The 2009 Portland Flower Show is complete, and a complete success

Jan Love, who manages the flower show, said 14,997 came through the doors, which is a very good number.

The vendors all were happy, having made a lot of sales. The companies that had display gardens picked up some contracts and some of them sold the stone work that was on display at the show. And everyone seemed to have a good time and is looking forward to coming back for another year.

Linkel Construction and Cosmic Stone & Garden Supply of Topsham won the People's Choice Award for their exhibit "Maine Mountain Retreat." The exhibit, which included a picnic table that included one huge piece of stone as the table top, had people talking throughout the show. That garden also won awards for having the best hardscape and being the best first-time exhibitor.

The warm sunny days of the weekend also got people thinking of gardening in their own yards. We have a lot of bare ground in our Cape Elizabeth garden, and I spent the parts of Saturday and Sunday picking up fallen twigs and cutting branches that we will try to force inside.

Sunday's column was about green roofs, a trend that I expect to grow in the coming years.

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