Training for the Flower Show

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Originally uploaded by lb_philly.

karenkay is jonesing for some miniature pictures (and so, but less noisily, is clindau), so here are this year's winners -- interior and exterior divisions.

I was up and out of the house a little later than I wanted -- knees hurt like hell this morning and I wasn't on my bike and moving until almost 6:30. I got to the show floor by 6:45 but wound up talking tips and factini with my fellow guides there and then on the tour staging area until my tour of Elderhostel folks pushed off at 8:00. It was a good group, very engaged and very happy to see whatever was there to be seen.

Big news from the show floor today -- the temperamental Himalayan blue poppy, Meconopsis sheldonii 'Lingholm', deigned to unfurl its first bud this morning. The folks at Longwood Gardens weren't at all sure they'd get any blooms. It has been a bad year for forcing because of all the low light levels.

In home gardening news, my first marjoram seedlings showed up two days ago -- minuscule things, smaller than pinheads. I moved the flat to a windowsill and when I have a bit more germination (and have bought gnat-begone spray) I will move them downstairs. A solitary Schlumbergera has opened up an off season bloom, keeping the constant floral display going since early December, hooray for it, and the Nopalxochia has 13 buds in varying stages of development -- one of which is starting to color up just the smallest bit.