Is it spring yet? It might feel like it with the mild winter we’re having, but we all know we still have to wait a little longer. If you’re in need of some flowers and spring beauty to lift your spirits, drive south and visit the Portland Flower Show March 7 through 11 at 58 Fore St. If you need a heavy dose, go to the opening gala and awards ceremony on the 7th from 6 to 9 p.m. Or just visit during regular hours on any of the other days of the show; you can buy a ticket for one day or for all four.

The Flower Show theme this year is “Celebration.” Featured on this page are some photos from the past two shows to give you an idea of what you might see this year.

The show is not just about flowers, despite the name. It is equal parts hardscapes, landscapes and flowers, offering materials, designs, tools, techniques and the actual flowers and vegetation for all gardeners and landscapers.

Not enough? Free lectures all four days of the show will range from constructing habitat boxes to a talk by Lisa Colburn, author of the book “The Maine Garden Journal.” Check out the website — http://portlandcompany.com/flower/ — for all the action.

Among the attractions are two auctions following the show, a silent auction that you can place bids on by going to the Cumberland County Master Gardener’s website (http://www.cc-mg.org/) and a live auction at the end of the show on Sunday. The silent auction offers a lot of things — everything from birdhouses and sheep manure to windjammer sails. If you attend the live auction, you may go home with some of your favorites from the show – plants that is. Check out the flower show website.

And, there will be vendors, food and plenty of activities for kids too, including a Children’s Discovery Garden. All children under 12 get free admission with purchase of an adult ticket.

For our Road Trip this month, we present the retail homes of some of the flower show’s exhibitors, both past and present, for you to visit, along with some places of interest in their areas — all but one of which are now open for business. (The closed establishment will open in early March.) So read on, map a trip and put a little spring in your life!

Landmarc’s Inc.

Submission: “To Bee or Not To Be”

41 Quincy Drive

Gorham

839-3398

http://www.landmarcs.com/

Working with O’Donal’s, DSO Creative Fabrications and Goldstar Honeybees, they won a total of four awards in last year’s show, including the People’s Choice Award. Visit them if you are thinking about creating a new outdoor living space.

O’Donal’s Nurseries

Submission: “To Bee or Not To Be”

6 County Road

Gorham

839-4262

http://www.odonalsnurseries.com/

While in Gorham if you work up a thirst from checking out Landmarc’s and O’Donal’s take time to stop off at:

Sebago Brewing Co.

29 Elm St.

Gorham

839-2337

Gorham is a college town so there are a few brewing companies in town, but Sebago has plenty of fresh ales and beer to choose from. Open seven days a week, they serve up American food with vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Estabrook’s nurseries

Submission: “Garden Living”

337 East Main St.

Yarmouth (also in Scarborough and Kennebunk)

846-4398

http://www.estabrooksonline.com/

Currently closed for the season, it will open at all its locations in early March. Check out their website for an online catalog to browse through.

While in Yarmouth, visit the DeLorme Map Store and see Eartha, the world’s largest globe, and look through all the maps, books and pamphlets available. Also they have award-winning communications and GPS systems and many other “toys” to delight kids of all ages.

DeLorme Map Store

2 DeLorme Drive

Yarmouth

1-800-561-5105

www.delorme.com/

Dust of the Earth Pottery

38 Pleasant Hill Road

Brunswick

725-5263

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dust-of-the-Earth-Pottery/209878411258

Dust of the Earth Pottery will be teaming up with Urban Garden Center to create a fairy garden display. This will mean a new line of pottery for fairy gardens, including fairy castles, patios, patio furniture and other products that were dreamed up. If you love fairies, you’ll want to see this. Meanwhile, Urban Garden Center has everything you could need for indoor and outdoor gardens, specializing in organic products.

Urban Garden Center

325 Lewiston Road

Topsham

373-0990

http://www.urbangardencenter.net/

While in the Brunswick/Topsham area stop off at the:

Eveningstar Cinema

149 Main St.

Brunswick

729-5486

http://www.eveningstarcinema.com/

Now showing: “The Artist.” This film won many honors at the Orange British Film Academy Awards, including for best film, best director, best actor, best original screenplay, best costume design, best cinematography and best music. Look for it at this year’s Academy Awards. The film only runs from today to next Thursday, March 1, so check out the theater’s upcoming films at http://eveningstarcinema.com/index.html or call 729-5486.

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