Annual flower show under way in Edison

By: centraljersey.com
The ninth annual New Jersey Flower & Garden show is under way with a rousing salute to great hits of the Broadway stage.
"Gardens on Broadway" is the theme of this year’s show, which began Thursday and continues through Sunday at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison. Cheer the triumphant return of stars from Nature’s playbook – tulips, daffodils, cherry blossoms and more – all costumed in brilliant living color.
View a landscaped wonderland of 10 full-scale gardens inspired by characters and themes from the Great White Way.
Landscape designers have been working behind the scenes to bring their fantasies to life. Visitors will have their say in a vote for the "People’s Choice" award, but how do you choose when Shrek, Tarzan, Mary Poppins and the Wicked Witch of the West are among those showcased?
Look for the gentle giant in "Shrek’s Rain Garden," conceived by the New Jersey Conservation Partnership. Shrek may feel at home in swampy ground, but homeowners baffled by persistent damp will learn how to put soggy places to good use. Shrek’s lair is surrounded by moisture-loving plants, including lady fern, Joe Pye weed and bleeding heart.
The park scene in "Mary Poppins" is recreated by High Tech Landscapes of Branchburg as a flowering grove beside a pond where the crowning touch is an umbrella-shaped fountain. Cheerful tunes from the musical score will put a spring in your step.
"Barefoot in the Park" is the theme chosen by Amato’s Garden Center of Monmouth Junction. Who doesn’t long for that high-summer sensation of wriggling bare toes through fresh, green grass? Fountains, benches, flowers and trees suggest the sensual pleasures of warmer days ahead.
Two other gardens gravitate toward urban sophistication with designs scaled for typically intimate city spaces.
"Above Broadway" presented by Mondi Designs of Marlton sets you high above the streets on a New York City rooftop where lush greenery is the backdrop to bistro-style seating. "West Side Story" doesn’t pit the Sharks against the Jets, but rather reconciles the urbanite and the naturalist in all of us. Two separate seating areas let each "gang" find a compatible corner.
The display gardens draw flower-lovers like a magnet, but they aren’t the only attraction at the show. Look for these other enticements:
– The Garden Club of New Jersey’s annual show of judged floral arrangements, this year paying "Regards to Broadway."
– Daily bouts of the "Container Challenge" inspired by the Iron Chef shows. Designers compete to create the most striking container garden while the clock ticks down.
– Educational programming including full-scale talks when "Gardeners Go to School" and quick tips in the "Bouquet of the Day." Headliners this year are: Charlie Nardozzi, author of the just-released "Vegetable Gardening for Dummies;" Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens; and WOR-Radio’s Mark Viette, who will be taping episodes of his weekly show, "Easy Gardening," at the show.
– "Growing Up Green" activities for the kids that offer good dirty fun and hands-on experience in gardening basics. Programs are led by experts from the New Jersey Audubon Society and Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the New Jersey Convention Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison.
Admission is $15 for adults, $6 for children 12 to 17, and free for kids under 12. Seniors can attend for $10 today, and "date night" specials admit two adults for the price of one after 5 p.m. today and Saturday.
To buy tickets or for more information, call MAC Events of Spring Lake at 800-332-3976 or visit macevents.com.