The 140th New England Fall flower show took place at Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s (MHS) garden at Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley from Sept. 18-20.
According to MHS admissions coordinator Caitlin Cunic, the event originally started in Boston with a spring flower show downtown. Around the early 2000s they stopped doing them, then they were held by another company and those stopped entirely when Fidelity bought the convention center.
MHS wanted to bring it back and three years ago it was viable to hold it at Elm Bank. Every year it’s grown in size with the vendors, food trucks, and the exhibitions.
“It’s a tradition that we are very happy to bring back and kind of draw back that crowd that had been going for so many years as well as new families,” Cunic commented.
The main stage included Ikebana flower demonstrations and a floral performance from the Philippine dance and culture organization.
Exhibitions included award-winners in amateur and junior horticulture, floral design, botanical art, and photography.
Three women from Cape Cod shared with The Swellesley Report about why they came to the event and what they’ve enjoyed.
Michelle, Esther, and Linda are gardeners who “found beauty in everything we look at including the people we meet.”
The event gave them creative ideas for their gardens, and they enjoyed being in nature with perfect weather.
Some of the flower related vendors include botanical artists such as Tabitha Gilligan and Ivana D. George.
Alongside many vendors selling fresh flowers and plants, Preserved Botanicals sold flowers preserved with glycerin. According to Maureen, the owner of the business, they are an eco-friendly alternative to plastic flowers that can last longer than buying fresh flowers.
Aside from the flower powered programming, the event was a great opportunity for visitors to appreciate the beauty of the flowers themselves at Elm Bank.
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