Right now is probably the worst time of the year for gardeners. It’s been too cold to garden for months, and it’s going to be another month or two before we can start really getting ready for spring. The good news is that we always have the Great Big Home & Garden Show at the I-X Center to look forward to.

This year, the show runs from February 8th through the 16th, and we can almost guarantee that it will chase away your winter blahs and get you excited to try out some new things in your garden this spring. WIth over 600 exhibitors in once place, you can look for inspiration, talk to experts, and see the wide variety of new and not-so-new products that can make this year’s garden your best garden ever.

We always are excited to check out the featured gardens, and 2014 promises to be no exception with 19 featured gardens with an international theme. You can take a world tour without ever leaving the I-X Center by visiting gardens representing countries as varied Japan, Belgium, the US, and Italy. Many of the featured gardens are paired with local restaurants, making sure all of your senses are well cared for.

As always, there will be an extensive selection of informative and entertaining stage shows (get the schedule here: http://www.greatbighomeandgarden.com/GBHG/AtTheShow/45.aspx). We’re excited to get inspired by HGTV’s Ahmed Hassan at Noon on Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th. Some of the other highlights are “How to Design an Outdoor Living Space” at 4:00 on Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th.

Gardening won’t be the only topic discussed on stage. Several chefs will discuss topics from salad to coffee cakes. Also interesting are several sessions on kitchen design trends and building the perfect kitchen (see the schedule above). We’re looking forward to the Food Network’s Emily Ellyn leading sessions on retro food favorites and leftover makeovers at 1:00 and 4:00 on Saturday the 8th, and 1:00 on Sunday the 9th. Finally, don’t miss the “4 Legged Fashion Show” at 5:00 on Saturday the 15th.

Of course, as far as we’re concerned, the highlight of the entire show is the Three-Z booth (number 512). Make sure you stop by to see how we can help you with the garden of your dreams, have one of our landscaping experts answer your questions, or just stop by to say hi. We love when our friends and clients take the time to talk with us.

See you at the Great Big Home & Garden Show!