Connecticut Flower and Garden Show Coming February 23rd - 26th

Coming to the CONNECTICUT CONVENTION CENTER 

in Hartford CT!

Come to the CT Flower Garden Show 2023 at  the Hartford Convention Center

If you're anything like me - you're already counting down to the first day of spring! So I have GREAT news for you! The sights and smells of that season will be on full display at the 41^st “Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” from Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26, 2023 at the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford, Conn. Dates/Hours: Thursday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Discounted admission tickets are on sale now: 

$17 for Adults and Seniors at www.CTFlowerShow.com.

The prestigious annual event will be New England’s only 2023 flower exhibition show, covering almost two acres, and offering ideas for house, apartment, and condo dwellers. “Gateway to Spring” is the theme of this year’s show that features expansive live gardens, a nonstop schedule of seminars and demonstrations, the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s annual Standard Flower Show, and hundreds of vendors displaying and selling all types of items.

 

As soon as attendees step into the Exhibition Hall, they will be welcomed by more than a dozen live gardens in full bloom by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, including naturalistic, low maintenance, native, containers, vegetables, organic, herb, and pollinator gardens.

 

Over 80 hours of seminars and demonstrations will be presented by more than 20 horticulturalists, landscapers, and industry professionals, and are free with admission. An impressive roster of expert speakers includes Paul Split, Charlie Nardozzi, Ellen Ecker Ogden, Kim Eierman, Kerry Ann Mendez, Nancy DuBrule-Clemente and Lorraine Ballato.

 

The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s annual Standard Flower Show will amass 12,500 square feet of beautiful design, horticulture, botanical arts, and photography competition with entries from members across the state – all themed “Gateway to Spring”.

 

Hundreds of booths will showcase displays, activities, shopping: artisans, handcrafted gifts, fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, metalwork sculptures, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, lawn and garden tools, equipment and more. Bring 1/2 cup of soil for free testing at the UConn Co-op booth.

 

Returning this year is the popular Barnes & Noble Center, selling flower, plant, and garden books, including those written by the show’s seminar speakers.

 

Come to the CT Flower Garden Show 2023 at  the Hartford Convention Center 2023

“During the Covid experience of isolation, hands-on gardening and outdoor living became increasingly important for reducing stress and elevating our moods,” says Kristie Gonsalves, President of North East Expos, Inc., the show’s longtime producer and a past president of the National Association of Consumer Show Producers. “We are thrilled that our colorful show offers opportunities for people to discover new ways to enjoy their homes and growing spaces – indoors and out!”

 

Admission for February 23-26, 2023 Show:

Discounted Tickets: $17 for Adults & Seniors are on sale now at www.CTFlowerShow.com and can be purchased online through the last day of the show.

At the Door: $20 Adults & Seniors; $5 Children 5-12; Free for Children Under Age 5.

 

Parking:

Daily parking in the Connecticut Convention Center Garage: $9 all day; or $3 for the first hour and $2 each additional hour.

 

Thursday & Friday ONLY:

Free parking with Free shuttle at Propark South Surface Lot, 63-89 Capitol Ave. (and Hudson St.) in Hartford (several blocks South of the CT Convention Center).

 

Saturday & Sunday ONLY:

$5 all-day parking in the Front Street North and South Garages (across street from CT Convention Center).

 

Show sponsors include: 

Connecticut Organics (a division of Connecticut Mulch Distributors, Inc.); Maple Meadow Farm; Renewal by Anderson; The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc.; the Connecticut Convention Center; and North East Expos, Inc.

 

For general information or to become an exhibitor, visit www.CTFlowerShow.com or Facebook, or call
860-844-8461.

Discounted Admission Tickets On Sale Now at CTFlowerShow.com

Connecticut Convention Center

100 Columbus Boulevard

Hartford, Connecticut

The 35th Annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show

The 35th Annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show 

Coming February 18-21, 2016 to 

Hartford’s Connecticut Convention Center

Discover the sights and fragrances of spring months before the weather warms up at the 35th Annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show on Thursday, February 18 through Sunday, February 21, 2016 at the Connecticut Convention Center on 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford.

