I'm fresh back from Florida, and I've got to tell ya, my heart isn't in this. But plenty of garden-related things are beginning to pop all over Pittsburgh along with the daffodils. Perhaps one of these will help me regain my equilibrium, forget those warm, sandy beaches and boost me off my butt and out into the garden.
In the mood to wander through the historic glass houses at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden? Today is the opening of the Spring Flower Show 2000. The theme this year is "A Splash of Color."
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| Enriching the colors at the Spring Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory is this Tulip 'Barcelona.' (Tony Tye, Post-Gazette) | |
Ellen Speicher, head of horticulture at the conservatory, says this year's show will feature a wider variety of plants than have been seen in the past. Of course, you can expect to see Easter lilies, narcissuses, tulips and hydrangeas. But you'll also see dogwood trees, pansies, caladiums, azaleas and this year's new plant, Osteospermum or Sunscape daisy.
The show, which fills the conservatory in Schenley Park, Oakland, runs through April 23. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays. Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for seniors over 50; $4 for students with ID; $3 for children ages 2 to 12; free for children under 2.
As always, Phipps has many special activities scheduled during the show. Twilight Evenings will be held from Friday to April 23, when the conservatory will stay open until 9 p.m. Every Sunday during the show, classical musicians will perform in Palm Court. Public programs are also scheduled every Saturday and Sunday at noon and 2 p.m. For a list of these or other Phipps activities, call 412-622-6915, ext. 6925.
The Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania is hosting its annual show at the Pittsburgh Garden Place (formerly the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center), in Mellon Park, Shadyside, today and tomorrow. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow.
The theme this year is "A Look Back at Orchids." The event is free and is something I look forward to every year. The Orchid Society does a magnificent job of setting up displays that include hundreds of flowers. These beautiful plants are sure to capture your imagination. If they do, you can buy a few, as vendors will be on hand. Club members also will be ready and willing to answer any questions about orchid culture you might have. So come prepared, you might get hooked.
The Boyce Road Gardeners invite you to join them in growing vegetables by renting a garden spot at the park, just off Route 19 near Boyce Middle School in Upper St. Clair. Garden plots are 40 feet square and rent for $8 a season, plus a $5 membership fee. Register for space on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. in the school and stay to hear a lecture, "Integrated Pest Management," by Sandy Feather, a Penn State Extension agent and Post-Gazette gardening Q&A columnist. For information, call Mary Black at 412-833-0255.
Fans of the PBS series "Victory Garden" will want to attend a lecture by red-suspendered Roger Swain at the Pittsburgh Garden Place on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The lecture is part of the Spring Nature Series held by the Garden Place. Swain, who is a biologist, gardener, writer and storyteller, will discuss "Listening to the Heartbeat of a Garden." Through slides and tapes, Swain will talk about the richness of the acoustic landscape and suggest ways to improve it. Fee is $25 for members; $35 for non-members. Registration is required. Call 412-441-4442 to register.
The Men's Garden Club (which allows all genders) will hold its next meeting at the Potting Shed at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Oakland, at 7 p.m. April 3. A plug sale will be held. Participants can purchase a wide variety of plants suitable for bedding, baskets and vegetable gardens. Because these plants are small, and will require some growing-on, prices will be reasonable. The public is welcome but must call David Amrhein at 412-492-9537 to make arrangements to attend.
Ingomar Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. April 3 in Northland Library, McCandless. After a sack lunch at noon, Charles Anderson of Organics Garden Center on Middle Road will present a lecture, "Organic Gardening With Insects and New Perennials," at 1 p.m. The public is invited. For information, call Alicia Vollmer at 412-492-9029.
The Daffodil and Hosta Society of Western Pennsylvania will sponsor The Western Pennsylvania Daffodil Show 2000 on April 18 and 19 at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Oakland. Entries will be accepted from 7 to 10:30 a.m. April 17. You need not be a member of the club to enter the show. Following judging, the show can be viewed from noon to 9 p.m. on April 18 and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 19. The show is free with Phipps admission.
Susan Banks' e-mail address is sbanks@post-gazette.com.
