Gus Lemcke's landscape was judged best of show at Orchard in Bloom. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Orchard in Bloom celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend, with eight landscaped gardens and five microgardens amid 100 vendors, and the unfortunate, yet normal, mud.
If it’s spring and raining, it must be Orchard in Bloom, I thought as I walked into Holliday Park in Indianapolis on Thursday to judge the landscape gardens. It has rained all day and the forecast for the rest of the weekend looked wet.
Litchfield Landscape's container features a Dragon Wing begonia and creeping wire vine (Muehlenbeckia). (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
For the second year in a row. Lemcke Landscape Inc., won the landscape competition with his quiet, inviting design of hardscape, plants and furnishings. Although it did not win, Litchfield Landscape had an interesting Japanese-inspired garden that featured amazing containers, including some with hellebores (Helleborus).
The Garden Center picked up the honors for its micro garden, a planting of annuals in clustered containers.
All of the landscape gardens and vendors are under tent, so don the slickers, boots and take a hike to Holliday Park for the show. Orchard in Bloom is a cooperative effort of Orchard School and Indy Parks.
When: Through Sunday, May 3
Where: Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Road. No parking is allowed in the vicinity, but free parking is available at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., where shuttles provide the transportation. The shuttles run all the time, so there’s hardly ever a wait.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 2. Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 3.
Tickets: Advanced tickets available throughout the show at Marsh Supermarkets, $10. At the show, $12. Children 14 years and younger are admitted without charge.
Thanks for your unwavering support for Orchard in Bloom, Jo Ellen. And thanks for being a judge for our Landscape and Microgardens! I hope to have you back next year talking about new plants.
And yes, there was mud, but there were some great boots out there!