The beautiful setting of ProvidenceHospital’s Festival of Flowers could have had a tense moment if the ladies of the Camellia Society and the rival Orchid Society hadn’t been distracted by the Master Gardeners who offered peace lilies to both groups. Blossom brawls avoided!  Well . . . it could have happened.

This year’s Festival of Flowers was the perfect way to begin spring. I left my plain old garden of Baldwin County potatoes and peas to drive to Mobile and enjoy the stunning show. Along with the other attendees, I received the royal treatment with enough new gardening ideas to last a lifetime.

“BritishGardens in Time” delighted guests with vignettes from famous castles and perfectly proper floral arrangements.

Organizing the gargantuan tents in a new configuration gave the festival a fresh look. The entryway, lined with giant royal crowns made of flowers, was the first sign that this year’s show was going to be special. If Queen Elizabeth herself had been present, she would have surely felt at home among the royal table settings depicting Wimbledon, an afternoon foxhunt and a lovely English tea party.

Enormous hanging baskets with cascading arrangements were suspended over fountains of bubbling water surrounded by deep purple hydrangeas. As spectators strolled the pathways, their heads swiveled left and right, up and down, taking in all the beauty from floral varieties both familiar and new.

A British storybook section interpreted childhood favorites in floral arrangements. “Through the Looking Glass,” “Harry Potter,” “Peter Rabbit” and “The Jungle Book” all drew crowds peering for an up-close inspection.

The outdoor tents full of garden themed vendors were popular, as the early spring day provided the perfect non-windy, non-chilly and definitely non-cloudy day in a long time.

A room named “Everything But Flowers” drew spectators interested in the more rugged side of the great outdoors.

Tractors, mowers, lawn furniture and hot tubs were receiving interest mainly from those who were dragged along to smell the roses. Something for everyone — and compromises for all.

Proceeds from this year’s Festival of Flowers will benefit upgrades in the hospital’s infant warmers and security monitors, which is a bloomin’ good cause. 

Now, to begin the majestic transformation of my backyard into the gardens of HighclereCastle.

Right after a spot of tea and crumpets.

Leslie Anne Harrison also writes for the Southern Coterie and at the blog, Fairhope Supply Co. www.fairhopeuspply.com