Flower show to bloom again in Boston

The Boston Flower & Garden Show will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston March 24-28. It is a new show, with a new producer, new name, and new location. But it will include many of the people and even some of the props that were part of the former New England Spring Flower Show, a much-loved Boston institution that was suspended in 2009 after 137 years because of the financial meltdown of its producer, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

The Paragon Group, a Needham events marketer best known for its auto shows, will mount the new flower show, which will look awfully familiar.

Paragon has hired the old flower show’s longtime manager, Carolyn Weston, and she’s lined up veteran exhibitors from past shows.

But there will be differences. The factory-like Dorchester Expo Center has been replaced by a spiffed-up waterfront venue. The new show will be five days, half the duration of the old one, and also more commercial. Weston hopes to strike a balance between making money and satisfying horticultural sophisticates.

“You will see more retail as you walk through the gardens,’’ she said. “But I’m also going to make sure that all the plants on exhibit are still labeled in Latin.’’

Paragon was prepared to stage a flower show without participation from MassHort. But MassHort trustee Paul Miskovsky said he presented Seaport World Trade Center executives with a half-dozen letters from nurserymen, who said they would not mount garden displays for the new show unless MassHort had a role.

“There were enough of us who didn’t want to throw MassHort under the bus to change the outcome of the negotiations,’’ Miskovsky said. “Now there’s an adequate amount of money for MassHort to do what has to get done and after the show we’ll see where we are. The whole thing for us is to keep MassHort alive.’’ As in past years, its members will get free flower show tickets. Board director Betsy Madsen said last week that MassHort was getting 50 new memberships a day from gardeners who want flower show tickets. “MassHort is going to survive,’’ she said.

While Paragon deals with commercial vendors and large garden exhibits by professional landscapers, MassHort’s part of the flower show - which is called Blooms! - will encompass the nonprofit side of the show. This includes amateur horticulture and competitions, with displays by 16 plant societies and garden clubs, and a pair of floral design competitions. “Everyone’s a volunteer, including me,’’ said Blooms! director Neal Sanders. MassHort is also providing nomenclature, props, and some lecture programming and awards. The Master Gardeners Association, once part of MassHort but now an independent organization, will answer gardening questions.

“We’ve mended our fences and everyone is working well together,’’ said Miskovsky, adding, “The reality is we have to make this work.’’

For more information visit www.thebostonflowershow.com. or call 781-237-5533. To participate as an a volunteer or amateur grower, call 617-933-4900 or visit www.MassHort.org.