The 13th annual Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show will open today in a new location – the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

In keeping with the show’s theme, “Blooms of Brilliance,” 14 top gardeners, landscape architects and designers are creating dream gardens meant to inspire amateurs. Among this year’s attractions are water features spotlighted in the St. Charles-based Aquascape Inc. garden; The Enabling Garden devised by James Martin Assoc. of Vernon Hills for the Arthritis Foundation Greater Chicago Chapter; the labyrinth of pavers and plantings next to a patio with a fire pit created by AVIV Gardening of Skokie; and Rich’s Foxwillow Pines Nursery’s vignettes with plantings for smaller spaces.

Susan and Rich Eyre, who own Foxwillow Pines in Woodstock, are donating 100 percent of show sales to Heifer International, which provides livestock, trees, training and other resources to help struggling families around the globe. Heifer, which began in 1944, has worked in 150 countries, and has more than 75 projects in 38 states in the United States.

“We typically raise $10,000 for world hunger from the show. We raised $35,000 last year,” said Susan Eyre, a former Heifer Foundation board member. “What thrills Rich and I is when somebody says ‘I didn’t know about it before I heard about it from you.’ … We feel very empowered that we have been able to spread the word.”

The Eyres have participated in more than a dozen Chicago shows in the past, all at Navy Pier. This year they are adapting to a new venue and girding for an extra display.

“We have two gardens this year and three days to set it up,” she said. “But we’ll pull it off. The Foxwillow Pines team will do its magic.”

Expect to see a lot of bulbs and color at the Eyres’ entry in the “Chevy Garden,” highlighting four vehicles. Employee Todd Mohr of Rockford also designed a water garden featuring a pond and waterfall. They call it “Pondering Dreams.”

“People are chomping at the bit to get out and see what’s going on,” Susan Eyre said. “People want to go to these garden shows for information and inspiration. … One of our goals is to show people unusual plants that are not in common garden centers. There is a big difference between a landscape and garden, and we help to create gardens. … In the tree and shrub world, we are kind of on top of the dung heap because that is our specialty.”

Experts will offer proven tips at a special “teaching garden,” in an effort to weed out worries. It will feature demonstrations and seminars by master gardeners from the University of Illinois Horticultural Extension Bureau and pros from the Chicago Botanic Garden.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, there will be “potting parties” where you can learn all about container gardening and take home their potted “class work.” The classes, limited to 20 people a session, cost $20 – all of which goes to various charities. Visit www.chicagoflower.com to register and to see the charity for that day.

This year’s show features more than 100 exhibitors displaying and selling products and services; one-hour culinary demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. daily by some of the area’s top chefs, including The Hearty Boys featured on the Food Network; and a variety of gardening seminars four times each day.

Actress and writer Donna Blue Lachman will perform short excerpts from her new, one-woman show “On Death and Gardening” at 11:30 a.m. today. Another highlight is a presentation by author Melinda Myers on shade gardening at 11:30 a.m. March 18.

“If you want a different look or want that ‘wow’ tree right by the front door, we certainly can offer gardening advice,” Susan Eyre said. “Put a little shade garden off the back patio. Why give the neighbors the best plants to see and you only see them when you are getting in and out of your car in the morning?”

13th annual Chicagoland Flower & GardenShow

When: Today through March 18

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Where: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont

Cost: Adults are $12 weekdays and $14 weekends. Children (ages 4 to 12) are $5. Parking is $11.

Information: www.chicagoflower.com.

source : www.nwherald.com