Sculpture + Roses that Are ‘Easy to Love’ at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show

A surprisingly large-scale display of art and roses will welcome guests at the 2016 Chicago Flower and Garden Show presented by Mariano’s at Navy Pier, March 12-20. Working with the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit, a non-profit that places art in public areas, this year’s show will focus on putting artwork in the public right of way amidst more than 1,200 illustrious roses.

These six large-scale pieces of public art will be on display amidst beds of roses at the 2016 Chicago Flower and Garden show. Photos by: (Top left, clockwise) ‘Chicago Peace Tree’ by Nicole Beck, ‘Looking Up’ by Michael Young, ‘Facilitated Spark’ by Dusty Folwarczny, ‘Night in Tunisia’ by Ron Gard, ‘The Turtle, The World, The Garden and Bullwinkle’ by Mike Helbing, and ‘Dream Seeker’ by Shencheng Xu.

TIPS FOR PLACING GARDEN SCULPTURES

Six different public art sculpture pieces crafted by local artists will be on display at the show. The pieces range from 200-600 pounds, six to 11 feet tall and are created in a variety of materials including steel, fiberglass, and bronze.

“The artists with the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit want the public to see art as part of every day life. We want to represent that at the show,” says show owner Tony Abruscato. “We’re happy to showcase the artists and work with them because the goal of the show is to inspire, educate, and motivate with art. Part of our theme this year is ‘Chicago is Art’, so we want visitors to see how and why sculpture is a great part of the garden, and how they can integrate it in their own green space.”

The art sculptures will be blended with upwards of 500 roses from Weeks Roses, among a combined 1,200 roses from both Star Roses and Weeks Roses on display throughout the show. “Roses are a favorite flower for many people,” says Abruscato, “and we want to showcase their beauty, and show the public that they’re not so difficult to work with and to have in an everyday landscape.”

The mysteriously colored Weeks Roses varietal ‘Cinco de Mayo’ rose with its blending of smoked lavender and rusty red-orange color will be on display among more than 1,200 roses at the 2016 Chicago Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier, March 12-20. Photo by: Weeks Roses.

Many of Weeks Roses varietals will be on display including last year’s favorite, the “Cinco de Mayo” rose. “They’re all coming from the “Easy to Love” collection by Weeks Roses,” says Abruscato which includes roses that have been specially bred to be naturally disease-resistant, east to care for and grow.

Weeks Roses will also be presenting new varieties of roses including the 2016 introduction ‘Pretty Lady Rose’, and old-fashioned and ruffled rose from the Downton Abbey Collection. Two new rose varieties debuting for 2017 will also be on display. These are ‘Violet’s Pride’ and ‘Edith’s Darling’ which are currently available only in limited supplies, and only at specialty Independent Garden Centers. The two new introductions are also part of the Downton Abbey Collection.

Roses from the popular Downtown Abbey Collection by Weeks Roses will be on display at the 2016 Chicago Flower and Garden Show with three varieties including the 2016 introduction ‘Pretty Lady Rose’ (pictured) and two new 2017 introductions ‘Violet’s Pride’ and ‘Edith’s Darling’ which are currently available only in limited supplies, and only at specialty Independent Garden Centers. Photo by: Weeks Roses.

Each of the sculptures on display will be artfully arranged among roses by Patch Landscaping, a local landscape design company serving the Chicagoland area. Designers from Patch Landscaping and sculpture artists will be on hand during the show to answer questions.

The 2016 theme CHICAGO IS will spotlight all that is Chicago - including its culture, cuisine, art, design, neighborhoods and community. The show treats gardening enthusiasts and newbies alike to the sights, scents and sounds of feature gardens with blooming perennials, annuals and trees while water features rustle throughout the Festival Halls of Chicago’s acclaimed Navy Pier, March 12-20, 2016. For more information, visit www.chicagoflower.com.

Take advantage of this special offer for Garden Design readers: Use discount code Design16 when you purchase tickets online, and save an additional $2 off adult weekday or weekend online tickets. May not be combined with other offers. Purchase your tickets prior to March 12 and save a total of $4 off box office pricing.

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