LADYBUG SAYS...FLOWER SHOWS A PRELUDE OF APPROACHING SPRING

"America Abloom-A Celebration of Regional Styles of Gardening," is the theme of the third annual St. Louis Flower Show, hosted by the Junior League of St. Louis. The event will be held at Cervantes Convention Center, downtown St. Louis, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

This year's show will include garden displays, floral displays, speakers series, educational exhibits, tropical garden cafe, and tours. There will be more than 200 professional and amateur participants and the show is expected to attract more than 40,000 garden enthusiasts from across the country.

The St. Louis Flower Show brings together four days of professionally landscaped gardens, more than 80 shopping boutiques, a multitude of floral displays and special speakers featuring gardening experts.

Tickets for the shoe are $6 for adults ($5 in advance), $2 for children 6 to 12, 5 and under free. Senior citizens day is Thursday when tickets are $5. For further information call St. Louis Flower Show Office, 314-997-3407. There are other special fees for special events.

This year's Flower Show will feature a lunch and lecture with noted author and regular NBC Today Show guest Martha Steward on Thursday. Tickets for this event are $50 for adults. On Friday, Jan. 22, guest speakers will include Marshal Crosby, assistant director of Missouri Botanical Garden, Gary Wangler, horticulturalist for the St. Louis Zoo, Anna Beth Calkins with St. Louis city parks, and Ken Miller, local horticultural consultant.

Saturday's speakers will be Charles Cresson from Burpee Seed Company, Ken Druse, editor of House Beautiful magazine, Jean LeMon, editor in chief of Country Home and Country Gardens magazine.

Last year's Flower Show was held in April at Queeny Park. Part of it was inside, part outside, and part under tents, and it was ever so cold. It, too, was sponsored by The Junior League of St. Louis.

The Junior League is part of an international organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. All proceeds from the show will be used to train volunteers to work in the community and support "Families in Crisis: Stronger Families for a Stronger Community."

There are two other outstanding flower shows coming this year. The world's most renowned garden show, The Chelsea Flower Show, which is hosted annually by The Royal Horticulture Society, London, England, is coming to North America.

The Chelsea America Foundation has scheduled two shows, one in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 6-9 and the second in Palm Beach, Florida, February 20 to 23.

Presented in outdoor, garden like settings on sites of 30 and 40 acres, the Chelsea America Flower Shows have been patterned after the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show of London. This show offers modal gardens, horticultural and floricultural exhibits and an enormous trade show.

The first day of this prestigious show in London is for the Queen and her family and entourage, the second day for members of The Royal Horticulture Society, and the next three days are open to the public. The price of the show on the third day is quite expensive, and it goes down each day as the fresh flowers and other plants are diminishing each day. It was our privilege to be there the first day it was open to the public in 1982 and it was a most memorable occasion. The English people love their flowers and do not hesitate to spend their money for products and materials for making their own gardens beautiful.

When these shows open in the States, they will bring more from England than the spirit of their famous shows. The premiere judge of floral table settings will be Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, eldest daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, and a distant relative of the famous Winston Churchill. She will judge the dramatic floral table settings at both Chelsea American Flower Shows in February.

Cypress Gardens will bring its horticultural expertise to the West Palm Beach Show. They will showcase their newest gardening technique, the stuffed topiary as red blooming begonias take the shape of an eight-foot tall cardinal bird. Guests will also have an opportunity to attend a featured seminar on butterfly gardening, conducted by Richard Hesterburg, who will discuss the kinds of plants and flowers which will attract butterflies.

Flower Shows in California, Florida and St. Louis tell us the flower season will soon be approaching so we may have our own flower show at home.