Connecticut Flower and Garden Show

New Haven, Conn (WTNH) - Landscaper Michael Imperati from Lawncare Etc. of North Haven and Becky Paul from the Guilford Garden Club joined GMC Weekend to talk about the upcoming Connecticut Flower and Garden Show at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford February 24-27.

One of the largest and most prestigious flower shows in all of New England, the "30th annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show" will be held Thursday, February 24 through Sunday, February 27, 2011 at the Connecticut Convention Center on 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford, Conn.

Show Highlights include:

Twenty-five different huge gardens filling 45,000 square feet, created by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations. They include naturalistic, low maintenance and organic gardens.

Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut's Advanced Standard Flower Show featuring more than 12,000 square feet of design and horticulture competition and over 250 judged entries from around the state. This year's show will feature floral designs inspired by original fashion design sketches from students in the fashion design and merchandising program at Sanford-Brown College - Farmington. They are the winners of a contest held by the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut. The actual garments will be displayed alongside each of the floral design they inspired.

Seminars by experienced horticulturists and experts on landscape design, construction and installation are all free with admission

Presenters include:

· Roger Swain (known as "The Man in the Red Suspenders"), former host of PBS' The Victory Garden and HGTV's People, Places & Plants - Edible Small Gardens & Raised Bed;

· Gardening Author and Radio, TV and Web Personality Charlie Nardozzi, former host of PBS' "GardenSmart" - Vegetable Gardening for Dummies;

· Nationally Renowned Architectural and Garden Photographer Karen Bussolini of South Kent -- Jazzing Up the Garden With Color & Contrast, Landscaping with Native Plants;

· Floriculturist Nancy DuBrule-Clemente, owner of Natureworks Horticultural Services, an organic garden center, landscape design, consultation, installation and maintenance service in Northford - Native Plants, Your Backyard Ecosystem - Habitat Creation, 21st Century Technique;

· Sal Gilbertie of Gilbertie's Herb Gardens in Westport, the largest herb plant grower in the country - A Small Plot High Yield Gardening;

· Horticulturalist Matthew R. Opel, PhD, a UCONN professor and specialist in several groups of desert plants and exotics -Pelargonium Species - The Wild World of Geranium Relative;

· Garden Writer, Educator, Lecturer and Coach Colleen Plimpton of Bethel -The Bins & Outs of Composting;

· Avid birder and birdscaping advocate Michael Corcoran of South Glastonbury - "Birdscaping"- Native Plants for Our Native Birds;

· "Farmdener" (more than a garden, less than a farm) Lee Reich, PhD of New Paltz, NY, who turned from plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University to writing, lecturing, and consulting;

· Paul Buettner of East Hartford - Floral Arranging; and

· Rob Dietter Jr. of North Haven - Water Gardening.

Floral and garden Arts & Crafts area.

Hundreds of displays and activities and aisles of fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, and lawn equipment - available for purchase. People can bring 1/2 cup of soil to the UConn Co-op booth for free soil testing.

Hours: Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, February 25 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 26 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and

Sunday, February 27 - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission: $14 Adults; $12 Seniors on Thursday/Friday only; $2 Children 7-14; Free for children age 6 and under - Admission Payment by Cash Only

Advance Tickets $2 off through Feb. 17 at the following Connecticut locations: the Garden Barn in Vernon; Garden Specialties in Mystic; Lawncare, Etc… in North Haven; Moscarillo's Garden Shoppe in West Hartford; Stonehedge Garden Center in Newington; and Woodland Gardens in Manchester.

Show is sponsored by B & P Turf Farm, Connecticut Magazine®, Goodyear Farms, North East Expos, and T.J. Bark Mulch.

For full information including schedule of seminars, list of exhibitors, driving directions and more, at www.ctflowershow.com