Maeve Schulz lives life to the fullest. And she wants everyone else to as well.

A former Cincinnati Horticultural Society employee and current resident of Southern California, Schulz was working on a unique project for her current employer when she saw what she refers to as a collection of “magnificent props”: giant teacups, cake plates, cookie trays, watering cans and more. She became curious as to their fate once the commercial they were created for was done filming. It took a handful of phone calls for her to learn the ugly truth: The props were destined for the dumpster.

“Just living is not enough
One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”                                                                                                         
Hans Christian Andersen

Of course, Schulz, a perennial design favorite of Flower Show fans, saw potential in the props. And even though she would find that to bring her vision into fruition she would have to jump through almost countless more hoops, she was inspired!

Her Grand Marquee garden will be called “Just Living is Not Enough.”

“The garden should make everyone feel happy,” she says. “Life passes by too fast to not enjoy small moments that were created by letting loose and going big!”

But before Schulz could unleash her creativity upon the garden, there were still several logistical issues to deal with.

The props were fabricated by So Cal Production Source. Schulz asked them to consider donating the destined-for-the-dumpster materials to the Cincinnati Horticultural Society. They agreed — pending permission from Target Corporation which used the props in a series of commercials supporting their Liberty of London line of products. Permission was granted and facilitated by Eco Set Consulting, a California company that promotes environmentally responsible solutions for the film, television and commercial industry. (Target representatives estimate the value of the donated props to be $80,570.)

But Schulz still wasn’t quite ready to launch into action. The props were, after all, in California. And they needed to be in Cincinnati. Schulz and the Horticultural Society worked the phones. They found that a family member of a longtime friend of the Flower Show owned a trucking company. The owner of Netherland Rubber would soon be in California himself to make a delivery to his daughter who was living in Los Angeles. He was happy to step in and bring the props back with him from California. And fortunately, another longtime supporter, Haberer Investments, of Cincinnati,  provided a $3,000 sponsorship for the exhibit — enough to pay for plant materials for the exhibit.

And now, after a stint in short-term storage and after considerable effort expended dismantling the props so they’d fit in the truck (some are greater than 15 feet in width and/or height), they are finally in Cincinnati!  The props have been delivered to Symmes Township Park, the 2010 location for the show, and the magic begins on Saturday when they will be offloaded and assembled.

“I want people to go ‘Oh My God’ when they see the garden,” Schulz says. She envisions the garden as being wild and animated with lots of white, yellows and greens and purples and with floral sculptures to challenge the props in size. She’ll then arrange the props to look as if they are coming to life in a sea of pinks and reds. She wants tunnels and vines that lead visitors to a garden of “freedom.”

“I want to use the giant tea cups and two-tiered cookie tray and have giant faux flowers sipping on tea and just letting the world grow up around them, everything from daisies to carnations and roses and beyond,” Schulz says. “It is not enough just to live. We should suck every moment from life and feel inspired even by ‘just’ a little flower.”

 The exhibit “Just Living is Not Enough” can be seen in the Grand Marquee tent of the 2010 Cincinnati Flower Show, April 17 – 25 at Symmes Township Park. For more information or to schedule a sneak peek, contact Kristy Conlin, publicity manager, at 513.313.6728 or chspublicity@fuse.net.

Brianne Crable of Western Hills and Andrew Thompson of Montgomery share a laugh while working of their Grand Marquee exhibit. Photo provided by V&V.

Visionaries &Voices (V&V), a Cincinnati collective of studios and art galleries that supports more than 130 working artists with disabilities, is participating for the first time ever in the Cincinnati Flower Show.

Artists at V&V work in all artistic materials and for most working with plants is a whole new ballgame. Each artist will create his or her own living work of art in boxes that will hang vertically on a wall — a replica of the exterior of a Cape Cod-style cottage built inside the Flower Show’s Marquee Tent.

Of course, everyone is excited to get their hands dirty and learn about the art of gardening. The process of painting the boxes, choosing plants and designing the layout is a new experience for many of the artists, an experience that all ended up loving.

