In the Garden: Annual Expo aims to educate local gardeners

Next weekend, , gardeners of this region will be grinning from ear to ear. That’s because it’s time for the Garden Expo.

Billed as “the show for gardeners put on by gardeners,” this annual event has been hosted by The Inland Empire Gardeners since 1999. It will be in and around the Spokane Community College Lair building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year, more than 250 garden-related businesses and organizations will tempt attendees with plants, tools, birdhouses, planters, outdoor furniture, pond supplies, garden art, bulbs, gifts and much more. There will be several food vendors as well.

Free seminars and demonstrations will take place throughout the day. Refer to the schedule for more details.

In addition to many local and regional plant vendors that have been a part of Garden Expo in past years, new additions to the show include South Perry Nursery, Trestle Creek Nursery and Royal Highlands. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions and local garden clubs will provide information about their activities.

But above all, attendees will experience the joy of gardening through the many cheerful, dedicated volunteers, who work so hard to put on this show.

TIEG president ViAnn Meyer is proud of what this show has become and what it has done for our region’s gardeners.

“The popularity of gardening in the Inland Northwest is just phenomenal and local gardeners deserve to have a show they can call their own,” she said. “The Garden Expo is the brainchild of our local, nonprofit club, which organizes the event annually for the gardeners of Spokane as a public service.”

The Inland Empire Gardeners are well-known for their generosity toward local agencies such as the Second Harvest Food Bank, Spokane Humane Society, YWCA Victims of Domestic Violence Program, the Bee Kind Garden for Abused and Neglected Children, and other local horticultural programs.

“We consider the Garden Expo to be our most important community service project,” Meyer explained. “It is managed completely by our volunteers and it is the perfect outlet for small business owners to bring their products to a larger marketplace and promote them.”

In addition to Garden Expo, TIEG also holds the Garden of the Month contest in conjunction with co-sponsors Northwest Seed & Pet and The Spokesman-Review.