BY SYBILLE C. DENNINGER

I don't know about you but the Boston Flower Show is a much anticipated winter (almost spring!!!) highlight for me every year. And after this horrendously snowy February I practically cannot wait. Luckily it starts in a couple of weeks, on Wednesday, March 11 through Sunday, March 15.

It is such a fun place to enjoy amazing flower creations, from individual arrangements to fabulous garden design ideas. Just to see tulips, daffodils and green leaves for a couple of hours is a huge relief! After my annual Flower Show visit I am always looking forward to setting up my brick patio come May. Below are a couple of shots of last year's displays, along with a picture of my beloved "French Potting Station" (I have no clue what potting stations in France actually look like but doesn't it sound so hoity-toity? Haha)

I found the yellow shabby-chic table at an antique shop in Essex, MA. It must have been a vanity in its past because it came with a matching mirror. It was already painted yellow which I liked, but to prep it for outdoor use I (well, my husband) sprayed it with a clear lacquer. That helped it hold up fairly well despite enthusiastic watering and the elements in general. I usually stop by Wolf Hill Garden Center right here in Gloucester, or Kane's Flower World on Route 114 in Danvers, to get reasonably priced herbs and simple flowers such as lavender, small geraniums and daisies. The center piece every year is a Mandevilla plant, which looks wonderful climbing up the wall and blooming like crazy for months. This year for the first time I tried to bring it through the winter by taking it to a protected area and wrapping it in burlap. I'll let you know how that went once I bring it out of hibernation :-)

http://www.bostonflowershow.com/