INDIANAPOLIS — Nature’s five basic elements – earth, wood, metal, fire, and water – take center stage at the Midwest’s premier finer outdoor living show – the 55th annual Indiana Flower & Patio Show.
The event runs Saturday, March 9 through Sunday, March 17 inside the West Pavilion and Expo Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Over 40 breathtaking Showcase and Featured Exhibitor Gardens will be on display, with each incorporating those five basic elements of nature into their designs. Complementing the gardens will be more than 400 finer outdoor living exhibitors on hand to offer expert advice along with all the latest in outdoor products and services.
Brand new to this year’s show is “The Urban Homestead,” an on-site primer for adopting and living a sustainable lifestyle. The Urban Homestead is a 10,000 square foot “city lot” inside Expo Hall, equipped with an Eco-Cottage, rain gardens, rain barrels and other water catchment, wind turbines, wood-burning boiler, chicken coops with live chickens, raised-bed gardens, beehives, and much more. When the grass around the Eco-Cottage grows too tall during the show, sheep from Fruit Loop Acres will be brought in to “mow.” The Jacob’s Sheep Lily and Twisty are well known eastside residents — the pair also “mow” vacant land throughout the area.
An incredible menu of sustainable processes will be on display at The Urban Homestead to educate and inform showgoers. In addition to the aforementioned features, experts will be on hand to discuss wildlife habitats, water gardening, planting food sources, permaculture, solar power, native plantings, composting, growers resources, and much, much more.
Also in Expo Hall will be the inaugural Grill University presented by Family Leisure. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about open flame, infrared and charcoal cooking, and the wide variety of components that make each grill unique.
While The Urban Homestead and Grill University create buzz in Expo Hall, the perennial stars of the show — the magnificent Showcase Gardens — will be on display in all their splendor inside West Pavilion. These harbingers of spring will tout fabulous fire and water features, lush plants and colorful flowers, creative hardscapes, and more. Each landscape designer also is incorporating a conservation element into his or her creation, by repurposing or reclaiming materials.
Dozens of informative and entertaining programs will be presented throughout the show on the Greendell Mulch & Mix Theatre Stage in Expo Hall. The always-popular fresh-cut flowers will be available for purchase again this year; a Kids’ Play Area will keep the young ones happily occupied while mom and dad take a break and relax nearby, and numerous food and beverage options will be available in both Expo Hall and West Pavilion.
The 55th Indiana Flower & Patio Show runs at the Indiana State Fairgrounds West Pavilion and Expo Hall, 1202 East 38th St. Hours are Saturdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
General admission at the door is $12 for adults, with children 12 and under free. A downloadable $3 discount coupon for use at the box office is available at www.indianaflowerandpatioshow.com.
Advance sale tickets are $9 and available now at all Indiana Marsh Supermarkets. Tickets also are available on line at www.indianaflowerandpatioshow.com for $12; full-price on-line purchases come with a free one-year subscription to Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
Senior Day is Monday, March 11, when showgoers 65 and better with proper ID are admitted for $8 per person.
Parking is $5 per vehicle in convenient, well-lit Fairgrounds lots. Free shuttle service runs continually from parking areas to entrances of the West Pavilion and Expo Hall.
For more information, visit www.indianaflowerandpatioshow.com or call 317-576-9933 or toll free 800-215-1700.
There is a $3 Off coupon on page A3 of this issue and an entry form to win a pair of free tickets – compliments of the Weekly View.
