Images of meadows of summer flowers, phlox-filled woodlands, and delicate trilliums bring cheer to any gardener in the dead of winter. A webinar by C. Colston Burrell recently offered viewers just those images and many more.

Titled “Nature as Gardener: Working with Natural Process for Beauty and Reduced Maintenance,” the webinar was held on February 11. Sponsored by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS), it is one in a series programs being held this winter and spring. They are open to the public and PHS members for a fee.        

The Philadelphia Flower (PFS) Show will host “Habitat: Nature’s Masterpiece” this summer in a historic park in downtown Philadelphia. The celebration will examine nature through nature’s kaleidoscopic lens.

The 192-year-old Show will be held from June 5 to 13, 2021. It will cover 15 of the 348-acre Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) in South Philadelphia, near the Sports Complex. The site will provide space for new features as well traditional favorites. It will be the scene of outstanding gardening and floral attractions.

“We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the outdoors and offer joy and beauty after a year that has been marked by so many challenges. This experience is a wonderful example of the enduring and combined power of green space, plants, and gardeners to create impact and inspiration,” said Sam Lemheney, PHS Chief of Shows & Events.

Cardinals adorn a snow-covered shrub with a white-throated sparrow and blue jay tucked in the background. Photo by David P. O’Callaghan

Birds depend on native shrubs and trees for their survival. They offer birds food, cover from the weather, a place to hide from predators, and a spot to build nests and raise their young.

Shrubs and trees provide birds with the essential elements of home.