You will be transported

to a haven of garden delights.

Under the soft lightscape designed by Jeffrey Haskett, Principal

of Ampersand Design & Production, more than 30 gorgeous horticultural

display gardens will light your way into a beautiful spring and an array

of unique Gardens of New England.. Think dazzling colors. Think sweet

fragrances. Think soil on your fingers. Think gardening pleasure in

abundance...

Lean back and listen to or lean-forward and take notes from

celebrity speakers such as the celebrated international English garden

designer, horticulturist & author Noël Kingsbury who is making the trip

from London to Rhode Island for the show; Roger Swain, New England's

beloved famously knowledgeable and nationally-known gardener, writer and

television host; Paul Tukey, Founding Editor & Publisher of 'People,

Places & Plants' garden magazines and television show; and Lucinda

Brockway, inspiring garden historian, writer, designer and Principal of

Past Designs, a landscape design and preservation firm in Kennebunk,

Maine.

The designers of the display gardens will be on hand to talk

with you about their designs. Alan McLaughlin, two-time People's Choice

Award Winner and owner of Garden Designs of Newport returns to the show

as does winner of the New England Botanical Gardens Award for Best

Creative Design, Mary Beth Miller, Founder and President of Gardening

for Good, a unique national non-profit organization devoted to helping

older adults continue to garden. The perennial show favorite the Rhode

Island Wild Plant Society continues to create spectacular natural New

England gardens; and the Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association,

brings together a host of skilled professionals to create a classic New

England beauty. And with pride the show welcomes the return of Michelle

Sousa, creative designer behind Metamorphosis Design, winner of both the

2004 Exhibitor Award and Design

Creativity Award.

Most folks garden for their own pleasure and their own gardens.

The show offers wonderful opportunities to hone your gardening skills

and gather ideas from experts that you can take home to your garden.

Expand your home gardening horizons with one-of-a-kind demonstrations

and workshops such as those created by Master Chef George Karousos of

the International Institute of Culinary Arts whose delectable and

innovative ways of cooking with the harvest from the garden will take

your breath away; and skilled floral designers such as Sarita Pimentel

of Carlone's Florist in Portsmouth will be on hand to dazzle you with

their design techniques; and Marc Domina of The M.A.D. Horticulturists

will lead you through the design of a fully stocked water garden.

Demonstrations with a subtle difference will be presented - the

horticulture of aromatherapy, creating sacred spaces such as labyrinths

and healing gardens, and gardening bodywork techniques to protect your

most valuable gardening asset - you!

An exciting new innovation this year - a Gardening Lifestyle

Designer Showcase displays an array of styles, products and techniques

to bring the garden into the home and the home into the garden. A

natural extension of a gardening life.

The URI Master Gardeners will be on hand to help and advise and

creative activities have been designed specifically for the children in

the audience. You can stroll the Garden Marketplace to find that

perfect bench, obelisk or planter, search out that elusive plant and

finally buy that book you've had your eye on at the Borders Bookstore.

Storytelling, magic and singing all announce the presence of

children and this year the show happily welcomes back the Southside

Community Land Trust with their ever-creative ways of engaging children

in the garden. Denise Zompa will add to this engagement with her garden

art workshops. And The Ocean State Youth Orchestra Chamber Ensemble

will delight audiences throughout the show.

A very popular feature of the show is the Landscape Designer

Forum sponsored by the RI Chapter of the American Society of Landscape

Architects. Visitors are invited to bring in photographs, plans or just

thoughts of their own backyards and ask the advice of professional

landscape architects.

All are invited to celebrate the opening of Gardens of New

England and sample the delights of the show during an evening preview

hosted by the Friends of Roger Williams Park Botanical Gardens. From

7:00pm to 10:00pm the evening of Wednesday, February 16. You can take

in the entire show in relaxed fashion before the general public arrives

in the morning. Bring friends, stroll the gardens, listen to music,

enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres and dessert, and take a moment to chat

with the garden designers...

All proceeds from The Preview Party will benefit the beloved

Rhode Island landmark The Roger Williams Park Botanical Gardens. For

more information call: 401-785-9450 ext. 219.

What more could you ask from a flower show than more than you

could ask for...

The Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show Dates and Times:

Thursday, February 17 - Saturday, February 19: 10 am - 9 pm

Sunday, February 20: 10am - 6 pm

Ticket Prices:

Adults: $16.00; Seniors & Students: $14.00

Children 6-12: $7.00; Children under 6: Free

Advance, Group and Special Event Tickets are available: $12 for groups

of 20 or more.

Group Tours are most welcome. Please call 401-421-7811 for more

information.

For information on advance tickets please contact Karen Brol:

401-253-0246. Advance tickets are also available for $13 at all RI AAA

locations and currently in some Massachusetts locations.

For directions, hotels and transportation please call: 401-421-7811 or

visit the website: www.flowershow.com

The 2005 Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show welcomes the generous

sponsorhip of WPRI-12/FOX Providence, Coast 93.3 and Talk Radio 920 WHJJ

of Clear Channel Radio, People, Places & Plants, Yankee Magazine, AAA

Travel, Rhode Island Monthly, Inskip Auto Mall.

Click here for more information

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