Charlie Nardozzi

The New Jersey Flower & Garden Show isn’t just a dazzling preview of spring’s sights and scents. It also offers opportunities for gardeners to learn something new as they look forward to the new planting season.

 A major feature of the New Jersey Flower & Garden show is a program of nearly three dozen talks and demonstrations that offer something for every gardener, regardless of age and interest. The adult program at theNew JerseyConvention Centerincludes full-length lectures in the “Gardeners Go to School” seminar program and shorter takes on the latest garden trends in the entertaining “Bouquet of the Day” series.

 One focus of experts’ talks this year concerns the fastest-growing segment of home gardening: raising homegrown food. In the past few seasons, edible gardening has been on the rise and now is a priority for nearly 40 percent of gardeners nationwide, according to the National Gardening Association (NGA), which tracks home gardening trends.

 On Feb. 17 at 12 and 2 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 11 a.m., garden author Charlie Nardozzi shares tips on setting up a vegetable garden, growing popular Italian veggies, understanding organic methods and making edible gardens an attractive feature of home landscapes. He’s got ideas on using the harvest, too, as a contributor to the cookbook “Vegetables from anItalianGarden” – a book that reminded him of foraging for wild mushrooms and dandelion greens as a child on his family’sConnecticutfarm.

 Another speaker will take a look back at the origins ofAmerica’s food heritage. Dean Norton, horticulturalist atMount Vernon, George Washington’s historic estate, talks about the original First Gardener at noon on Feb. 18. As a contributor to the newly published book “Dining with theWashingtons: Historic Recipes, Entertaining and Hospitality,” Norton can offer vivid insights into the style and substance of fine dining in the early days of our country.

 Colonial Williamsburg gardener Wesley Greene is one of the featured speakers at the MAC Events Home and the 22nd Annual Maymont Flower & Garden Show at the Greater Richmond Convention Center,403 N. 3rd St.

In his appearance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, Greene’s topic will be “Gardening Under Cover.” He has rediscovered the art of producing vegetables year-round and will share the history associated with gardening “out of season” as he discusses the tools, devices and methods that gardeners can use today to extend the season of productivity in the vegetable garden.

 He also discusses Colonial Williamsburg’s newest gardening book, “Vegetable Gardening, The Colonial Williamsburg Way.” Co-published by Colonial Williamsburg and Rodale Inc., the book introduces today’s gardeners to the art of the well-ordered 18th-century kitchen garden.

The book, illustrated with images by Colonial Williamsburg photographer Barbara Lombardi, has received pre-publication praise from Greene’s fellow historic gardeners. J. Dean Norton, director of horticulture at Mount Vernon, said, “Greene’s historical guide to 18th-century vegetables and gardening practices showcases tried-and-true techniques that are remarkably relevant for today’s home vegetable growers — all thoroughly researched, beautifully illustrated and written to inform and entertain.” Peter Hatch, director of gardens and grounds atMonticello, called the book “a steaming hotbed of garden wisdom.”

 Greene has spent 30 years researching the plants, architecture and culture methods used in 18th-centuryVirginiagardens. He studied botany and plant and soil science at theUniversityofMaine. Originally hired by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to work at the Governor’s Palace, a 10-acre garden in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, Greene founded theColonialGardenand Plant Nursery on Duke of Gloucester Street in 1996. At this experimental garden, he and another gardener, Don McKelvey, study and interpret 18th-century plants, tools and cultural techniques.

Even as the housing market shows signs of improvement, many homeowners are staying put instead of selling – and outdoor rooms are topping their lists of remodeling projects, according to a report from U.S. News.

 Remodeling industry sentiment reached a five-year high in the fourth quarter, tracked by the National Association of Home Builders’ Remodeling Market Index. IGC retailers are ready to tap the demand as spring fast approaches.

The report goes on to state:

 “Booming economic times led to luxury outdoor living – pricy natural stone hardscapes, gourmet grilling kitchens and major electrical upgrades. The recession may have dinged this corner of the remodeling industry, but the concept survives. In fact, investing in outdoor living spaces (and installing additional windows and doors for better inside-to-outside flow) has been a major part of even budget-minded upgrades within existing home footprints. Consumers may be scaling back their wish list, but they’re not cutting back on outdoor entertaining and family time. After all, if families are traveling less, they’re playing more at home.”

 Read more here: http://www.nurseryretailer.com/home/news.asp

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

The 10th Annual New Jersey Flower and Garden Show goes for the glamour with a Hollywood-inspired theme of “Movie Classics.”

Last year, Broadway musicals were the cue for garden designers who created stunning display gardens based on such hits as “Wicked,” “Big River” and “West Side Story.”  This time, who knows what they’ll do? A Zen garden pegged to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?” Or maybe an Italianate display of fountains and clipped evergreens celebrating a “Roman Holiday?”

The theme of “Movie Magic” continues in the Garden Club of New Jersey’s spectacular standard flower show, where floral designers of all ages compete for blue ribbons with creative arrangements.  The competition includes everything from enormous centerpieces to miniature bouquets.

Be there when the show rolls out the red carpet Feb. 16-19 at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison.

The 2012 NJ Flower Show Theme is Movie Classics.

Check out the show at www.njflowershow.com

The Maymont Flower & Garden Show and Richmond Home Show is shaping up to be a great show and we can’t wait until it’s finally here.  In the meantime, check out this video of highlights from last years show.

2010 Maymont Flower & Garden Show and Richmond Home Show Highlights

A.J. LeBlanc Heating & Air Conditioning will exhibit at the 2011 Home & Better Living Show in New Hampshire.   A.J. LeBlanc has a long history serving homeowners in New Hampshire, in fact, they have been in business since 1928.   Through three generations, the family operated business has changed with the times and is a full service HVAC company working around the clock.

Be sure to look to look for A.J. LeBlanc Heating & Air Conditioning when you visit the show March 18 – 20 at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, NH.

Kerry Mendez from Perennially Yours in Ballston Spa, NY will be speaking at the 2011 New Jersey

Kerry Mendez Perennially Yours

Flower and Garden Show this February.  Kerry brings a vast knowledge of perennial plants and gardening.  Kerry’s seminar days and times will be posted in early December 2010.

What did “The Secret Garden” look like? What grew in the jungles of “South Pacific” or around the lair of “The Lion King?” For that matter, what would “The Addams Family” plant behind their spooky old Victorian? Designers turn to the Great White Way for inspiration at the  NJ Flower & Garden show and the Maymont Flower & Garden Show in Richmond, Virginia , where the theme will be “Gardens on Broadway.”

We’re really excited about this year’s theme and can’t wait to see what the talented landscape designers come up with for our show in New Jersey & Virginia.

With the Richmond Fall Home Show starting this weekend, I thought I would take the next few days to share with you my fall home maintenance to-do list.  One of the first things I make sure to do is check my furnace to make sure it is working properly.  I learned this lesson a few years back when I waited for the first cold day to turn on the furnace.   Instead of enjoying my warm, cozy home, I spent my time pleading with heating and air specialists to squeeze me into their already over-booked specials.  So please learn from my mistake – check your furnace early and if you have any problems, call a specialist before the weather drops.