Several weeks ago my Arranger and I visited the Charlotte Home & Garden Show, an annual event that we have grown to look forward to and enjoy. My Part 1 report focused on the bonsai exhibit. This post, delayed by a week’s trip to California, will present some the larger gardens exhibited; there were at least a dozen. Almost all of the garden presentations featured moving water over predominately stone formations, surrounded by trees and shrubs, lots of daffodils, tulips, ferns, azaleas, and other recognizable southern spring plants. I very much appreciate the stone work involved. One of the exhibitors told me that it took them over a week to assemble his display.

Some of the smaller water features:

This water feature was my favorite. I would normally have chosen a more rustic display as my preference, but this one touched me because, I think, of its controlled but very peaceful atmosphere. It would have to be placed in just the right setting in a garden to take advantage of the subtle movement of the water in the upper pool around the three balls and the reflections that would be seen in the lower one. Alas, I don’t have the location or space for such a feature. Maybe in my next garden.

A few other items that caught my eye:

An interesting way to use depleted and thoroughly enjoyed wine bottles as a border. I have seen them used without labels, nose down into the ground, but never like this.

A bird’s nest used as an unusual container for succulents.

And a garden whimsey created from old automobile license plates. It won the Creative Award for the show.

We folks who love North Carolina were given the opportunity to purchase a shirt dyed with certified North Carolina red clay; it’s not even close to Carolina blue, but I’m sure that some found it a special treasure.

Probably the most enjoyable part of the Spring Home & Garden Show is the annual visit to the vendor who offers “Charlotte Strawberries and Cream.” She told me she had created this scrumptious delicacy some years ago just for this event. Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!

I am confident we will be back next year.