Spring Buds Early at “Evening in Bloom”

Spring is just around the corner and the most dazzling way to welcome it is with a tiptoe through the tulips (and thousands of other lovelies) at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show! Want to be among the very first visitors to get a sneak peek of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show’s stunning eye candy and sweet scents?

Don’t miss “Evening in Bloom” at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, Friday, March 8 from 6 p.m.to 9:30 p.m. It’s the exclusive preview on the eve of the show’s opening, where guests will mingle in the garden “gallery,” meet some of the inspirational “The Art of Gardening” artists and sample fine wines and hors d’oeuvres from Harry Caray’s, Riva Restaurant on Navy Pier, Dirk’s Fish and Gourmet Shop, Cyrano’s Bistrot Wine Bar & Cabaret, Wildfire, O’Donovan’s Pub & Restaurant and Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar. Sweet treats will be provided by The Chicago Retail Bakers Association (CARBA) and Chicago’s own Eli’s Cheesecake.

“Evening in Bloom” tickets are $125 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Chicago Gateway Green, Special Olympics Chicago, Peterson Garden Project and Kendall College Charitable Trust. When you order tickets online, you can elect which organization receives your ticket proceeds.

If you’d like to make a night of it, the Chicago Flower & Garden Show also offers a suite $129 deal through Embassy Suites – Downtown, which includes a full, cooked-to-order breakfast and a nightly manager’s reception. This special deal is available March 8 through 17 on king or double/double standard suites.

The 2013 Chicago Flower & Garden Show runs daily from March 9-17. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Discounted group and individual tickets are available online now at www.chicagoflower.com.

Part two of a look into our Featured Gardens.

Style and Conservation at Home - The Conservation Foundation

Inside Out - RJP Designs, Kenneth Ludwig Home Furnishings

DotT: Design Over the Tabletop (Macy's display pictured)

Reflections - Reflections Water Light Stone

Made for the Shade - Rich's Fox Willow Pines Nursery

Trees That Feed Foundation

Tulips a La Mode - Doornbosch Bros, Bloembollen Export VD

Let's Move White House Kitchen Garden

Thank you for following the 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show blog!

Check back frequently for updates on the 2013 Chicago Flower & Garden Show as they become available.  And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter by visiting www.ChicagoFlower.com!

Part one of a look into our primary attraction:  the Featured Gardens of the 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show.  Scroll down for a peek into the garden spaces as they exist now on the Show floor.

Homestyle Drama from Days of Our Lives - Advantage 1

Ribbon of Dancing Waters - Aquascape

The Cultivation of Style - Chicago Roof Deck & Garden

Floriculturists Make it Work - Chicago Park District

The Creative Eye: An Honoring of Hosta and a Celebration of Succulents - Craig Bergmann Landscape Design

Le Jardin de La Fleur de Lis - CScapes Artistic Landscapes

The Future...Is Now - Don Guzan

Aprons: Myth, Memory, Fantasy in the Kitchen - Women's Journey in Fiber

Project Someday - Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences

Hope and Healing - Tommy Pollina Landscape Company

Visit www.ChicagoFlower.com for a full list of our Featured Gardens.  Check back tomorrow for Part Two!

Tomorrow is the final day of the 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show.  Purchase tickets online here for $2 off the box office price!

A dazzling display created by City Scents, booth 639, greets visitors as they enter the Marketplace.

Custom Architectural Shutters offers more than just shutters in booth 629.

Check booth 117 for metal work ranging from decorative pieces to privacy fences by Tim Hawley Designs.

Birdhouses and much more are available from The Growing Place, booth 213, one of the major contributors to our White House vegetable garden.

CHSAS students take a break from Garden 8 to man their Farmstand in the Marketplace. Visit booth 630 for more information about the school and all of the wonderful activities it promotes.

Printed Canvas offers a change of pace in booth 533 with an assortment of work by artist Danilo Cuevas.

Don't think we've forgotten about the plants either. Ted's Greenhouse (booth 421) is just one of the many vendors offering a wide variety of plants to fit your garden space.

While planning for that new planting, don't forget to keep an eye out for interesting decorative options. The Twirlygigs in booth 720 are a great place to start.

Visit www.ChicagoFlower.com for a full Marketplace listing.

Check back tomorrow and Sunday for a look at the Featured Gardens on the closing weekend of the 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show.

The Shedd Aquarium opens the day's activities with a Painted Turtle meet and greet.

Children can decorate their own pots with Make-A-Wish volunteers

The U of I Master Gardeners introduce a member of their bug zoo to the audience.

In addition to all of the wonderful activities, the garden's play area is open for fun all day!

The full Kid’s Activity Garden schedule can be found on www.ChicagoFlower.com.  Check back tomorrow for pictures from our Marketplace.

On Sunday, March 18, the Show hosts the annual CARBA Cake Decorating Competition.  The festivities start at 10AM in front of the Garden Gourmet stage, so be sure to arrive early!

For a full Teaching Garden and Seminar schedule visit www.ChicagoFlower.com.

Check back tomorrow for an inside look at all the fun happening inside the Kid’s Activity Garden.

On Friday, March 16, beginning at 5PM the Show will host our annual Mix & Mingle event.  Visit the Happenings page of our website for more information.

Our new and improved cooking stage being prepared for the day's presentations.

Chefs from Rosebud interact with our stage manager during the 11:30 demonstration.

A special thanks to our Chef Assistants from Prosser Career Academy and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences!

Check back tomorrow for a series of photos from our Seminars and Instructional classes!

Starting tomorrow, the Show will host road crews from our radio partners through Friday, March 16.  Visit the Happenings page of our website for more information.

English artist Jenny Pickford's sculpture featured in the 2012 Entrance Garden.

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show celebrated its grand opening over the weekend.

Check back each day for images taken during Show hours by Show staff highlighting a different Show feature.

And don’t forget to let us know what you think with a message on our Facebook page!

The 2012 Chicago Flower & Garden Show is now open to the public!

Check back for snapshots from the day’s events and for sneak peeks into what is to come.

Today, March 11, Days of Our Lives cast members will meet fans and sign autographs from 11 A.M. to 1P.M. at the back of our marketplace.  And then starting at 3P.M., the marketplace will be home to the first official Flower & Garden Show seed swap!