around the corner

One of my favorite literary couples is Frog and Toad, and one of my favorite Frog and Toad stories is "The Corner," from Frog and Toad All Year. On a rainy day, Frog relates how he went on a fruitless search for spring after his parents told him that it was just around the corner.

“I went back home. When I got there,” said Frog, “I found another corner. It was the corner of my house.”

“Did you go around it?” asked Toad.

“I went around that corner, too,” said Frog.

“What did you see?” asked Toad. 

“I saw the sun coming out,” said Frog. “I saw birds sitting and singing in a tree. I saw my mother and father working in their garden. I saw flowers in the garden.”

“You found it!” cried Toad.

“Yes,” said Frog. “I was very happy. I had found the corner that spring was just around.”

This is exactly how I felt this weekend, despite a Friday that looked like this:

Thanks to my parents, we visited the Philadelphia Flower Show the very next day. The theme this year was "Brilliant," with a focus on all things British, or at least quite a few of them.

The entry gates;

the "bars" of the gates were filled with flowers

Umbrellas, Hogwarts and yellow submarines abounded.

No particular display was brillant in its entirety. Like the understated inhabitants of that green and pleasant land, the high points were found in small touches rather than large gestures.

A fountain of musical instruments;

water was burbling out of the horns.

Hands down, my boys favorite display was this one, intended to evoke the moors. See the white spiky things?

They're made out of zip-ties, which my boys spotted right away. We will never be able to keep a supply of zip ties in this house now.

I thought the best unusual use was this wedding dress:

Closer examination of the "sparkles" on the dress revealed they were grains of rice.

This was my hands-down favorite though. Wonder where I can get a garden gate like this one? The books mounted in the wall appeared to be real ones, so I suppose the weather would be a bit rough on them.

Last year a wall of lettuce, this year a wall of greens, with a colorful wheelbarrow sculpture to brighten up the green. The "reuse/repurpose" concept was evident in full force this year.

An exhibit dedicated to the crown jewels, with pieces contributed by individual florists all over the country, was particularly stunning.

There was even knitting! The significance of the silver eggs was unclear, but I was pleased to see wool represented. I am sure HRH The Prince of Wales would agree.

Of course, a yellow submarine in the middle when you peeked in the egg. Those things were everywhere.

We finished off by finding my parent's entries in the competition.

My father's black orchid. 

My mother's Wardian case.

Every year for us, the Philadelphia Flower Show is the corner that spring is just around. Today's sunshine confirmed it. Spring is definitely on its way.