2020 has been a year of should-have-beens. This week, the Southport Flower Show should have been in full swing, its colour and happiness injecting life into the traditional seaside town that hosts it. The show is run as a charity and profits maintain Victoria Park, the 34-acre site that has been home to the show since it started.
Rather than lament, I’m sending the organisers, the exhibitors my virtual best wishes and am sharing a couple of cartoons I photographed at the show in happier days. I think both are by the same cartoonist, Rich, but am happy to correct if anyone knows better.
Through the comments below, Oddment prompted me to share this sign, also from the show:
Finally, for those who appreciate plants more than puns, I’m adding a tiny treasure from the floristry marquee (it’s hard to spot that the chair seat is upholstered in leaves):
If you missed my post from last year’s show, you can find it here.
Susan Rushton 
Love the flower alien one – thanx for my morning giggle!!
My pleasure. 🙂
Of course I had to revisit last year’s show; it was good to be reminded of Root 66, which still makes me cackle. Very thoughtful of you to acknowledge the memory of the show in this year of should-have-beens. We need to hold to what might be again.
I can hardly help it. Thanks for your prompt – I have added in the sign as it goes quite nicely with these. It’s not my best picture, but you’ll get the gist.
Do those in Southport know what Route 66 is?
I think they do now! I certainly hope so because “Root 66” is too brilliant to be wasted!
We might not know the exact route, but we know we’re meant to get our kicks on it. A lot of British people travel over so they can say they’ve been along it. I have seen the bottle tree orchard on it.
For many years, I knew only the section of Route 66 through Beverly Hills, near its western end in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County. I never actually went to Santa Monica that way. Nor did I go east into the Mountains. The section through the Mountains was one of the first to be bypassed, although it is still a tourist destination that I really should see. In the autumn of 2012, I took Route 66 from Barstow to Oklahoma City, which really is ‘Oh so pretty’, even from the west rather than the east.
It is an excellent fit!
Fun! I especially like the tea cup and saucer.
It’s looking milky in an alternative way.
A fun post in a Time of Covid Cancellation.
The aliens might have to do a little better to get a highly commended. 🙂
Nice. I lake that “Root 66”.
It’s a popular name for hairdressers over here but I haven’t seen it in horticulture before.
I love the red marrows display! Fun pics 🙂
That was my favourite. I suspect it might be lost in translation, though.
Yes, very possibly: the Red Arrows and the Blue Eagles were an indelible part of my childhood.
Not a gardener myself, I normally give plant shows a pass. But your pictures make me think I should give one a go next time!
I’m sure you’d like it. Each show has its own character but they all have a celebratory feel.