Festival of Flowers to Bloom

Mar 18th, 2004

MOBILE, AL - Every fan of flowers and gardens will delight in the unique experience of "The Art of Gardening" at Mobile's signature showcase of excellence in landscape and floral design and horticulture. The 11th annual Festival of Flowers, presented by Providence Hospital Foundation and sponsored by Regions Bank, will bloom March 25 – 28 along the magnificent canopy of the Avenue of the Oaks on the historic campus of Spring Hill College in Mobile. The premier flower and garden event of the greater Gulf Coast takes place during Mobile's prettiest month, with trees leafing out all over and bloomers displaying their splendor. Over 100,000 square feet of exhibits arrayed under tent and sky enchant, entertain, and educate visitors at this feast for all the senses.

Selected by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the Top 20 Events in the region for March, the Festival has received wide acclaim and has been recognized in publications such as Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens.

The Festival's giant Grand Marquee houses glorious professionally designed life-size landscaped gardens flowing with fountains and ideas for your own backyard, plus fabulous flowers that are planted, potted, even painted. Always a favorite of Festival visitors is the show-stopping garden vignette designed by world-renowned Bellingrath Gardens and Home. As visitors enter the show, they will walk over an arched bridge and into the World Flower Exhibit. This spectacular array of floral grandeur, featuring thousands of blossoms from throughout the world, will surround an abstract sculptural representation of the Providence Hospital in celebration of the institution's 150th anniversary.

More flower power is on parade in the Showcase of Floral Design and Art. A perennial favorite of Festival visitors, elegant and eclectic Designer Tablescapes elevate table settings to table art.

Get inspiration for small garden spaces in the 2004 Festival's new feature of Container Gardens. Look for artful ideas for pots, planters, and baskets.

The Festival is the perfect place to grow your garden knowledge. Popular with visitors are exhibits by floral and horticulture societies and the Amateur Horticulture Exhibit. The Seminar Series, free to Festival ticket holders, features lectures and/or demonstrations by noted flower and garden gurus.

The acclaimed Southern Living‚ Gardening School will be presented at the Festival of Flowers, one of only eight sites in the entire region. Bill Slack, horticulturist of national reputation and author of "Southern Living Garden Guide to Landscaping," will conduct the daylong event, to be held Friday, March 26 and again Saturday, March 27. Call (251) 639-2050 or 1-877-777-0529 for reservations.

Weekend Family Fun Days on Saturday and Sunday, coordinated by the Mobile Museum of Art, present educational and entertaining activities for the Festival's young sprouts. Visitors of all ages catch spring fever in the Gardener's Galleria, where vendors from around the country offer all sorts of plants, pots, and paraphernalia. Amidst the shopping scene visitors find the Garden Cafe appealing for a relaxing break with a beverage, snack or lunch in a spot of tented tranquility.

Through the Festival of Flowers, the Providence Foundation benefits the community through health care advancements. It also promotes an interest in gardening and beautification and encourages the preservation of the natural beauty that is so much a part of Mobile's heritage.

The Festival of Flowers' title sponsor is Regions Bank, a community-focused bank that offers full-service commercial and retail banking from more than 680 offices across a nine-state geographic area in the South.

Hours for the Festival of Flowers are Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Spring Hill College campus (just off I-65 in Mobile). There is ample, convenient parking adjacent to the show and designated bus and handicapped parking. Ticket prices are $10 at gate, $8 in advance; seniors $9 at gate; children 12 and under free; Gardening School: $40 (one-day event includes show admission, lunch). Special group rates and packages with Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile Museum of Art, Oakleigh Historic Complex and other area attractions are available. For information or Gardening School reservations call (251) 639-2050 or 1-877-777-0529. Visit our website at www.festivalofflowers.com.