NEXT WEEK: FEB. 23rd OPENING OF CONNECTICUT FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW
AT CONNECTICUT CONVENTION CENTER IN HARTFORD
Discounted On-Line Admission Tickets On Sale Now through Final Day of Event
HARTFORD, CONN., February 13, 2023 – On Thursday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, Feb. 26, the four-day “Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” brings spring inside the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford, Conn. Event Dates/Hours: Opening Day/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.
New England’s only 2023 flower exhibition show covers almost 150,000 square feet, and will offer a wide variety of ideas for house, apartment, and condominium 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.
“Whether you are a gardening beginner or an expert, or just enjoy seeing and smelling beautiful flowers and plants, this event is a great way to gear up for Spring by discovering new ways to enjoy your home, garden, and other growing spaces,” says Kristie Gonsalves, President of North East Expos, Inc., producer of the 41st annual show and a past president of the National Association of Consumer Show Producers. “Gardening has been proven to reduce stress, elevate moods, help with socialization and self-esteem, and provide exercise, so this colorful event is exactly what we need right now.”
As soon as attendees enter the Exhibition Hall, they are welcomed by 23 live gardens and landscape exhibits by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, including naturalistic, low maintenance, native, containers, vegetables, organic, herb, and pollinator gardens.
The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s annual Standard Flower Show showcases 12,500 square feet of beautiful design, horticulture, botanical arts, and photography competition with entries from members in its garden clubs across the state – all themed “Gateway to Spring”.
Over 80 hours of seminars and demonstrations, presented by an impressive roster of expert horticulturalists, landscapers, and industry professionals, are ALL Free with admission. This list of speakers (in alphabetical order) and their topics also is posted at www.CTFlowerShow.com:
- Lorraine Ballato: Easy Breezy Plants; and Shady Characters.
- Ruth Bennett: Irises New Introductions & Interspecies Crosses.
- Pamm Cooper: Good Bug, Bad Bug, or Benign Bug?
- Rich Cowles: Climate Change & Impact on Rose Culture.
- Christine Darnell: Radically Re-thinking Garden Design.
- Nancy DuBrule-Clemente: Native and Non-Native Plants for Sustainable Landscapes; and Curb Appeal for Pollinator Gardens.
- Kim Eierman: Pollinator Victory Gardens with Native Plants; Unlocking Mysteries of Native Plant Selection.
- Nick Goltz: House Plant Diagnostics.
- Len Giddix: The Reflection in Your Garden.
- Larry Huzi: Spring Floral Designs with PAZAZZ!
- Rachael LaFlamme: Flower Crowns.
- Trish Manfredi: Easy Creative Floral Designs.
- Laurie Masciandaro: Connecticut’s Historic Gardens.
- Owen McLaughlin: Introduction to Rhododendrons & Azaleas.
- Kerry Ann Mendez: Gardening Simplified; and Hydrangeas Demystified.
- Jana Milbocker: Gardens of the Gilded Age; and Artists Gardens in New England.
- Amanda Morris: Gardening With Chickens.
- Charlie Nardozzi: No Dig Gardening.
- Ellen Ecker Ogden: 6 Steps to a Successful Kitchen Garden Design.
- Dawn Pettinelli: Successful Seed Starting.
- Peter Picone: Ways to Create & Enhance Wildlife Habitat in Your Surroundings, 1 Native Plant at a Time.
- Paul Split: Organic Container Gardening.
- Diane St. John: Every Yard Matters – How to Create a Healthy Monarch Butterfly Habitat at Home.
- Rob Townsend: Water Garden Basics.
- George Trecina: A Tree For Every Yard; and Embracing Volunteer Seedlings & Aggressive Plants.
- Dennis Tsui: Low Light Houseplants.
- Steve Walowski: Organics 101 – An Organic Approach To Lawn Care.
Returning this year is the popular Barnes & Noble Center, selling flower, plant, and garden books, including those written by the show’s seminar speakers.
Always popular are hundreds of booths with displays, activities, shopping: handcrafted gifts, flowers, plants, artisans, ornaments, metalwork sculptures, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, lawn/garden tools, equipment, more. Bring 1/2 cup of soil for Free testing at UConn Co-op booth.
Returning this year is the popular Barnes & Noble Center, selling flower, plant, and garden books, including those that have been written by the show’s seminar speakers.
Admission for February 23-26, 2023 Event:
Discounted Tickets: $17 for Adults & Seniors are on sale now at www.CTFlowerShow.com and can be purchased online through the final day of the show.
Tickets 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; WFSB-TV Channel 3; WRCH Lite 100.5; The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc.; the Connecticut Convention Center; and North East Expos, Inc.
For general information, visit www.CTFlowerShow.com or Facebook, or call 860-844-8461.
For full schedule of seminar speakers and topics, visit www.CTFlowerShow.com
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Laura Soll, Communications Director
2022 Connecticut Flower & Garden Show
860-688-4499, Cell 860-833-4466
February 23-26, 2023
Connecticut Convention Center
Hartford, CT