Where comfy.... .... oh wear, oh wear.
should have been written : Wear.

Now if I could only find my shoes to Wear.

At the Boston Garden show, we usually wear boots, snow boots. But fortunately not this year!! Maybe I can even wear my new Toms ballet flats?

I think an iPhone is a must. Not only do you need to take pictures, but then you need to text them to friends, post them on Facebook and pintrest. Its also handy if there is by chance something you need to google.

My favorite part is how my and my friends plants. orchids etc are far better than those that win best in show from the Boston garden club! Oh, and the wine.

I forgot about the snowy weather and ( wincing !) snow boots.
The last time I went to the Boston Show I remember the icy slush and how good of a trooper my grandmother was for wading thru it without losing her Yankee smile.

Speaking of shoes, I strongly recommend closed toe shoes when attending the Chelsea Flower Show. I've never seen such vicious little old ladies weilding their canes.

In Amsterdam , at the Floriade Show , held once every 10 years, I wore my high top hiking boots and shorts. I must of been stoned. It was so friggin hot that day and I got the worst looking sun burn that stopped at my mid calf. I had to walk around the rest of Europe with that stupid neopolitan colored leg look.

For all those 'modern' people; definately an iphone. - good tip !

Extra tips for Chelsea

1. Dress appropriately. Despite the fact that this is almost impossible at least make the effort. You will need: wellington boots and a raincoat and headgear to protect you from the rain and the pointy bits of other peoples umbrellas. You will also need a complete change of clothing for when it stops raining and or when you venture into one of the many sweat lodges where the flowers are. You will need to carry water to replace the sweat and an electrolyte replacement product now that salt tablets are passe. You may also need a waterproof covering for your iphone thingy.

2. You will need to bring a packed lunch (preferably cucumber sandwiches with the crust off and cut into quarters)to avoid paying silly money for silly food.

I may write more later but I am quite exhausted just thinking about it.

Canada Blooms will soon be hitting Toronto (Mid-March or so).

I've been going for the past few years, and there's a been a very noticeable decline in the number and scale of show gardens. Yes, there are still some of the bigger names holding on. However, the number of mid-sized firms doing smaller intimate garden displays has gone down drastically. I'm guessing that in this day and age, there are for more effective ways of finding new customers.

It seems like the balance has been made up exhibitors selling merchandise - items that can actually return a profit immediately, rather than design firms marketing to future prospective clients.

There also seems to be an increase in non-profit organizations and municipal governments (and their respective agencies) getting involved. Perhaps that may be the future of Canada Blooms?

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed such a shift, but I'd be interested to hear others' comments and perceptions.

- Audric

Audric - I've given up going to Canada Blooms I always find it disappointing. I've never seen anything there to inspire me, it's too early to be buying any plants and I haven't found anything else worth buying in the marketplace section.