V&V also has been fortunate to partner in this new venture with many great people, says Nick Paddock, V&V marketing director. One major influence is Jay Logan, a local landscape architect who runs his own landscape design company. He helped develop the concept for the exhibit. The focus is on easier-to-achieve window style boxes that could easily be individualized, as well as plant education.  Jim Hansel, the Horticultural Operations Instructor at Diamond Oaks Career Development Campus provided V&V with greenhouse space to grow the plants, and Building Values, a nonprofit social enterprise that salvages reusable materials for sale to the public, provided building information and materials to build the replica structure that will support the garden boxes.

The Flower Show staff members are excited to have V&V artists participating this year and they hope the roots the group establishes this year will grow for years to come.

About Visionaries & Voices:

Company Overview:

Visionaries & Voices is a non-profit arts organization created for artists with disabilities to succeed using art as a foundation for expression, education and inclusion. Our vision is that artists with disabilities are valued members of their communities, and that they have opportunities for continuous collaboration, creativity, learning, and fun.

Mission:                                                    

The mission of Visionaries & Voices is to provide artistic and cultural opportunities for artists with disabilities. We value a world in which artists with disabilities not only create and share their works of art, but also are given the chance to learn, work, collaborate, and celebrate with other community members.

Artist Annie Titchener of Norwood inspects plant material to be used in the Visionaries & Voices Grand Marquee exhibit. Photo provided by V&V.

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Ethne Clarke – Hidcote: The Making of a Garden – April 23 -1:30 pm

Ethne Clark shares the fascinating story of how an American, Major Lawrence Johnston created the epitome of the English country garden at Hidcote and celebrates it continuing influence. Ethne Clarke was named Editor-in-Chief of Organic Gardening in May 2009.  Clarke is a professionally trained horticulturist, garden historian, author, and she speaks internationally about garden design and history.  Prior to joining Organic Gardening, Clarke was the garden editor of Traditional Home and a contributing editor to House and Garden. She has also contributed to The American Gardener, Horticulture, Pacific Horticulture, Garden Design, Gardens Illustrated, Hortus, Homes and Gardens, Country Life, and RHS The Garden.

Sponsored by

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Melinda Myers – Affordable-Eco-Friendly Landscape Makeovers

April 20 -1:30 pm

Add sparkle, drama or a bit of flare to your landscape with Melinda’s eco friendly renovation ideas.  Nationally known gardening expert Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She is the host of the nationally syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moments,” which air on 50 network television stations throughout the country and “Great Lakes Gardener” seen on PBS stations throughout the U.S.  She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and has written for Better Homes and Gardens and Fine Gardening. 

Sponsored by

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Rose Marie Nichols McGee – Bountiful Containers  

 April 17 – 2:30 pm

Rose Marie Nichols McGee, the daughter of a nursery owner, grew up with a book in one hand while weeding with the other. This has evolved to a life in the world of, gardening, words and plants. Since 1978, Rose Marie has been intensely involved in the day-to-day operations of Nichols Garden Nursery, located in Albany, OR. This includes writing and producing an annual catalog with her husband and partner Keane McGee, trialing new varieties, and writing her gardening/cooking blog, The Gardener’s Pantry. In 1996, her first book was published, Basic Herb Cookery, followed by McGee & Stuckey’s The Bountiful Container in 2002. She has designed three award-winning edible display gardens for the Seattle Northwest Flower & Garden Show, is a Fellow of The Garden Writers Association and an Oregon Master Gardener. A food gardener at heart, the catalog, her writing and gardens all emphasize gardening with edible plants. These days she frequently speaks on varied garden topics and likes to cultivate an interest in good gardening practices and how to grow beautiful bountiful gardens of all sizes. She firmly believes it would be a better more peaceful world if everyone had an opportunity to garden

Small Wonders Children’s Weekend, the Cincinnati Flower Show’s popular annual event, returns again, and this year, in addition to perennial favorites like apple pie school and baby animals, the Flower Show will launch its new Passport to Fun program – 10:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m., Friday through Sunday, April 23 – 25 – an international celebration exploring the crafts, foods and holidays of our friends around the world.

Children will work with Passport volunteers on a variety of activities, such as native crafts and cooking authentic foods. As children travel from “country to country,” they will receive stamps in their “passports.”

And sure, kids could learn about world cultures and traditions in other ways, perhaps by reading a book or surfing the Internet, but at Small Wonders, “They’ll do, rather than just read,” says committee member Julie Enneking of West Chester. “The interactive factor makes it more real, fun and meaningful.”

 Two countries that will be represented at Small Wonders are India and Japan.

