The Chicago Flower and Garden Show

We visited this show on Monday and, while we are pleased to have it back in town, it was something of a disappointment.

While the exhibits were attractive they seemed to be pitched to larger spaces than most people have available in the city. Virtually all the exhibitors were from the suburbs and seemed to have geared their presentations to those with mini-estates or, at least, backyards larger than that of your typical city lot.

The actual marketplace is nothing more than a bad joke--people flocked to the chamois cloth demo because they recognized it from their afternoon TV viewing. Aside from that we get to taste peoples' factory made spice mixes/dips and, perhaps, buy a house plant that doesn't look like it will survive the bus trip home.

This is the prime time of year for people in this city to be starting seedlings, yet we could not find one vendor with anything to offer in this realm aside from some overgrown herbs. Attractive planters for container gardening--go to Home Depot. Nothing on small scale composting using worms; indeed, very little on any sort of composting, rain barrels, solar power or renewable energy resources.

I think the show has something of an identity problem--just what kind of audience are they looking for? Rather than having geriatrics bussed in from their local gardening clubs, could the show appeal more to the people who actually live here?

Thanks for the review, you make me feel better that I am not going to be able to go the the show.

Your comment about the mini-estates reminds me of how disappointed my husband and I were a couple of years ago when we went on a local garden walk. Of the ten or so home gardens we visited, I would say that 8 had been planned and executed by professionals; in several locations, the professionals were there to talk about their work! This was so totally not what we were looking for! We were interested in other actual home gardeners; if we wanted to see the work of professionals we would have gone to the Botanic Garden (which we do regularly).

I suspect these big events are put on to attract the owners of the mini-estates who have the big bucks to spend. It's not about selling packets of seeds; it's about selling the installation of expensive water features.

Judy H wrote:I suspect these big events are put on to attract the owners of the mini-estates who have the big bucks to spend. It's not about selling packets of seeds; it's about selling the installation of expensive water features.

That was pretty much my point.

I realize that, in order to make an event like this worthwhile for the exhibitors, a certain number of big ticket items must be sold. I don't think the actual >city< of Chicago is the right market for these folks.

We were thinking that the Department of Parks or some other city agency could act as a clearing house for companies such as Seeds of Change and the like--gathering product from several sources and putting it all together under one roof so there would be plenty of variety yet the participating companies would not have to worry about the expenses involved in setting up individual booths.

Does anyone else have any ideas on how we could make the show better?

It is my understanding that this is a show put on by a private company and not sponsored by the City. That could explain the lack of urban focus.

I went to this a couple of years ago and even from a suburban perspective the show sucked. But maybe I was spoiled by too many years of the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Judy H wrote:
Your comment about the mini-estates reminds me of how disappointed my husband and I were a couple of years ago when we went on a local garden walk. Of the ten or so home gardens we visited, I would say that 8 had been planned and executed by professionals; in several locations, the professionals were there to talk about their work! This was so totally not what we were looking for! We were interested in other actual home gardeners; if we wanted to see the work of professionals we would have gone to the Botanic Garden (which we do regularly).

My feeling exactly about last year's Oak Park/River Forest Garden Walk. I learned nothing about home gardening except that with a large investment and professional help, you can make things look pretty.

I just wanted to say a few words in defense of the Flower and Garden Show.

First let me say that I am admittedly easily entertained. But for the price of a movie matinee & popcorn (yeah, I know that's overpriced, too) I enjoyed wandering around the various gardens. I'm not a city gardener, but our garden is really small. I still found some groupings that I liked enough to take a picture of and hopefully replicate. I never heard of a rice hull pot and didn't buy one there, but when I go pot shopping, I'll see if I can't find one at a good price. I wish there had been more organic/unusual seeds and seedlings. I liked the "four seasons garden" in the center. I thought it had interesting applications for urban or suburban locations.

I probably don't get out much, but it was a nice way to spend a blustery March day.