Need an early dose of spring?

By Teresa Wooodard

Are you out looking for signs of spring?  Perhaps spring bulbs poking through the earth, fuzzy catkins on pussywillow branches or spidery-like blooms on witch hazel shrubs?  Well, step inside a Midwestern expo center’s home and garden show where you’ll find blooming gardens filled with a bounty of ideas for the upcoming growing season. The St. Louis Builders Home & Garden show kicks off the season with its 35th annual show and its returning water-animated “Living Fountain” that transforms into a female statue. The Central Ohio Home & Garden show will spotlight outdoor living with 10 themed gardens.  And, the three of us will be discuss “Midwest Gardening Trends” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 3.  At the Chicagoland Flower and Garden Show, look for Pop Art-styled floral designs, artful landscapes and a horticulture photo display set among graffiti murals at this year’s “Art of Gardening” event.  Check out these links for more info:

• Feb. 21-24, St. Louis Builders Home & Garden Show
• Feb. 22-24, Akron (Oh) Home & Flower Show
• Feb. 23- March 3, The Central Ohio Home & Garden Show
• Feb. 27-March 3, Minneapolis Home & Garden Show
• Feb. 28-March 3, West Michigan Home & Garden Show
• March 2-3 & 6-10, Cincinnati Home & Garden Show
• March 9-17, The Chicagoland Flower and Garden Show
• March 14-17, Lansing (MI) Home & Garden Show
• March 15-24, Wisconsin Home & Garden Show
• March 22-24, Dayton (OH) Home and Garden Show
• March 30-April 1, Spring Home & Garden Show (Detroit area)
• March 1-3,  Johnson County (KS) Home and Garden Show