We’re at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show 2010 to present a PowerPoint show on diagnosing plant problems using examples from our book. And what a great show it is! The theme this year is Gardens for the Future.
One of the first things we see on entering the show is a giant cube made entirely of succulents. It seems to float on water. We walk around it and then see that it’s actually an outdoor room that we can get to by crossing the water on stepping stones. People are inside already, delighted with the novelty of a freestanding room. With exterior walls covered completely with plants, and surrounded by a water filled moat, this exhibit is intriguing!
As we look around we spot an amazing high tech construction using solar power, recirculating pumps, a tank full of fish, and a hydroponic vegetable garden! Talk about gardens for the future, these constructions are amazing. One uses a recycled satellite dish covered with vegetable plants. And there are two rotating cylinders about twenty feet tall each covered from top to bottom with vegetable plants. Very interesting!
As we walk further into the show we see a very strange exhibit with what looks like a roller coaster covered with grass. On closer inspection we realize it’s demonstrating the process of lifting up and removing a lawn and replacing it with other, more sustainable plants that use less water and don’t need to be mowed, sprayed, or coddled. This is a great example of Gardens for the Future.
Outside the door of the room where we are to speak there is a wonderful exhibit of the Edible Schoolyards program. This is a great program that develops organic vegetable gardens on school grounds that are planted and managed by the children. Tons of food is being raised by these programs nationwide.
Our talk goes very well and afterwards we are happy to answer questions people have and to autograph our books for them.
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