I really didn’t know what to expect at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show.   Didn’t go last year, and now I needed to scout out some purveyors of cool and interesting plants.  I shouldn’t have been surprised that every garden vignette on display was tragically predictable and traditional.  A few nice plants, but all in all, MAJOR disappointment.  I have a lot more bad to show you than good.

What did surprise me was that I was the only person in my line buying tickets that was under the age of 65.  I’m sure there was another one behind me somewhere, but I hadn’t felt that youthful in quite awhile.   I’m going out on a limb and saying that Friday’s clientele had an AVERAGE age of 70…..and the smell of Ben-Gay in the air was palpable.

Here are a few lowlights of the floral gallery:

This is supposed to be the best Nashville has to offer?  Some willow branches and wire?!

I honestly don’t get this.  Is it supposed to be a scarecrow or what? Blech.

Seriously?  It’s a branch in a bucket of tulips picked up at the grocery store.  Scale?

On a positive note…there was a beautiful display of orchids….an especially nice selection of lady’s slippers…

and some gorgeous, yet pricey bonsai…

But what I really came for was the bamboo……

Met the owner of this bamboo farm north of here who has everything I will need for my new planting beds.  Super nice guy, very knowledgeable…just who I was hoping to find at this show.  When it gets a bit warmer, I’ll drive up to his farm and pick a few specimens for the house….he even grows the splendiforous Phyllostachys Nigra, or black bamboo.  Bright green leaves with a dark blackish/purplish stalk.  YES.