Big Names Hit the Stage at the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show
January 28, 2016
Learn from the experts at the 56th annual show, set for Feb. 26 – 28 and March 4 – 6
CHARLOTTE, NC – Some of the biggest draws at the annual Southern Spring Home & Garden Show are the experts and celebrity guests who take the stage. Along with 18 beautifully landscaped gardens, stylish designer rooms and exhibits showcasing the best in landscaping, building, remodeling and decorating, recognized experts in their fields are a perennial part of the appeal.
“We have such a great lineup of personalities,” said Mardee Woodward, the show’s manager for the past eight years. “Our guests really enjoy learning from the best – and the opportunity to meet and ask questions of national authorities. But we’ve got plenty of great local talent, too.”
Every hour during every day of the show, an expert – some nationally known and some from our region – will be on the Timbertech Home & Garden Stage to instruct guests on everything from Pinterest to plants and from kitchen design to curb appeal.
A few topics to be covered are composting, attracting butterflies, gardening with children, decorating tips that take kids and pets into consideration.
Some of the area’s top chefs will offer their tips from the Cooking Stage, sponsored by Savor NC and hosted by Heidi Billotto. Chefs from Fig Tree, Mama Ricotta’s, Lumiere, Passion8 and more will cover topics of interest to foodies and home cooks – topics like sourcing local ingredients and eating gluten-free.
Special guests include:
J Schwanke, a fourth-generation florist whose website, uBloom.com, offers flower aficionados 24/7 access to the colorful world of arranged flowers. He’s written two books on flower arranging – Fun with Flowers: Your Guide to Selecting, Arranging and Enjoying Beautiful Flower and Bloom 365 – The Essential Guide to Arranging Flowers Every Day. (Feb. 26 and 27 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)
Bishopville, S.C.’s Pearl Fryar has put his small town on the map. In 1984, Fryar had just hoped to win “Yard of the Month” when he began pruning his shrubs into distinctive shapes. He won but also won the hearts of gardeners everywhere, thanks to a magical lawn that looks like it was created by Edward Scissorhands. The focus of the documentary, A Man Named Pearl, still tends his three-acre garden himself and welcomes visitors to drop by year-round. (Feb. 28 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)
Before Atlanta-based Chip Wade was the telegenic contractor of HGTV’s Curb Appeal: The Block,Showdown, Design Star and Elbow Room, he was a mechanical engineer, carpenter, designer and home builder. Now, he gets to use both his skill with a saw and comfort in front of the camera to bring his know-how to DIYers everywhere. (March 5 and 6 at 1:30 p.m.)
Joe Lamp’l (a.k.a. joe gardener) executive produces and hosts the award-winning PBS series, Growing a Greener World® and previously hosted Fresh from the Garden on the DIY Network. In 2011, The American Horticultural Society gave Lamp’l its B.Y. Morrison Communication Award, which recognizes effective and inspirational communication through print, radio, TV and online media. In both 2012 and 2014, the Garden Writers Association named Lamp’l Best On-Air Talent for Television. (March 6 at 11:30 a.m.)
Special Days are a Southern Spring Show tradition.
- Friday, Feb. 26 is Encore Azaleas® and Southern Living® Plant Collection Day. For 15 years, Encore azaleas (all 29 varieties!) have been admired for being hardy, low-maintenance and colorful.
The Southern Living Plant Collection provides gardeners with innovative plants designed to thrive in a hot, humid climate.
- Robert “Buddy” Lee, inventor of the Encore® azalea will be on stage Friday February 26 and again on Saturday, February 27. Buddy Lee has more than 30 years’ experience in nursery management, breeding, propagation and new plant development. He’s director of plant innovations for Plant Development Services, the introducers of Encore Azalea, the Southern Living® Plant Collection and the Sunset Western Garden Collection. He is also past president of The Azalea Society of America.
- Sunday, March 6: UNC-TV Day. North Carolina’s educational channel will have an exhibit in Independence Hall all six days of the show. But their biggest day is March 6, when some of the stars of their best-loved shows will be on the Timbertech Home & Garden Stage:(10:30 a.m.) Julia Carpenter, producer and host, N.C. Weekend’s Collecting Carolina with Linda Griffeth of Linda Griffeth Interiors.
(11:30 a.m.) Joe Lamp’l, Growing a Greener World (a PBS series)
(12:30 p.m.) Dr. Lucy Bradley, urban horticulture specialist, N.C. State Department of Horticultural Science, frequent guest on Almanac Gardener and director, N.C. Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program
But there’s much more to take in, too. More than 350 exhibiting companies will be set up at the show with products, services and demos designed to inspire a sense of adventure in home and garden design. And of course, the latest accessories, tools and hearty outdoor (and indoor) plants are all available for purchase.
For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.southernspringhomeandgardenshow.com.
SHOW FACTS
Feb. 26 – 28 and March 4 – 6, 2016
The Park Expo
800 Briar Creek Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28205
Hours:
Friday, Feb. 26 and March 4: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27 and March 5: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28 and March 6: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Preview Night Gala to Benefit Catawba Lands Conservancy will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. onThursday, Feb. 25. Tickets are $75 and include access to Freedom Hall, food, beverage and entertainment. To purchase: www.catawbalands.org/spring
Tickets (at the door):
Adults: $11
Children under 15: Free with paying adult
Seniors (55+) Day:
Seniors get in for $7 on both Fridays. At the door only.
Special Days:
$5 admission on Fridays after 5 p.m. (at the door only) and $5 parking after 5p.m. At the door only.
Advance tickets:
$8.50 (with VIC card) at regional Harris Teeter locations. Advance tickets will be available at beginning Jan. 27.
$9 online at www.southernshows.com
Group tickets:
$8.50 for group orders of 20 tickets or more when ordered in advance.
Parking:
All-day parking: $7 (cash only)
FREE parking for coaches, transport vans and buses
Sponsors:
The Charlotte Observer, Belgard Hardscapes and Carolina Chevy Dealers
Stage Sponsors:
Cooking Stage: Savor NC and media sponsor: Charlotte Living Magazine
Home and Garden Stage: TimberTech
Chevrolet invites visitors to “Find New Roads.” Discover the All-new Chevy Malibu – and other models – in a low-pressure, high-touch environment.
