Garden Detective

Roll up your sleeves and get ready for digging season. This weekend, Hicks Nurseries in Westbury will kick off its 17th annual Spring Flower & Garden Show, which promises inspiration, education and expert advice.

Thousands of folks visit the show each year to learn about new plants and horticultural techniques, and to gawk at the display gardens and borrow ideas for their own.

I was treated to an inside glimpse of the construction process. Watching the conversion of this warehouse-like space into a magical wonderland fills me with optimism about the mess of a blank canvas posing as my front yard. Since you're with me, you get a sneak peak, too.

The Enchanted Royal Garden

Plants with royal names take center stage in this display garden -- my favorite -- complete with castle and moat.

Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2, Royal Highness and Prince roses share center stage with other throne-worthy entries, such as Princess spirea, the Queen series of cleomes, Palace Blue lobelia, Royal nemesia, Royal ferns, Gypsy Queen hyacinth and Ice King daffodils.

Fire & Water Garden
One side of this garden -- the "fire" side -- utilizes "hot" colors. Marigolds, ranunculus, snapdragons, and yellow and red twig dogwoods in shades of red, orange and yellow make for a dramatic effect. In contrast, the "water" side demonstrates the use of "cool" blue tones with cascading water, lobelia, veronica, salvia and hydrangeas. The whole scene is reminiscent of Heat Miser and his brother, Snow Miser, from the 1974 classic TV Christmas special, "The Year Without a Santa Claus."

Below, on the left, are some shots of the fire garden in progress. The photo on the right is the most recent.

The cool side of the Fire & Water garden, in progress:

Pretty in Pink
Everything in this delicate-yet-vibrant garden is pink in honor of those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. Tulips, pansies, bleeding hearts, roses, rhododendrons and coral bells surround a living pink ribbon topiary of polka dot pink splash hypoestes. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of plants with a pink hang tag will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Where the Wild Things Grow
This children's garden comprises plants named after animals. Large wooden animal cutouts compliment the theme. Spider plants, elephant ears, snake plants, dogwood trees, butterfly bushes, hens and chicks, and lambs ears are among the highlights of this vignette. Check out the transformation below:

Hicks visual merchandising manager Nelson Demarest adds color to a butterfly and a giraffe for the display:

This year's show runs from March 9 - 18. Admission is free. For a rundown of free seminars that will be held during the 10-day event, visit the Hicks Web site.