One of the largest and most prestigious flower shows in all of New England, the show’s hours are:

Thursday, February 18 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

In the Spotlight

The colorful, fragrant show covers almost three acres with the 2016 theme, “In the Spotlight”, with fresh, creative and wonderful ideas for homeowners and apartment and condo dwellers alike. Highlights include:

• Over an acre of gardens in full bloom, created by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, and include naturalistic, low maintenance, native, organic, and herb gardens. 
• Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 2016 Advanced Standard Flower Show: more than 12,000-square feet of a design, horticulture and photography competition with more than 250 judged entries, all with the “In the Spotlight” theme. 
• Over 300 booths with displays, activities, artisans and handcrafted gifts, and aisles of fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, metalwork sculptures, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture and lawn equipment for purchase. Bring a 1/2 cup of soil to the UConn Co-op booth for free soil testing.

Seminars and Presentations

More than 80 hours of seminars by horticulturists and experts including:

• Daily morning and afternoon seminars by Mar Jennings, Emmy-nominated TV host, best-selling author and America's top Lifestyle Expert: “Creating Casual Luxury in Your Home & Garden”;
• Connecticut Florist of the Year 2010, floral design instructor, and Connecticut Florists Association Board member Bob Buettner: “Floral Arranging”;
• Nancy DuBrule-Clemente: “Gardening to Help Monarchs and Other Pollinators” and “More Food From Small Gardens”;
• Wildlife biologist Peter Picone: “Create Season Habitats for Songbirds”;
• Connecticut landscape designer Rob Townsend: “Water Garden Basics”;
• Consulting rosarians and authors Mike & Angelina Chute: “25 Fabulous Roses” and “David Austin's English Roses for New England Gardens”;
• Garden writer, lecturer and photographer Tova Martin: “The Indestructible Houseplant.”

Admission: 

$16 Adults; $14 Seniors Age 62 and Over on Thursday/Friday only;
$4 Children 5-12; Free under age 5 – Cash Only.

Group rates for 15 or more people: contact 860-844-8461 or Kristie@northeastexpos.com.

Advance tickets are discounted by $2 and can be purchased no later than February 16, 2016 at the following Connecticut locations:

The Garden Barn Nursery in Vernon;
Garden Specialties in Mystic;
Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe in West Hartford;
Natureworks in Northford;
Stonehedge Garden Center in Newington;
Woodland Gardens in Manchester.

Photo courtesy of the CT Flower & Garden Show and Laura Soll Public Relations, LLC

Sponsors

Show sponsors include B & P Turf Farm, Goodyear Farms, Flamig Farm Earth Products, Bob Buettner Florist, Bedard Enterprises, and North East Expos, Inc.

Location

Connecticut Convention Center
100 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford CT
www.ctflowershow.com

To join the email list and get more information about the 2016 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show, seminars, and driving directions, visit www.ctflowershow.com or call North East Expos, Inc. at 860-844-8461.

2015 Connecticut Flower and Garden Show in Hartford CT

Save the date!

“Spirit of Spring”

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show

The 34th Annual 

“Connecticut Flower & Garden Show”

February 19-22, 2015 

 Connecticut Convention Center

“Spirit of Spring” is the theme of the “34th annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” to take place on Thursday, February 19 through Sunday, February 22, 2015 at the Connecticut Convention Center on 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford. This is THE Hartford Garden Show and is one of the largest and most prestigious flower shows in New England. The show’s hours are: Thursday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The colorful, fragrant show covers almost three acres with the 2015 theme, “Spirit of Spring”, with fresh, creative and wonderful ideas for homeowners and apartment and condo dwellers alike. This is the best Hartford Flower Show! Highlights include:

• Eighteen (18) gardens fill over an acre, created by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, and include naturalistic, low maintenance, native and organic gardens.
• Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 2015 Advanced Standard Flower Show: more than 12,000-square feet of design and horticulture competition and more than 250 judged entries, all with a “Ports of Call” theme.
• More than 300 booths with displays, activities, artisans and handcrafted gifts,  and aisles of fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, ornaments and lawn equipment for purchase. Bring a 1/2 cup of soil to the UConn Co-op booth for free soil testing.

