Getting excited about landscaping, gardening and outdoor living doesn’t have to take a back seat to winter, snow, and frigid temperatures. There’s plenty of inspiration and beauty just waiting for, whether it’s a botanical garden or home and garden event.
Take a look at some top area destinations that will keep you connected to plants and landscaping until you can get your hands nice and dirty this spring:
Garfield Park Conservatory & Sunken Garden – Home to hundreds of different plants from the world’s tropics, the conservatory is 10,000 square feet of beauty. Even on the coldest winter days, you can warm up in the conservatory, see what’s blooming, and enjoy various educational displays and special events throughout the year.
White River Gardens – The Hilbert Conservatory is the focal point of White River Gardens in downtown Indianapolis. Named in honor of Stephen and Tomisue Hilbert, the towering glass enclosure is climate controlled and hosts multiple seasonal shows each year. Offering 5,000 square feet of lush, tropical greenery, the Conservatory is host to exotic palm trees and flowering plantscapes throughout a warm tropical environment.
Indianapolis Home Show – Jan. 22-31, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis. Don’t miss this year’s centerpiece home and designer gardens as well as celebrity guests John Gidding of HGTV’s Curb Appeal: The Block, Matt Blashaw of HGTV’s Yard Crashers, and more.
The Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show – Feb. 25-28, War Memorial Coliseum. See the latest in contemporary home and garden products and services. You’ll find all the inspiration and help you need to start your next home project, plus interactive and educational displays the whole family can enjoy. With a petting zoo, adoptable pets, martial arts demonstrations, and balloon and face-artists around.
Indiana Flower & Patio Show – March 12-20, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis. Flowers and patios are at the core of this show, but you will also find hot tubs, grills, decks, water features, potted plants, experts, tools, outdoor furniture, pools, pavers, ‘green’ products, outdoor kitchens, yard art and more.
Indiana has a number of additional public gardens where you can see and experience new plants and learn how to grow them. As the Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture explains, botanical gardens and arboreta (which are essentially living museums with plants as the exhibits) are abundant in our state. Public gardens (during warmer weather, of course) are also wonderful sources of information about plants that can be grown in your area. Take advantage of the lecture series, tours or other special events offered at such locations. Take a look at a larger list of selected gardens in the state here.