Flower show season continues this weekend at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, beginning with a preview night Friday night from 6 to 8 p.m.
"Kaleidoscope of Color" is the title of the show, and color, lots of color, will take center stage.
Workshops the first weekend include:
Saturday, 11am: Beneficial Flowers: Mike McGrath, the WTOP Garden Guru, demonstrates how to use flowers to attract 'good insects' to naturally control all your garden pests.
1pm: Backyard Fruit Production: Learn how to grow your own fruit in your own back yard. Learn Learn about planting, fertilizing, spraying and pruning.
Sunday, noon: Get Your Lawn Off Drugs: WTOP Garden Guru Mike McGrath will reveal the products--and closely guarded trade secrets--that help your grass look its best: Naturally.
2pm: Creating Color Combos That Work: Color works in mass as well as smaller containers. Faith Savage from Goldsmith Seeds is doing some hands-on demonstrations to show you practical color pairings.
3pm: Six Principles of Colorscaping: Discover how simple it is to plant stunning colorscape designs. Dean Bemis of Goldsmith Seeds has been designing annual flower beds for the golf course industry for over 20 years, but you can learn his "less is more" techniques in an hour.
Photos courtesy of Homestead Gardens/Melanie McCabe
The show continues the weekend of March 19-21 with a "Ladies Night" on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Participants will receive a special one-night-only discount coupon of 25 percent off, and a complimentary strawberry plant in a 4-inch pot will be waiting for the first 250 people.
A second round of seminars will be held on Saturday and Sunday of that weekend.
Saturday, March 20 10am: Container Workshop: "Make and Take" Salad Container ($30) Class size is limited.
noon: New Perennials: Author of "The All-In-One Garden" and Editor in Chief of American Horticultural Society's Encyclopedia of Perennials, Graham Rice introduces you to new perennials from around the world to add year-round interest to your garden.
2pm: Color Combinations For your Garden: Color coordination goes beyond decorating your home. American Horticultural Society President Emeritus Katy Moss Warner explains the intricacies of combining colors for both dramatic flair and subtle effects.
Sunday, March 21 noon: Color Combinations for your Garden: Katy Moss Warner, American Horticultural Society President Emeritus
2 pm: Garden Bed Preparation: Spring is here, time to dig in! Not so fast, says garden expert Gene Sumi. Take the time to prepare the bed around your yard for color and edibles to produce the best results.