More than 80 hours of seminars by horticulturists and experts including::

• Daily seminars by Mar Jennings of Greenwich, CT, Emmy-nominated TV host, best-selling author and America's top Lifestyle Expert: Creating Casual Luxury in Your Home & Garden;
• Roger Swain, known as The Man in the Red Suspenders, former host of PBS’ The Victory Garden and HGTV’s People, Places & Plants: Vegetables That I Have Known & You Will Love;
• Connecticut Florist of the Year 2010, floral design instructor, and Connecticut Florists Association Board member Bob Buettner: Floral Arranging;Award-winning photographer and author Ken Druse: Making More Plants – Propagation and Natural Companions;
• Lifelong organic gardener, photographer and lecturer Karen Bussolini: 40 Great Plants for Connecticut Gardens and Gardens in Winter;
• Plant Pathologist Dr. Wade Elmer of New Haven, CT: Fighting Fusarium in Flowers, Nutrition to Manage Disease;
• Award-winning container garden designer and certified horticulturist & landscape professional Deborah Trickett: Celebrity Containers and Jaw Dropping, Get Your Neighbors Talking Containers;
• Wildlife biologist Peter Picone: Create & Enhance Wildlife Habitats in Your Surroundings;
• Baroness Maureen Haseley-Jones a.k.a. The English Lady of Old Lyme, CT: Mother Earth;
• Jeffrey Eleveld, who provides therapeutic horticulture to older adults, including individuals with dementia: Tropical Plants – Clean Air;
• Rich Howard, retired civil engineer and past president of the Connecticut Daylily Society: Daylilies;
• Plant Pathologist Dr. Yonghao Li, who heads up the Plant Disease Information Office at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: Disease Control in Home Vegetable Gardens;
• Master Gardener Dawn Pettinelli of the University of Connecticut in Storrs: Soils for Gardeners;
• Master Gardener and Landscaper Thomas Mickey: America's Romance with the English Garden

And there's more!!!!

• Charlotte Albers, environmental educator and owner of Paintbox Garden landscape design in Shelburne, VT: Gardens of Paris;
• Rob Townsend: Watergardening Basics and Pond Ecology;
• Pamm Cooper of the UConn Home and Garden Education Center, and a former golf course superintendent who teaches the entomology and turf portions of the Connecticut Master Gardener Program AND Carol Quish Advanced Master Gardener, Master Composter, horticulturist and certified accredited nursery & landscape professional: Our Gardens, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly;
• Soil scientist and wetlands Ecologist Kyle Turoczi, Co-Founder of Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery & Landscapes in Woodbury, CT: Working With Wetlands on Your Property;
• Donna Katsuranis, an Advanced Master Gardener and interfaith minister from Brookfield, CT: Composting & Soil Health and Rain Gardens; and
• Master Gardener author, photographer and designer Amy Ziffer of Sherman, CT: Shade Revealed.
• Denise Ciastko of Pan Acres Nursery in Canterbury, CT: Creating Sustainable Habitat for Pollinators;
• Allison Kaminski: Winter Interest in Your Garden;
• Kasha Furman of Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston: Peonies; and
• Dan Furman of Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston: Backyard Orchards.

Admission: $16 Adults; $14 Seniors Age 62 and Over on Thursday/Friday only; $4 Children 5-12; Free under age 5 – Cash Only. Group rates for 15 or more people: contact 860-844-8461 or Kristie@northeastexpos.com.

Advance tickets are discounted by $2 and can be purchased no later than February 17, 2015 at the following Connecticut locations: The Garden Barn in Vernon; Garden Specialties in Mystic; Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe in West Hartford; Natureworks in Northford; Stonehedge Garden Center in Newington and Woodland Gardens in Manchester.

