When you first visit a world-class Flower & Garden Show, such as the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, or the Philadelphia Flower Show, you will be surprised by the size and magnificence of the garden landscaping.
A Flower and Garden Show is a huge and complex production. Our San Francisco Flower & Garden Show uses 1,200 cubic yards of sawdust and mulch for the gardens (that's about 150 dump truck-loads) and 280,000 pounds of rock. The flowers and plants for the gardens come from all up and down the West Coast. More than 300 theatrical lighting instruments hang from the ceiling above the gardens.
Creating the display gardens is a demanding task, and planning for them begins many months before the Show opens.
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Many people are surprised to learn that the companies and organizations creating gardens do not pay the Show to exhibit. In fact, the Show pays each of them a substantial cash subsidy, and provides support including lighting, electricity, water, heavy equipment, labor, rocks and mulch. The Show's total direct cost of assisting its garden creators is well over one million dollars.
The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show was produced for many years by Salmon Bay Events, who also produced the NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. A local San Francisco company bought the Bay Area show and continues this annual tradition for California gardeners and landscapers in 2013
By sharing this background about what it takes to produce a world-class garden show, we hope to make your visit to the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show even richer and more enjoyable. The dates for the coming show are March 20-25, 2013. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Show has produced a remarkable video that condenses the complete 12-day cycle of show production – 5 days move-in, 5 show days, 2 days move-out - into 7 1/2 minutes! See it now.
The Show is guided by a steering committee of professional volunteers with a long history of participating in and supporting the show. These well-known landscape designers, gardeners and growers include Mike Boss of Rock & Rose Landscapes and Robin Stockwell of Succulent Gardens. Their thoughts and efforts are invaluable.
