Colorado Garden and Home Show kick starts spring fever

Posted by: Carol O'Meara, Boulder County Extension

You wouldn’t expect a garden of perfumed flowers and lush greenery in the middle of February, but at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, a landscape of beauty is waiting for you just inside the door.

At the 54th annual Colorado Garden and Home Show, February 9 - 17, ponds, waterfalls, and foliage celebrate the rarefied air of the Rockies.  Soar with the 5,500-square-foot “Flowers and Flight” entry garden, featuring air and space-themed gliders, a Piper J-3 Cub, DK-1 “Der Kricket,” Velocity XL, and Flying Machine courtesy of the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.

Visitors to the region’s largest home and landscape show will be treated to lush gardens, do-it-yourself tips, and expert companies ready to help you wade through home improvement projects. 

Garden after garden fill the 400,000-square foot hall, showing off the natural landscapes and urban getaways that are possible for your yard.  Landscapes add to home investment, adding between seven and twelve percent to the value of a home, according to a Michigan State University study. 

But if you’re looking for innovative ways to improve your home’s value, chances are one of the 700 companies from 25 states and Canada can help. They’ll introduce new technologies and trends in landscaping, gardening, energy-efficient heating and cooling products, window treatments, siding, flooring, lighting, indoor and outdoor fireplaces – in short, everything you need for remodeling kitchens, getting new roofing, or redoing a bathroom.

Headlining the wish list in 2013 is tips for being water-thrifty without compromising gorgeous gardens.  And environmentally savvy consumers are clamoring for sustainable products, so exhibitors are showcasing products made from recycled materials, renewable energy sources, or energy conservation.

Look for the Colorado State University Extension booth, where tips for making the most of a water wise landscape are showcased.  From broiling western spots to cool, shady northern yards, the Colorado Master Gardeners are ready to help you with information on plant selection, placement, and irrigation.  Leave time to browse the Plant Select portion of the CSU booth; the plants on display are proven best for Front Range gardens.

In an effort to help area food banks, the Colorado Garden & Home Show will offer $2 off admission to attendees who present a nonperishable food item at the ticket window at the Colorado Convention Center. All of the food gathered will be distributed to local area food banks (discount is not good with any other offer).

For a complete list of the show’s schedule, check out their website at gardeningcolorado.com.

Details:

What: Colorado Garden and Home Show

When: Feb. 9-17, noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Where: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. in Denver.

Admission: Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors; children 12 and under are free.

Information: 303-932-8100; gardeningcolorado.com.