Show sponsors include B & P Turf Farm, Goodyear Farms, T.J. Bark Mulch, Bob Buettner Florist, WRCH Light 100.5, WFSB Channel 3, Bedard Enterprises and North East Expos, Inc.

To join the email list and get more information about the 2015 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show, seminars, and driving directions, visit www.ctflowershow.com or call North East Expos, Inc. at
860-844-8461.

See you at the Connecticut Convention Center on February 19th -22nd!

Connecticut Flower and Garden Show

Connecticut Convention Center

100 Columus Boulevard

Hartford, CT 06103

www.ctflowershow.com 

Gardens By The Sea - Madison Garden Tour in Madison CT

This weekend I joined Wendy from CT Lifestyles Magazine to enjoy a fun stroll through seven private Madison gardens located near Long Island Sound in Madison CT. The "Gardens by the Sea" Madison Garden Tour was sponsored by the Women's Club of Madison. 

Wendy had purchased our tickets in advance for $15 each, and on the day of the tour, tickets were available at the door for $18 at the Visitor Information Center. Proceeds from the tour will benefit the New Ambulance Barn Training Room.

Kathy DeBurra, President of the Madison Women's Club explained, 

"The Garden Tour is always a great event and ALL proceeds go back into our community! This project will raise funds to complete a training room for the Madison Ambulance Association. This room will be used for training, education, instruction and conducting critical incident stress debriefings. The room will need to be furnished completely including flooring, furniture, network connections and training materials."

The destinations were kept a secret until participants checked in and we received a brochure detailing the addresses, directions, and information about the property.

There were so many beautiful properties to view - here are the highlights from the stops we made in no particular order. At the end of this post is a link to additional pictures.

There was a great mix of garden styles, from cottage style to rustic to formal, and each one was wonderful in its own right. I can't pick a favorite and was wowed by something at each destination.  

Taking a garden tour is a great way to see the type of garden that you might want in your own yard - and now I have a better idea of what I want to do in mine. I know I'll mix many of the styles and include some formal boxwood hedges, lots of bright colors, and of course, I can't wait to include some statuary, window boxes, and container gardens.

For more pictures of our garden tour visit the Home Place facebook page HERE and while you're there, don't forget to like us!

Hope you enjoyed the Gardens by the Sea tour - have you been on any garden tours lately?

I'd love to hear about them!

The 33rd Annual CT Flower and Garden Show - Hartford CT 2014

Today was the perfect day to travel up the I-91 Corridor to Hartford CT to attend the 33rd Annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show at the Hartford Convention Center!

The theme of the 2014 show was "Backyard Paradise" and as you can see from the above picture, and those you'll see below, the exhibitors really delivered. There were some beautiful displays from local landscape designers that prove anyone's backyard can be an oasis!

Last year, friends Carol, Gayle, and I had such a wonderful time getting into the spring mood and enjoying the flowers and displays, that we were anxiously awaiting this year's show. We couldn't wait for this weekend to come! Apparently so was my sister and brother-in-law Kathy and Bob, both of whom I was pleasantly surprised to run into when we got there!

It appears everyone is ready for spring!

The show lived up to all our expectations, in fact, it surpassed them! If you've been following my website, you know that Connecticut has been battered this winter by snowstorm after snowstorm, so the ability to see some flowering displays made me think of this quote from Ode To The West Wind:  "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"--Percy Shelley

Luckily, Spring is just a short four weeks away. Hooray!

Here are some of our favorite moments from the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show.

Gazebo display by Pondering Creations

Creative Contour

And here are some of our favorite finds!

Hand Stenciled Pots

High top Adirondacks

Le Frog!

Garden Basket

Pics of Carol, Gayle, and Brother-in Law Bob!
Me and Kathy hid from the camera!! 

For more pictures of the CT Flower and Garden Show visit the Home Place facebook page HERE and don't forget to "like" us while you're there!

Did you visit any garden shows this year? 

I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!