December 2, 2023

A sure sign that spring is on the way is the arrival of the Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show. The March 3-6 event at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is slated to feature more than 650 exhibitors.

“We have everything from roofing to home improvement and siding. Home remodeling and home construction. Windows, doors and spas. Just anything that you could ever need or want for your home,” said Becky Williamson, show owner. “We have Master Gardeners talking about butterflies and anything you would need to know about growing your flowers.”

The Allen County Master Gardeners also sell flower and vegetable seeds. The gardeners gather each year to pack small envelopes to sell at very low prices.

New this year is the “Like A Pro” stage. Featured speakers include local home and garden experts sharing their best tips on how to keep lawns healthy and homes beautiful.

Keith Winter, head groundskeeper for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, will share his expertise on how to grow and maintain a beautiful lawn. Winter is starting his 13th year keeping Parkview Field beautiful.

“He is an award-winning, very accomplished groundskeeper, in the baseball realm. So, no one knows better in the Fort Wayne area how to make a beautiful lawn than the groundskeeper of the TinCaps,” said Ryan Marshall, media representative for Marshall Medias. “He is going to teach people how to care for their lawns in the Fort Wayne climate.”

Meanwhile, Emily Fitzgerald, a certified professional organizer is scheduled to share ways to banish clutter. Fitzgerald created OLS Organizing in 2003. She specializes in organizing homes and offices. Fitzgerald is sharing her top 10 tips and tricks for staying organized.

“She is an award-winning and certified professional organizer who is going to help you get your home organized,” Marshall said. “She also helps businesses get organized as well.”

The Garden Gallery is back this year for the 49th annual Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show. It was absent last year because the space normally housing the Garden Gallery served as a COVID-19 vaccination site.

This year about 150 vendors are expected to be in the Garden Gallery. Vendors include knowledgeable nursery staff and professional landscapers. Additionally, other Garden Gallery vendors are scheduled to showcase everything from patio furniture to must-have garden accessories.

“The Garden Gallery is a big part of the show. You are going to see spring as soon as you walk down the ramp. There are so many fresh flowers and plants. That is exactly what I want when you walk into the area,” Williamson said.

Other features returning this year include the Elite Performance K9 high-flying, Frisbee catching dogs. The talented dogs do various tricks including running obstacle courses. They last performed at the 2019 Home & Garden Show.

“We probably have more features this year than we have ever had. Because of COVID I wasn’t allowed to have any features and I wanted to make up for that. I have things for the kids, like a dinosaur show. I have the petting zoo, and Indiana Wild. We look forward to a more traditional show in 2022 filled with exhibitors, celebrity guests, Master Gardener seminars and more,” Williamson said.

https://www.fwbusiness.com/news/education/article_6a8f03e7-b526-5a3c-ac6a-648384d25861.html