Flowers, Gardens, The Fabulous Beekman Boys and Me

What do frilly hydrangea, fancy brick pavers, packs of petunias, hordes of herbs, the fabulous Beekman Boys, Blooming Hill and what seemed like thousands of people all have in common?  We were at Leesburg's annual spring flower and garden fling this past weekend, of course!  And, as usual, it was the most happening place to be on a sunny and finally mild spring weekend.

In spite of a little rain during set-up, early Friday evening, the sun shined down on the crowds that walked through the streets, browsed the booths, sampled sweets and treats and most importantly, just enjoyed themselves. Besides, what would a Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival be, without a little rain somewhere in the forecast, anyway?

Aside from seeing dear friends and making new friends, there are always too many flowers, trees, bushes and plants to choose from which makes it all the more fun to come, plan and dream away a garden of delights for your own backyard.

One of the highlights for me was meeting the Beekman boys as they breezed through the be-decked booths and bricked sidewalks on their way to their own booth for a book signing session of their newest cookbook. They were kind enough to stop and talk to Peter and me.  Cordial and gracious, they smiled, made some small talk and complimented us on our coordinating Blooming Hill purple t-shirts.  While I took it as a compliment, because I thought we really did look nice, if not a little tired at the end of two days of greeting and talking with our parade of customers, Peter just had to say, "My wife made me wear this."  They chuckled, shook our hands, said they enjoyed meeting us, then continued on their way down the street.

I only wish that I had my camera at the ready so I could have taken a picture of the Beekman Boys and me.  I would have had Peter take the picture since he did not like his purple shirt, anyway! But, sadly, I only thought of a photo op once the Beekman Boys had left our booth and were far down the street.  I thought it a bit tacky to chase after them, although I did consider it for a minute or two.  Alas, I'll just have to catch them again on the Food channel!

All in all, the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival is one of my most favorite weekends of the entire year.  It's always a fun couple of days filled with gardening talk and ideas and a wonderful way to come together, friends and strangers alike, and celebrate the gift of flora and fauna, remember Earth Day and pay a Virginia-style homage to Spring.