During the India presentation, children will participate in the art of creating of Kolum. Described as a creative and spiritual start to the day, in this South Indian tradition, family members work together daily to make designs outside their homes using rice flour.

During the Japan session, a Passport volunteer will share with children her experience in Origami, the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding. Children will make one of several simple Origami models.

Other countries expected to be represented include China, France and more.

And of course many favorite Small Wonders activities will also be back.

Fairies and Frogs Day is Saturday, April 24. Kids are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite fairy or frog costumes. Beverly Mussari, owner of the Gazebo Tea Garden, will show the fairies and frogs in attendance how to make fairy dust to sprinkle in their home gardens.

The folks from Granny’s Garden School in Loveland will help kids make toy gardens – baskets of fun incorporating small toys and plants.

Hamilton County Soil and Water will run this year’s potting program, helping children to plant and grow their own vegetables.

Make a Grass Man is perhaps best described as a homemade Chia pet project. “At home [kids] were able to watch the Grass Man’s hair magically sprout before their eyes!” says Cheri Linkous of Waynesville, one of last year’s volunteers.

And Usborne books will be on hand all weekend with a mini-bookstore featuring fairy- and gardening- themed books and more.

“Small Wonders is offering experiences you can’t get just anywhere,” says Karri Perry, of West Chester, Small Wonders committee chairwoman. “We have potting, alpacas, recycling and cultures, all in one place, all fun and all hands-on.”

Small Wonders is hosted by PNC Bank, Costco Wholesale and Cincinnati Parent.

Event Details:

SMALL WONDERS WEEKEND

Friday, April 23 & Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

and Sunday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SYMMES TOWNSHIP PARK

11600 North Lebanon Road
Symmes Township, OH 45140

Passport to Fun International Celebrations

Daily 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Discount tickets available online at

www.cincyflowershow.com

Tickets are $2 for children under 12

And $15 for adults

From our Web site:

Create memories with your children that will last a lifetime and enjoy a variety of FREE unique activities that encourage kids to learn more about nature and play in their own back yard. Presented by PNC Bank and hosted by Costco Wholesale Foods, Small Wonders Weekend is a wonderful experience for children to enjoy with their parents during the Cincinnati Flower Show at Symmes Township Park.

Highlights of the Show The Cincinnati Fine Food Show, held during Opening Weekend, April 17 and 18  Small Wonders Weekend, held April 24 and 25, a fun, family event with lots of hands-on activities New! Horticultural Magazine Lecture Series, held throughout the Show

 

Please feel free to contact Volunteer Coordinator Melissa Loggins at 513-872-9555 or volunteer@fuse.net if you have any questions or would like to discuss a particular volunteer position. This year you will be contacted by CHS by either e-mail or phone. We arelooking forward to hearing from you soon!

Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER for news and updates!

]]> http://cincyflowershow.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/calling-all-volunteers/feed/ 0 projectgrow Vols 1 Vol 2 wwyc logo Vol 6 Last Vol http://cincyflowershow.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/be-treated-like-a-lady-at-the-cincinnati-flower-show/ http://cincyflowershow.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/be-treated-like-a-lady-at-the-cincinnati-flower-show/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:54:00 +0000 projectgrow http://cincyflowershow.wordpress.com/?p=32 ]]> Event Brings a Garden Party to Friends and Family, Celebrates Flowerful and Powerful Friendships

Ladies Day committee members were busy digging their way to spring following last week's snow storm. From left: Kris Faulk and Char Downing of Mariemont, Lucy Fellows and Jeanne Elliott of Hyde Park, Beth Smith of Terrace Park and Wendy Tomczak of Mariemont

Every year, ladies come from all over the Midwest. They come with girlfriends, with their mothers or with their sisters. They wear garden party attire, lacey dresses and floral print jackets and skirts with bold and beautiful floral accessories. They come to see and be seen. 

And the staff of the Cincinnati Flower Show treats them all to a day of pampering (including free hand massages!), a day in which they are the stars – Ladies’ Day. 

This year is the 21^st for the venerable Cincinnati Flower Show (April 17 – 25), the Midwest’s venerable tribute to the arrival of spring, and Ladies’ Day is known for its fabulous food, fine china, spectacular floral displays, inspiring and expert speakers and an all-around good time.

