Me and my aperture: The 2013 Chicago Flower and Garden Show

The Chicago Flower and Garden show logo by the entrance.

Spring is in the air and there's no better indication of that other than being in the Chicago Flower and Garden show. This years theme is called "The Art of Gardening". We always go at the first day of the show. This year they have a lot of stuff going on. Here are my favorite areas of the show this year:

Footwear: Women's Stories - This area displays footwear created by members of Women's Journeys in Fiber. The footwear displayed are crafted with different materials...from leather to buns and hotdogs...yes you read that right....BUNS AND HOTDOGS. you have to go see it to believe it. I had a very enjoyable time just walking through the displays and taking photos of them.

One of the cakes on display in the show.

Another cake on display.

The Water Sonata - This area displays a garden full of water...from fountains to mini ponds. Complete with Koi fishes and a turtle! The scenery was very calming. A very nice place to grab an idea if you own a home with a big garden.

A very cool metal sculpture of frogs.

The Tulip display.

Think inside the box - This area has displays of plant life and art put together in a box. The displays range from vegetables and plant life made out of sheet metal to animals meticulously sculpted from a metallic material. Pretty neat stuff.

The Art on the Farm display.

Tablescapes: An Art-Full Table - Every year they have an area where the display some table arrangements with a theme. From weddings to a specific culture themed tables, this years display was I think one of the best compared to previous years. One of my favorite one was an asian inspired table arrangement.

One of the Tablescapes display.

A piano and trumpets converted to be water fountains.

Art on the Farm - This area displays edible plant life that can also be used to create a very artsy garden. The plethora of colors, textures, and shapes contribute to making the garden pleasing to eye. I've never seen vegetables arranged in such a big area that it becomes a functional garden and at the same time attractive.

One of the Tablescapes display.

Canvas of Tulips - Now here is where the photographers congregate. I made sure I brought my Canon 17-40mm f/4L and my 100mm macro to enjoy this area. The tulips were so nicely arranged that you'd spend hours photographing them.

An asian themed Tablescapes display.

The Artist palette tulip display.

Took this from the tulip area.

Another one of my tulip shots

Of course...the Marketplace!

The Marketplace - This is usually the last stop for us every year before we leave the show. Tons of merchants introducing new products and crafts...from hoses to portable speakers. They even have a wine area where you can sample wines or just sit down and enjoy the show.

This beautiful display is in the Veris display.

One of the most awesome cakes in the show.

The Photo contest - This area had a lot more photo entries compared to previous years. The walls were decorated with graffiti that has a Chicago theme in it. I managed to snatch a best in class photo ribbon. Next year I'm going for the best in show.

A display from Footwear: women's stories.

A depiction of Hiking Shoes.

They also have display cakes from different bakeshops specializing in made to order cakes. From Tomato boxes to artist themed cakes, you'd actually feel bad cutting them in pieces if you ordered one for yourself.

One of my favorite designs in the shoe display.

This one was very artsy.

There are other stuff in the show that I forgot to mention that we went to but I don't really have the time to write about them here. All I can say is that we enjoyed the event and I always recommend to my friends to go and visit.

Another cool shoe display

This is a closeup of the piano fountain in the show.

The show runs from March 9-17 at the Chicago Navy Pier. If you decide to go, don't forget to bring your camera. Details on the show can be found at the show website at:

http://www.chicagoflower.com/