Gardening: Garden Expo perfect chance to add to your (or Mom’s) landscape
OK, gardeners, get out your wagons, carts and wallets. The 24th annual Garden Expo is Saturday at the Spokane Community College campus.
This is a sale not to be missed. The Expo will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking and admission are free.
This year ’s Expo will feature more than 350 vendors offering a wide selection of plants and garden -related crafts, including garden art, wind chimes, planters, garden furniture, iron works and a wealth of other goodies. The vendors are coming from across the Northwest and many only offer their wares at shows like this. If you are looking for something special for someone, this is the place to come. Remember Mother’s Day is the day after Expo. A full list of vendors at the Expo can be found at spokanegardenexpo.com.
Along with all the shopping opportunities, there will be a series of workshops in the Lair Building to broaden your knowledge. Amy Dutton of Garden Up will talk about designing gardens that grow food, support pollinators and birds, water conservation and wildfire prevention. Erin Bjorklund of the Invasive Species Action Network will speak on the need to monitor invasive species that disrupt native plant communities and run amok in our gardens. Rebecca Jensen of Savory Scapes will talk about building compact food gardens in small spaces that will still yield a bountiful harvest. Katie Lila Broadbent of Flowers for People will speak on the evolution of her streaming “Follow The Blooms” program that visits local farms and gardens and then creates floral arrangements with the flowers she finds along the way. Krystal Walker of Gratitude Farm will talk on making tallow-based skin -care products using locally sourced tallow and organically grown herbs.
When you get hungry, there will multiple food vendors who will quench your thirst, boast your energy or satisfy your sweet tooth.
Behind the scenes of this year’s Garden Expo, there have been some big changes. After running the event for 23 years, the Inland Empire Gardeners passed the show onto new owners. Karen Upchurch and her daughter took the reins earlier this year and are enthusiastically looking forward to their first Garden Expo. “This year’s Expo will be the same fun and exciting show that people expect,” Upchurch said.
To get the most out of your experience, come prepared for crowds, especially early in the morning. Wear comfortable shoes. The long-range forecast for Saturday doesn’t show any rain, but keep an eye on the forecast closer to the day. If you are planning to indulge yourself, bring a wagon or a cart to carry your finds. Just be mindful moving your cart through the crowds.
On another note, it’s time to check your sprinkler systems. This spring has been a bit dry and as the temperatures start to rise, we may have to turn our systems on early. Now is a good time to add mulch to your beds to help with moisture retention later in the summer.