This year Ladies’ Day is Wednesday, April 21 and will begin at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast and personalized guided tours of Flower Show exhibits. A garden party lunch will follow, as will two premium lectures and a host of other delightful surprises. 

More about the Ladies Day Lecture Series: 

Jack Barnwell – The Gardens of Mackinac Island

April 21 – 10:15 am

Jack Barnwell is the owner of Barnwell Landscape and Garden Services on Mackinac Island, MI. His company designs, installs, and maintains Mackinac Island’s most outstanding resort and residential properties. Jack has been designing and planting the gardens at the luxurious Hotel Iroquois for ten years before expanding his business to include many other hotels and homes three years ago. His prestigious plantings have been featured in many publications including Lawn and Garden Retailer and Landscape Management magazine. Jack has the unique challenge of landscape construction without the use of trucks and machinery, as Mackinac Island is “motor vehicle free”. All plants and materials are transported by boat, then horse and bike. His stories of juggling these challenges and embracing them to create the magical Mackinac gardens are not to be missed. 

Ed Libby – What the Mind Can Imagine

April 21 -12:30 pm

Ed Libby is one of the most sought after event designers in the world with a client roster that includes A-list celebrities as well as major corporations.  Whatever the mind can imagine, Ed Libby can create.  His events are a feast for the senses, a full environmental experience with close attention to every detail.  Libby’s “signatures” include huge floral & crystal chandeliers dripping from the ceiling, majestic columns & fountains bearing candles & profusely surrounded with floral bouquets and, at some events, human statues.  His clients include Robert DeNiro, Sting, P. Diddy, Naomi Campbell, and Tyra Banks and many more.  Among the corporations that have entrusted Mr. Libby to design for them are Tommy Hilfiger, American Express, The New York Stock Exchange, Disney, and The Super Bowl, etc.

At 1 p.m. tea and dessert will be served as our two guest speakers put their talents to task to create a surprise for our participants. 

Reservations for Ladies Day are required. Tickets are $75 per person and include show admission, continental breakfast with juices, coffee and teas, free tours of the major exhibits, professional hand massages, two speakers, notable and well respected in their fields, sit down luncheon, tea and desserts and a raffle for uniquely designed planters.

Tickets may be ordered online at www.cincyflowershow.com.

Join in the fun: Become a Facebook Fan of the “Cincy Flower Show.” 

This year’s Ladies Day committee includes: 

Chairwomen Kris Faulk of Mariemont and Susan Amis of Loveland; Char Downing and Wendy Tomczak of Mariemont; Lucy Fellows and Jeanne Elliott of Hyde Park; and Beth Smith of Terrace Park. 

Ladies’ Day is presented by Mangat-Kuy-Holzapfel Plastic Surgery Centers. Sponsors include Duke Energy, Macy’s, Proven Winners, Lone Star Orthopaedics, Inc., Marc A. Wilson, D.M.D., Mariemont Eye Care with Dr. Mark Kuhlman, and Pizazz Studio, Inc.

Members of the Kindervelt Projects Committee, from left to right: Suzanne Schweller (Hyde Park), Charlotte McBrayer (Montgomery), Buffie Rixey (Indian Hill), Sheila Maxwell (Amelia; current Kindervelt president), Donna Boggs (Glendale), Susan Guckert (Deerfield Township), and Tracy Smith (Morrow)

The Cincinnati Horticultural Society and Kindervelt of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) are pleased to announce their partnership in support of fundraising efforts benefitting CCHMC: A portion of every Cincinnati Flower Show ticket sold online through the Cincinnati Flower Show Web site will be donated to the Division of Asthma Research.

“I see collaboration as an important part of the future for all non-profits” says Mary Margaret Rochford, president of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society. “In all my business experience this is the best example of synergy, where the whole is more than the sum of the parts.”

The startling facts about asthma:

• Asthma is a public health problem affecting 15 million people in the United States.
• It is the most common chronic disease of childhood and the most common reason children are admitted to the hospital.
• Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness in Ohio.
• More than 3,000 children are treated annually in the CCHMC’s emergency department for severe asthma attacks.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is committed to improving care for children with asthma, and the Division of Asthma Research is developing new standards for clinical care through cutting-edge research. CCHMC is a not-for-profit hospital and research center pioneering breakthrough treatments, providing outstanding family-centered patient care and training health care professionals for the future. 

