americans, allowing them to survive the early years of settlement. Early gardens featured practical plants for food, healing and trade. As more elaborate gardens developed, they were patterned after the formal patterns people knew in Europe."
"After the colonial and revolutionary periods, New England Gardens reflected the growing Yankee passion for new plants, and ideas, leading to the founding of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society 175 years ago and the development of remarkable gardens and plant collections throughout the region. Elm Bank Estate in Wellesley, now the headquarters and horticultural center for MHS, was an example of the high art of landscape design as practiced by the Olmsted firm. Modern gardens in New England reflect the diversity of cultures and global access to ideas, plants and products in the information age."
"A plethora of new products and plants are adding to the beauty and warmth of our outdoor 'living room' gardens. New colorful outdoor fabrics, modern textiles that withstand the weather, as well as fabulous foliage and flowers invade our outdoor spaces. 'Steppable plants,' stone, and pavers create flooring of distinction and utility. Art, sculpture, plants and ornaments from across New England and the world are the finishing touches."
Now that the theme has been announced, Flower Show participants can begin to brainstorm concepts for their garden designs to be exhibited at the 2006 Show, which will be held March 11-19 at the Bayside Expo Center.
For a complete list of the 2005 New England Spring Flower Show winners, or for more information about the Show or the Society, please visit www.masshort.org.
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