Sun. March 25

 Five-plus acres of space, 15,000 varieties of plants, trees and shrubs, 1000-plus theatrical fixtures ... and it's all gone after Sunday. It seems like an awful lot of work for a short stretch of time - kind of like a butterfly's life - but there is an awful lot of beauty to take in at the 136th Annual New England Sping Flower Show at the Bayside Expo Center. We managed to go as the sleet was coming down, making the inside even more of a sanctuary. (Last snow of the winter, we're sure.) We marveled at Barbara Zielak's 36-flower design, which won second prize in the Magnificent Mass Design division. We dug Jacqueline Hauser's sharp-angled sculpture and Calla Lilly and Hala design. We smiled at the City of Boston's Parks & Recreation Department's sprawling exhibit which won the Herald's Urban Landscape Award with a comment of "Curb appealing." The soft sound of rushing water was omnipresent; a multiplicity of olfactory delights were everywhere - well, except when the fried dough from the food court area came wafting our way. We marvelled at the birds and foliage in Peter R. Sadeck's exhibit, which had a judge's placard stating, "Small plants and exotic birds make us wish it was our backyard." Our backyard is a concrete court, so we second that emotion. The trade show part of the exhibit hall is pretty tasteful, with the highlight being a stunning butterfly collection, where it was explained all the dead beauties behind glass were allowed to live out their glorious lives - two weeks - and then pinned for eternity. (Sort of like the "Body Works" exhibit that ran at the Museum of Science earlier this year, but featuring insects, not humans.) There's way too much to tell in this short space. We can say there are special events every day - music, food, presentations - and you can partake or just meander the lot at a measured speed. Don't rush it. This is your respite from the rest of life. It's not even that hard to tune out the other people. Just focus on the scenery, breathe in, and it's yours for a moment. The Show, presented by the Mass. Horticultural Society, raps up today, Sunday March 25, and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: $20. (Warning: Parking will run you another $12). Check the website below for particulars about different days.

200 Mt. Vernon St., 617-933-4900 masshort.org