Kindervelt is the largest auxiliary of CCHMC and is recognized as one of Greater Cincinnati’s outstanding volunteer organizations. Composed of neighborhood groups joined together by a central, city-wide board of trustees, Kindervelt-sponsored gifts have supported both medical research at and the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Kindervelt is in the middle of a four-year commitment to raise funds for the Division of Asthma Research. 

The non-profit Cincinnati Horticultural Society is the producer of the internationally heralded Cincinnati Flower Show, celebrating its 21th anniversary this year, April 17-25, at Symmes

Township Park. The theme of this year’s show is FANTASY, FORMAL, FRIENDLY. An impressive array of landscape gardens, floral tablescapes and designs, national, international and local lecturers and experts, environmental exhibits and more will be featured.

“The opportunity to attend this exciting Show with such well-established Cincinnati-known organizations is thrilling for anyone in our Tri-State area” says Sheila Maxwell, Kindervelt president. “This is the beginning of a long term partnership that will unite our city with not only beauty but purpose for the children of the world.”

Tickets to the 2010 Cincinnati Flower Show can be purchased at cincyflowershow.com. Online advance ticket prices are also discounted off gate prices.

For more information, please visit cincyflowershow.com or contact Kristy Conlin, publicity manager, at 513-872-9555.

The dates and location are set and staff and volunteers are working day and night to make the 21st Cincinnati Flower Show the best ever! The Farmer’s Almanac is predicting that weather for the show, scheduled for April 17 – 25, will be “much warmer and drier than normal – great weather for outdoor activities.” We are also expecting a record number of vendors and exhibitors in 2010, our second year at Symmes Township Park.

The theme for this year’s Show will be a uniting thread that runs throughout the entire event …

FANTASY — FORMAL — FRIENDLY

FANTASY: The imaginations of our exhibitors have run wild, and as a result, you’ll visit fantasy worlds inspired by a favorite book, movie, or faraway place.

FORMAL: Find elegance in gardens that demonstrate well-balanced structure, simplistic color contrasts, stately containers, and/or topiary hedges in your design.

FRIENDLY: Explore! You will find gardens and exhibits that are ecologically friendly, economically friendly, lifestyle friendly, child friendly, pet friendly – the possibilities are endless!

As always, the Show will include impressive landscape gardens, inventive floral tablescapes, exquisite floral designs, stimulating national and international lecturers, informative local experts, timely environmental exhibits, nature-inspired fine art, enticing fine food offerings, exciting children’s weekend events and adventurous shopping opportunities

And as for the main events of the 2010 Flower Show, here’s a sneak peek at this year’s Distinguished Lecture Series:

Dr. Paul Cappiello — Breaking All the Rules on the Way to a Better Garden

 Bill Hendricks — New and Interesting Plant Selections at the Flower Show

Rose Marie Nichols McGee — Bountiful Containers

Melinda Meyers — Affordable Eco-Friendly Landscape Makeovers

Ethne Clarke – Hidcote: the Making of a Garden

For more information, please visit cincyflowershow.com or contact Kristy Conlin, publicity manager at 513-872-9555 or chspublicity@fuse.net.

So I’ve decided to grow some lovely paperwhites on my desk.

I wanted to use the gravel method of forcing bulbs, which I read about at plantexpert.com. But when I trekked out to Lowes, they only had had plant forcing kits left. So I picked one up for $3.49 on clearance.

I just added the compressed potting mixture disc to the pot and added two cups of water and waited a few minutes for the soil to expand.

Then I used a fork to fluff up the dirt and make a big mess all over my desk. I added the bulbs with the pointy ends poking up out of the dirt and the pot.

I covered the bulbs with the remaining potting mixture and set the pot in a (sometimes) sunny window. Voila!

All that remains for me to do is water the bulbs weekly and in about six weeks I should have beautiful flowers, a harbinger of spring, right there on the corner of my desk.

Yes, this is a super easy and relatively elementary project, but isn’t that kind of the point? It’s also fun and easy for children and the classroom. The process can be adapted for many kinds of bulbs.

For more information and ideas, check any of the following links:

hgtv.com (I love the different types of vessels they use to illustrate their post)

finegardening.com

flowergardens.suite101.com

And check back weekly because I’ll be photoblogging updates as to the progress of my paperwhite garden, a time-lapse photo project of sorts.

Thanks for reading!