Connecticut Garden Journal: For a blast of spring–and gardening inspiration–head to a regional flower & garden show

They're baaack. At least some of them. I recently returned from speaking at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. It was a blast speaking in front of a live audience again, and with masking and vaccination requirements, it felt pretty safe. Next up, I'll be speaking at the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show at the convention center in Hartford on Saturday. I'll be talking about creating a pollinator garden and selling my books. Stop by if you can. Indoor flower shows are truly a North American phenomenon and I missed them last year due to Covid. They're a blast of spring during our long, cold, snowy and icy winters. Indoor flower shows have display gardens with hundreds of bulbs, shrubs and flowers forced into bloom in greenhouses in winter and transported to the venue in time for the show. These landscapes feature pergolas, waterfalls, ponds and walls, greenhouses and other structures meant to inspire your imagination. The recreated gardens fill the air with the scents, sounds and sights of spring. But there's more. Many shows bring in top notch gardeners from around the region speaking on topics including vegetable gardening, container gardening, native plants and landscape design. Plus, there are vendors selling gardening products, seeds, plants and crafts. Not all of our regional flower shows are back, though. The Boston Flower & Garden Show is still on hiatus because they can't find a new venue. The Philadelphia Flower Show will be conducted outdoors in June at FDR Park. But the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show is happening right now and the Rhode Island Flower Show runs April 7th to 10th. Check them out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.