Bursting with Color at GardenScape 2002

by Taryn

I have certainly never fancied myself a horticulturist. On the contrary, any detail beyond a flower needing water and sunlight to grow escapes my grasp. I'm amazed by the complexities of simply caring for household plants, so as you can imagine I'm completely baffled by the concept of hybridizing two types of flowers and developing something altogether new. (Basically, if you're reading this thinking "What--they can do that?!" you're about on my level.)

Despite the intimidation factor, I have to admit that, conceptually, gardening and landscaping are appealing pastimes. From the creative challenge of planning, to the meditative labor of maintaining, to the reward of fresh-cut flowers that you've grown yourself, how could a crafty gal like myself not be interested? To satisfy my curiosity about this enigmatic art, I asked Christy to join me in going to Rochester's GardenScape 2002.

"Simple as a flower, and that's a complicated thing..."

Love & Rockets

Every year, over 200 volunteers from the Genesee-Finger Lakes Nursery and Landscape Association and the community come together to organize the event in the Rochester Dome Center. This year, it consisted of 22 gardens (including an interactive children's garden) seminars, and demonstrations--the proceeds of which will go to fund scholarships, public projects, and horticultural education programs.

Now when I say an arena full of gardens, I don't mean little rectangular plots of land with random flowers blossoming; we're talking stone walls, huge water fountains, full-size trees, bench-lined pathways, and over 10,000 flowers. Everywhere you turn there's a fantastic sight. For example, the Zaretsky and Associates exhibit, titled "Sound Garden--a Symphony for the Senses," was a walled English garden incorporating musical instruments, such as a tuba water fountain, a saxophone bursting with flowers, and a harp and violin with colorful fiber-optic strings.

"Sound Garden" by Zaretsky and Associates

The sights and smells were definitely easy to take in, but as far as actually learning the names of flowers and their characteristics, it turns out that Christy was an excellent choice of guide. Her gardening mother has taught her well as evidenced by all the interesting facts she pointed out to me. I played the part of the awed student as she revealed the following tidbits: 1.) miniature versions of flowers and trees can be developed and are called "dwarves"; 2.) despite common vernacular, there's only one T in "Impatiens"; and 3.) you can change the color of your Hydrangeas by altering the acidity of the soil. (Now that's way cooler than HyperColor t-shirts!)

Dwarf tulips and hydrangeas

Then as we traveled through the show we came to the section reserved for the captivating Bonsai Society. I have never seen anything like this-- dwarf Spruce and Elm, bare-root Maples, miniature European Beech forests, and bamboo that was trained to grow in a spiral! What's more is that the International Bonsai Arboretum teaches classes in how to train, prune, and care for bonsai--at very reasonable prices. (Stay tuned to see if one of the crafty gals braves a class in the months to come!)

Bonsai--how do they do it?!

There were also over 70 vendors and artisans in the adjoining hall, where we saw roses made entirely of feathers and all manner of garden adornments including gazing balls and hammocks. A woman named Norma Rudloff had a booth for her Rose Petals, hand-sculpted and framed bread dough roses--now that's crafty!

Overall, GardenScape was truly a feast for the eyes and the imagination. Afterward, the world of gardening seemed a little less intimidating and a lot more creative than I'd first thought. Look for a flower show in your area to get some advanced inspiration by the time spring arrives!

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