EVERY BLOOMING THING : Landscape and floral design show expects more than 10,000 visitors.
More than 10,000 garden, floral and antique enthusiasts are expected to turn out this weekend for the Banning Residence Museum’s Floriade III, an extensive landscape and floral design show in Wilmington.
Each room in the Banning Residence Museum will showcase creative displays from the area’s most influential floral designers, such as Silver Birches, Stanley Kersten, The Woods at the Four Seasons and Milo Bixby.
“The rooms are a just a mass of gorgeous flowers,” said Zoe Bergquist of the Banning Museum. “Everything’s fresh. The designers are among the best in Los Angeles.”
The 20-acre museum grounds, including the park surrounding the house, a sunken garden, the Stagecoach Barn courtyard and the rose walk, will be used for landscape displays.
The event, named for the Floriade celebration in Holland, will also feature a lecture series about floral and landscape design. Scheduled speakers include J. Barry Ferguson, a New York floral designer in his first Southern California appearance; Dr. James Folsom and Shirley Kerins of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens; garden writer Robert Smaus of The Times, and floral designer Manisse Newell.
Another attraction for visitors will be the museum itself, a national historical site. Built in 1864, the residence represents one of the finest examples of 19th-Century Greek Revival architecture in Southern California.
The building was home to Phineas Banning, who founded the city of Wilmington and the Port of Los Angeles. Banning, who also served in the state Legislature after the Civil War, played a pivotal role in linking the port to the city of Los Angeles.
“Gen. Banning was instrumental in the development of this city,” said Phoebe Vaccaro, president of Friends of Banning Park. “We hope visitors to Banning Residence Museum will come away from their experience with a better understanding not only of the history and culture of pioneer California, but also understanding why and how the city and region developed.”
The show was originally scheduled for last May but was canceled after the riots. Organizers said staging the event after last year’s cancellation was difficult.
“We were all so devastated by what had happened with the riots,” Bergquist said. “We had all worked so hard. It was a hard thing to come back from. But as soon as we decided to hold it again, it gave everyone a lift. We’ve been swimming along ever since.”
Last year, organizers donated food, originally intended for an opening night party, to police and fire departments. Officials also gave their floral arrangements to a local children’s hospital.
The event is expected to generate $200,000 for the museum. All proceeds from the event go toward restoration of the museum and the funding of its educational programs. Floriade III is sponsored by Friends of Banning Park, a nonprofit support group for the museum.
The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, children 12 and under are free, and lectures are $15. A children’s program will also be offered. Banning Residence Museum is located at 401 East M St. in Wilmington. Information, (310) 548-7777.
