Just as the robin hails the coming of spring, so does the return of home and garden shows. Across the state this spring, garden shows will feature Extension’s Successful Gardener Learning Centers and showcase the expertise of horticulture agents and Master Gardeners. 

These shows attract well over 275,000 people and are an important opportunity to “help Carolinians increase their knowledge of gardening, manage their landscape investment and protect the environment,” the goals of Extension’s Successful Gardener program. The shows also help citizens recognize Cooperative Extension as the provider of research-based horticultural information.

At the learning centers, show visitors can pick up the latest Successful Gardener newsletter and other information; get their gardening questions answered by Extension agents and Master Gardeners; visit a plant discovery garden or a fruit, vegetable and herb garden; and attend a Successful Gardener seminar or a seven-minute Garden Byte session.

Southern Shows produces the Southern Spring Home and Garden Show in Charlotte and the Southern Ideal Home Shows in Greensboro and in Raleigh. Extension’s Successful Gardener editor and project coordinator Leah Chester-Davis, Department of Communication Services; Karen Neill, Guilford County; Emily Revels, Mecklenburg County; and Royce Hardin, Orange County have been working with Southern Shows management since last year to ensure a more coordinated effort between shows this year and more recognition for the contributions that Cooperative Extension and its Successful Gardener program make to these expositions.

This year's Regional Successful Gardener Seminars kicked off in January in Lincoln County. The seminars were planned and hosted by Kevin Starr of Lincoln County and Ben Dungan of Gaston County. In February, Toby Bost of Forsyth County presented a Successful Gardener seminar at the Triad Home and Garden Show in Winston-Salem.

Across the state, a large team of professionals and volunteers is working to make Extension’s Successful Gardener Learning Centers a success. Show dates, locations and Extension’s involvement in each are listed here:

Southern Spring Home and Garden Show in Charlotte, March 3–7:
The Charlotte Observer ran numerous advertisements before the show, which included announcements about Extension’s Successful Gardener seminars on the Great Garden Stage. Show visitors learned how to grow their own vegetables in a garden built and hosted by the Mecklenburg Master Gardeners. The garden was awarded a second place landscape award in the nonprofit category.

Mecklenburg County agent Emily Revels coordinated the Master Gardener Day Luncheon, held the first day of the show. Nearly 300 Master Gardeners from three states attended. Steve Bender, senior editor, Southern Living magazine was the luncheon speaker. See related story, On-Line News, Feb. 16, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/agcomm/writing/2004/021604b.htm.

Raleigh Home, Garden, and Flower Show, March 5-7: Extension’s Successful Gardener Seminars were featured at the Raleigh Home, Garden, and Flower Show. Carl Matyac of Wake County presented four seminars and Extension Master Gardeners in Wake County distributed the Successful Gardener newsletter. They also sold plants to raise money for the Wake County Master Gardener program.

Carolina Home & Garden Show, Hickory, March 12-14:
Extension’s Successful Gardener Seminars at the Carolina Home & Garden Show in Hickory were planned and coordinated by Fred Miller, Catawba County Extension director.  These seminars featured Cooperative Extension horticulture expert Rett Davis, Alamance County Extension director, and speakers from Clemson Extension and from Atlanta.  Family and consumer science agents and horticulture agents from four counties -- Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba -- helped with an Extension information booth.

Horticulture agents focused on container gardening and producing vegetables in small spaces, in addition to answering gardening questions.  Family and consumer science agents distributed information on food preservation and food safety and answered questions regarding these topics. In addition, Successful Gardener newsletters and other information were distributed at an information center.

Brunswick Islands Home and Garden Show, Shallotte, March 20-21:
Brunswick County agent David Barkley will distribute Successful Gardener newsletters and other information at this garden show, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The show will be held at West Brunswick High School near Shallotte.

Southern Ideal Home Show, Greensboro, March 26-28:
Extension agents involved in Extension’s Successful Gardener Learning Center at the Southern Ideal Home Show in Greensboro will include agent Karen Neill of Guilford County, coordinator of the learning center and the Successful Gardener Seminars. Master Gardeners from Guilford and Davidson counties will host the learning center and Plant Discovery Garden. Agents presenting Successful Gardener seminars March 27 include Michael Hyton, Stokes County; Rett Davis, Alamance County; Amy-Lynn Albertson, Davidson County; Stephen Greer, Forsyth County; and Neill.

Southern Ideal Home Show, Raleigh, April 16-18:
Extension agents involved in Extension’s Successful Gardener Learning Center at the Southern Ideal Home Show in Raleigh will be Royce Hardin of Orange County, coordinator, and Charles Mitchell, Franklin County; Al Cooke, Chatham County; Cathy Kloetzli, Johnston County; Paul McKenzie, Durham County; Mike Wilder, Nash County; and Carl Matyac, Wake County. Master Gardeners from each of these counties will help in Extension’s Successful Gardener Learning Center. The learning center will provide show visitors a place to get their gardening questions answered, visit a Plant Discovery garden and attend “Garden Bytes” mini-sessions throughout the show.

The Successful Gardener team received grant funding and other sponsorship support for these efforts. Cooperative Extension purchased plastic bags with the organizations' logo. The bags will be used at all the shows across the state.

Walker Printing and ABZ Design helped pay for several thousand extra copies of the Successful Gardener newsletter to distribute; The Mony Group helped pay for the “Be Healthy” garden in Charlotte; several garden centers and nurseries donated plants; the Division of Forest Resources paid for the development of the Successful Gardener Tree Planting Guide; and Southern Shows provided space and construction of the Learning Centers and funding for the Successful Gardener “Be Healthy – Grow What You Eat” publication, which is a companion piece to the garden.

These publications, part of the Successful Gardener brand, were written by team members and specialists. The Tree Planting Guide was written by Extension forestry specialist Robert Bardon, Royce Hardin and Karen Neill. Leah Chester-Davis coordinated the development and design of the publication, which builds on Extension’s Successful Gardener brand. The Be Healthy publication, written by Karen Neill, Amy-Lynn Albertson and Emily Revels and edited by Chester-Davis, also is part of the Successful Gardener brand.

In addition, to the above garden shows and events, Successful Gardener seminars are offered at public libraries and various other locations throughout participating counties.