When they get married at the New England Spring Flower Show on March 24, Gail Ela, 44, and D. J. (Daniel Jackson) McDaniel, 45, of Uxbridge won’t have to worry about ordering flowers. They will be joined together under an 18-foot arbor of fragrant jasmine surrounded by blooming beach plums and delphiniums, and a couple of thousand spectators.

The revered 136 -year-old Flower Show , opening Saturday at the Bayside Expo Center in Dorchester , is the world’s oldest annually held flower show, but this will be its first wedding. The couple first met many years ago at an earlier edition of the flower show when they were working as carpenters, building sets for gardens during the typically frenzied set-up marathon. “Now it’s come full circle,” said Flower Show director (and de facto wedding planner) Carolyn Weston .

“The Flower Show can be very romantic,” said Trish Wesley Umbrell , new director of adult education and outreach for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, which sponsors the event. “I took my husband there on an early date.”

The Spring Flower Show targets various audiences with different themes during its nine-day run. Sunday’s theme is beginner’s tips for new homeowners. Monday features Bay State produce and cuisine. Tuesday night is called “Ask the Experts.” Wednesday will feature one-day-only exhibits on New England garden travel destinations. Next Thursday’s “Girl s Night Out” will feature aromatherapy and hairstyling tips. The Flower Show’s March 23 “Children’s Festival” has been expanded to include plant programs for teachers.

Not surprisingly, Ela and McDaniel’s wedding will coincide with the Flower Show’s bridal theme event, “Brides n’ Blooms,” which will include presentations to prospective brides by florists and caterers.

The 6 , 700 -square – foot wedding garden, created by Falmouth-based landscape designer Paul Miskovsky and New Bedford nurseryman David Haskell , will also be the setting for a sold-out gala dinner tomorrow night. A beachfront-style natural garden with a wetland component, the installation will include 24 dinner tables with dramatic centerpieces by different leading floral designers that will be refreshed throughout the run of the Flower Show. Tickets for tomorrow’s 6-8 p.m. preview party are still available and start at $100 . Stuart Whitehurst of Skinner Antiques will conduct an auction and a new cocktail derived from beach plums will be served.

The three dozen other gardens on exhibit will include an outstanding collection of rhododendrons to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Osterville -based Bartlett Tree Experts . Howard Garden Designs Inc., of Newton, New England Water Gardens of Beverly, and Weston Nurseries of Hopkinton are collaborating on a whimsical garden with water and fire features while the Newport Flower Show of Portsmouth , R.I., will mount a floral tribute to the Tall Ships. For the first time the Society’s Master Gardeners will stage an exhibit, which will suggest alternatives to traditional lawns.

This year’s show will also feature a stellar lineup of guest speakers, thanks in part to Umbrell’s efforts, said Weston. “As a former editor of Horticulture magazine , she’s on a first – name basis with a lot of writers and lecturers. Trish has helped us raise the whole game up a notch.”

Saturday’s opening-day speakers include internationally noted British garden designer Adrian Bloom , top lily – leaf beetle expert Richard Casagrande , and plantsman Allan Armitage . Connecticut author Tovah Martin , “Victory Garden” TV host Michael Weishan , and “perennial diva” Stephanie Cohen are among Sunday’s speakers. Rare plant collector and nurseryman Tony Avent’s “Confessions of a Crazed Perennials Addict” lecture Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. will be another highlight.

Visit masshort.org for a complete list of times, speakers, and other details of the Flower Show, which runs from Saturday through March 25 . Tickets are $20 for adults, with discounts for seniors, children under age 12 , students, groups, and members of the military. Call 617-933-4923 for show ticket and preview party information.

source : www.boston.com