The Chicago Flower and Garden Show: A Spectacular Event

chicago flower show

The Chicago Flower and Garden Show is the most important spring event which draws in thousands of attendees from all over the country every year. If you decide to take part in this great event, you will find yourself walking among vignettes displaying landscape and gardening products and services. Also, a group of horticulture experts and professional gardeners hold seminars every day in order to teach you how to better manage your green space.

As a result, you can say that the Chicago flower and garden show is a meeting place for gardeners of all experiences and ages. Starting with March 2017, you can expect over one hundred exhibitions which will showcase gardening related products and services. On top of that, this annual event also hosts a series of fun competitions, workshops and other leisure activities that will make it worth your while.

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Admission Fees

The Chicago flower and garden show is expected to take place starting with March 18, 2017. It will last for nine whole days, the closing date being March 26, 2017. The venue for this wonderful event is Navy Pier based in Chicago, Illinois. The prices vary each year, but they usually do not go higher than $20. For example, last year’s prices were $17 on weekdays and $19 for the weekend. Also, children are not free of charge. You will have to pay for each kid between the ages of 4 and 12 approximately $5. However, when the show starts to draw to a conclusion, the prices also drop. So, pay attention to the marketing channels that offer regular updates on the event. Another way to benefit from a discount is to buy the tickets online.

During weekdays, the program starts at 10 am in the morning and lasts until 8 pm. However, you may want to get an early start during the weekend, as the curtain drops no later than 6 pm.

Chicago Flower and Garden Show Highlights: Featured Gardens

The main focus for the professional gardeners present at the event is to teach more inexperienced ones how to make the best out of a tiny green space. Hence, once you get there you will be able to see some beautiful examples of small gardens which you can set up at home. However, some exhibitions will display elegant pergolas or lush flower beds that take up some space.

All of the spaces on the display are created and designed by some of the most famous landscapers and horticultural professionals. Also, they will encourage you to use the ideas that best fit your needs in order to embellish your living space. Or, in the very least admire the beautiful concepts.

Garden Workshops

The Chicago flower and garden show also features a lot of educational seminars as well as plenty of workshops. You can rest assured, as the entry fee covers the costs of taking part in these activities. All of the studios on the show floor are interactive and the professionals will provide step-by-step information when it comes to gardening secrets. These topics include pruning basics, everything you need to know about seed saving, flower show arrangement or edible spring container gardens.

Educational Seminars

Each day, you can take part in a wide range of educational seminars. These classes are scheduled every day at specific hours and are free of charge. If you decide to get yourself involved, you will benefit from a lot of in-depth information on interesting subjects. The horticulture experts and professional gardeners will teach you how to grow edibles everywhere, the secrets of eco-friendly vegetable gardening and what gardening for hummingbirds means. Also, in order for you to add a bonus of beauty to your garden, you will be able to learn everything about landscaping with rose, as well.

Garden Gourmet Section

Another fun segment of the show is the Garden Gourmet. It may be possible to get hungry from all that walking around among the beautiful exhibitions. Also, it is only natural, since you will have to travel almost 150.000 square feet of exhibit space. Hence, you can visit this section and get yourself some free delicious bites. All the cooking is made by experienced chefs who will also share some tips with you apart from the tasty food.

Tiny House Project

This concept refers to a way of simplifying and downsizing one’s built environment. Together with this practice, the ecological footprint, as well as the mortgage payment, drop considerably. hence, an average tiny house benefits from approximately 190 square feet, while a standard house takes up as much as 2.100 square feet of space.

Together with a smaller living space comes a bigger gardening plot. Giving up some space for a healthier lifestyle and being closer to nature does not seem like a bad investment, after all. Moreover, everything adapts to the tiny living space, even the plants! Hence, you will be able to learn how to plant dwarf or compact plant species. At the same time, the more experienced gardeners will teach your children how to create and tend for their own green spaces.

Small Space Gardening Chicago Flower and Garden Exhibit

Many people feel the urge to do something beautiful with their gardens, even if they benefit from limited space, but they do not really see the potential. Last year, Aquascape showcased several examples of small square foot gardens. However, the most stunning of them all was a beautifully arranged ecosystem pond. It featured a small water pond with a koi camera that was filming the fish swimming between the rocks.

The Japanese maple was a great addition to this particular relaxing space. Also, there was a multitude of flower and plant species along the tiny “river”, if we can call it that, which filled up space perfectly. They will return this year, also. Make sure you visit these exhibits if you want some professional advice on how to create your garden even in the tightest of spaces.

Rose Exhibits

Among all of the exhibits, the Chicago flower and garden show also has a special section dedicated solely to roses. As beautiful as they are, the many types of roses are also specially bred to develop a natural resistance to a wide range of diseases. In 2016, the “Pretty Lady Rose” was put on display along with many other beautiful representatives of its kind. However, 2017 will put two new varieties in the spotlight. These are “Edith’s Darling” and “Violet’s Pride”.

In total, almost 1.200 roses will be scattered around the place with representatives from the best collections. Also, the flower experts want to show people that working with roses is not that hard as many believe. Ultimately they hope that more and more people will stop just admiring them and start breeding them, as a result of their efforts.

Garden Fountains and Art

As part of the Chicago flower and garden show, the professional gardeners will be more than glad to give you helpful tips when it comes to creating a garden. If something, the first thing you will hear from them is that you will absolutely need a garden fountain. Back in 2016, every single garden exhibit was featuring a type of garden fountain or a mini waterfall formation.

The reason they recommend to go for such a creative piece of decoration is that it serves many purposes. One of them in relaxation, of course. Also, the flowing water will make the garden come to life in the most beautiful way possible. At the same time, a garden fountain attracts insects and birds. These will play an important part of pollinating the flowers and the plants in your garden. Also, mixing stone or metal sculptures, which includes garden fountains, with colorful plants is something that the gardening experts present at the Chicago flower and garden show highly recommend. The reason is for both an added bonus of beauty as well as utility.

Bobbi Cup Competition

In 2016, the American Institute of Floral Designers hosted a Bobbi Cup competition. However, it is not a one-time occurrence. Study the secrets of floral arranging and you can be the next winner. The competition consists of a specific number of people that serve as contestants and a jury. The jury will ask the competitors to create a themed floral design. In the end, the best arrangement wins.

Last year’s winner was a student who won a $100 scholarship. It may not be too much, but what is important is the fact that the young ones learn to value nature and its beauties. Also, it makes for a very tasteful competition in a beautiful environment.

Water Bottles for Flower Pots Recycling Seminary

People are always on the lookout for new concepts and fun DIY projects. Especially when it comes to gardening. This fun activity consists of transforming a regular object into a flower container. Hence, you will be able to attend a seminary that focuses on recycling different materials. Learn how to turn them into creative ideas for flower pots or plant containers in an interactive and fun way!

Last year, the nationally renowned writer Amanda Thomsen was in charge of teaching people fun recycling methods.

Conclusion

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show does a perfect job reminding the residents that spring is on its way. This incredible event hosts approximately 50,000 guests annually and treats them to impressive gardens full of blossoming trees. Also, colorful flowers, picturesque perennials and wonderful smells of spring and summer are a natural occurrence.

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show also features a great number of educational workshops, presentations and educational seminars held by top flower and garden industry professionals. Apart from these green-themed activities, there are a lot of cooking shows as well as some fun contests for the kids to take part in. All the educational and fun activities will teach them how to start their own vegetable or flower gardens along with the importance of spending time outdoors. Also, the grown-ups have a lot to benefit from the talks on eco-friendly sustainable gardens, square foot gardening and tending for green planting areas in urban spaces.

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