Spring 2012 is now on newsstands!

Events

A   means flower magazine
will be attending or sponsoring the event

  • WHITE SULFUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA–Dorothy Draper School of Decorating: February 26-June 15, 2012
    Enjoy a week at the Greenbrier while attending the Dorothy Draper School of Decorating. A one week course designed and hosted by Carleton Varney will engage each participant in the art of creating personal interiors to enhance the life style of the family. The 2012 dates are: February 26  – March 2; March 25 – 30; April 29 – May 4; June 10 – 15. There is limited enrollment. For additional information review our website: www.dorothydraper.com or contact JKerr@dorothydraper.com
  • ­ROCHESTER, NEW YORK – Lilac Festival: May 11-20, 2012
    Held in Rochester’s Highland Park, the annual Lilac Festival boasts the world’s largest lilac collection, planted by horticulturalist John Dunbar is 1892. All 10 days of the Lilac Festival are full of flowers, music, and food; special events include 5k and 10k races, arts and crafts shows, and the crowning of the Lilac Queen. The festival culminates in the Lilac Parade, where dancers and decorated floats further prove Rochester’s Lilac Festival to be perfect entertainment for the entire family. www.lilacfestival.com 

    • ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour: May 12-13, 2012
    The 28th-annual Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour will benefit the Atlanta Botanical Garden and feature 11 gardens in the area that range from quaint and casual to grand and formal. Tour the city’s finest private gardens, including one with more than 300 types of Japanese maples, one garnished with family heirlooms and sculptures, and one centered around parterres inspired by a famous French estate. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/gardens-connoisseurs

    • SHARON, CONNECTICUT – Trade Secrets: May 19-20, 2012
    Journey to the Connecticut countryside for the 12th annual Trade Secrets garden event, a benefit for Women’s Support Services. Deep in the Litchfield Hills on Lion Rock farm, this antique and rare plant sale begins Saturday, May 19th, and boasts nearly 60 vendors and garden antiques dealers. Visitors will have the opportunity for garden tours May 20th, including that of Trade Secrets’ founder Bunny Williams. This year will feature a special presentation by Marina Marchese, owner of Red Bee Honey, who promotes sustained living through her edible garden. Tickets go on sale April 1st. For more information, visit www.tradesecretsct.com

  • LONDON, ENGLAND – Chelsea Flower Show: May 22-26, 2012
    Every year the Chelsea Royal Hospital’s grounds attract countless admirers, including members of the British royal family, as they come to absorb the beauty of the Chelsea Flower Show. Presented by the Royal Horticultural Society, the event holds such prestige that it often sees the launching of botanical trends and new plant varieties. The ever-popular show gardens, designed by renowned members of the horticultural world, are the centerpiece of the exhibition. Tickets must be purchased in advance, so make plans now to attend this world-famous flower show. www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events
  • GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA – South Carolina Festival of Flowers: June 2-24, 2012South Carolina celebrates the majesty of flowers at its 45th-annual Festival of Flowers. Come experience the perfect mergence of floral beauty and community life through art shows, flowers shows, photography exhibitions, garden tours, concerts, sporting tournaments, and receptions located at various venues throughout the beautiful town of Greenwood. www.scfestivalofflowers.org
  • BARNEGAT BAY, NEW JERSEY – The Seaweeders Garden Club of Bay Head and Mantoloking’s Shore Garden Fantasies: June 18, 2012
    The Seaweeders Garden Club of Bay Head and Mantoloking have themed this year’s annual tour, Shore Garden Fantasies, where attendees will visit local gardens bordering the ocean and Barnegat Bay. Come hop on a trolley and make your way around Bay Head and Mantoloking, two majestic seaside towns that flourish in floral beauty. Dine at the catered luncheon at the yacht club in Mantoloking, shop for unique designs in the area’s boutiques, and select the perfectly propagated plant for your garden from the club’s collection. For tickets and more information, contact emack@aol.com 

    • SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – West Seattle Garden Tour: July 15, 2012
    This year the Seattle area celebrates its 18th-annual West Seattle Garden Tour, themed “The Art of Gardening.” The self-guided tour will feature nine gorgeous residential gardens, one of which won first place in the Pacific Northwest Gardens Competition. Renowned garden enthusiast and author Lorene Edwards Forkner will give a noontime lecture, called “The Handmade Garden,” focused on inspirational profiles of hands-on gardeners and the personality-infused gardens they create. Proceeds from the event support Seattle-based community gardens and other nonprofit organizations that promote horticulture, education, or the arts. www.westseattlegardentour.com