Personal preview

I spent an hour wandering around the Portland Yacht Services building on Fore Street, where they are setting up the Portland Flower Show.This is going to be a good show. Most of the 16 display gardens are nearing completion, and they are looking great. It seems as if the exhibitors, knowing that this is the only garden show north of Providence, R.I., are going all out. The broad theme -- From the Mountains to the Sea -- gave the exhibitors pretty much free rein. Several of the gardens have a mountain woods area in one section and a seashore area in another, but that isn't true of all of them. There are a lot of water features, including several waterfalls, and as always some outstanding stone work. Many of the gardens have a lot of blooming plants -- pansies, geraniums, lilacs, dogwoods, azaleas, rhododendrons and bulbs, including tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The rest of the show was less completed. Commercial and non-profit exhibitors were just beginning to come in around 11 a.m. The The University of Maine Cooperative Extension looks like it is going to have a great exhibit. The preview party is 6-9 p.m today, and I will be there reporting on the show for tomorrow's paper. Photographer Greg Rec is already taking pictures -- I saw him during my stroll -- so you can get a sneak peak of the exhibits. And I will list the winners in the various categories, except for people's choice, which will be announced near the close of the show. The rain is supposed to stop by 6, and it is clear if cool through the weekend, so there is no reason not to come out. I will be blogging from the show Thursday and Friday and will be at the Press Herald booth 2:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday and 1-3 p.m. Friday. Hope to see you, Click here for more information on the Flower Show.