Courtesy Chicago Flower Show

2010 Chicago Flower & Garden Show raises curtain March 6-14 on ‘theatrical’ gardens, a ‘streetscape’ and a horticultural competition. The Chicago Flower & Garden Show—the Midwest’s premier gardening exhibition for professionals and consumers alike—returns to Navy Pier on Chicago’s lakefront Saturday, March 6, through Sunday, March 14, 2010. The show’s theme, “Cultivating Great Performances,” underscores Chicago’s reputation as a great theater town by celebrating the Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Members of each theater’s creative team have inspired engaging garden environments created by leading garden professionals, who fuse the drama of the stage with the artistry of horticulture.

The new show floor layout is designed by Terry Guen Design Associates, the acclaimed Chicago-based landscape architecture and urban design firm. And iconic stage plays including “Wicked,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Miss Saigon” will provide themes for gardens created by top landscape designers. In addition, Chicago’s lauded theaters—Goodman, Lookingglass and Chicago Shakespeare—are the inspiration for the gardens.

Courtesy Chicago Flower Show

Now in its 16th year, the Midwest’s annual horticulture and landscape showcase is designed to inspire, educate and motivate visitors. It is sponsored by Belgard Hardscapes, a nationwide network of paving stone and garden wall products manufacturers, and produced by Special Events Management with the support of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and of Navy Pier. Inspirational highlights The 2010 Chicago Flower & Garden Show features 25 gardens designed by top gardening and landscaping companies. It also features a vendor Marketplace displaying garden and green products and services of more than 125 exhibitors. The inviting, new 2010 floor layout is guaranteed to provide visitors with a decidedly unique show experience: a ‘streetscape.’ Terry Guen Design Associates, whose projects include Millennium Park and the Chicago Riverwalk, has added a meandering boulevard punctuated by cul de sacs.

chicagoflower.com