Do you have a green thumb? A passion for seeds? Or how about a love for garden photography? The Porter County Master Gardeners Association is hosting its 7th Annual Gardening Show on Saturday, January 23, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Porter County Expo Center. The admission is $7.00 but children under 12 are free! This winner of the 2009 Festival of the Year Award will feature presentations by Regional and Local Gardening Experts, special lodging and dining packages, a Seed and Bulb Exchange, Garden Photography Contest, Children’s Corner, food service, and 85 vendors offering displays about gardens and gardening.
The Holiday Inn Express in Valparaiso is offering a special Gardening Show rate of $75 per suite, Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23. For the Seed and Bulb Exchange, bring in your clean, disease free, packaged seeds, properly labeled with as much information as possible, to receive exchange tickets, 1 per packet, 3 per bulb package.
The Garden Photography Contest is sponsored by Gary Camera and Video, located in Merrillville, and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension, along with the Porter County Master Gardeners Association. The guidelines to enter are as follows:
- All photographs are to be 8”x10”, mounted on mounting board
- No framed or matted photographs will be accepted
- No photographs with people in them will be accepted
- Name, address, telephone number and entry category must be printed legibly on the back of each photograph submitted.
Photographs must be mailed or delivered to:
Purdue University Cooperative Extension
Suite 301
155 Indiana Ave
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Photographs must be received between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on or before January 19, 2010. The office will be closed on January 18 in observance of Martin Luther King Day. There is a limit of 3 photographs per person. The judging will be based on composition, use of color and aesthetic value. Decisions of the judges are final.
For more information on this event, as well as a list of the exhibitors, click here.
Spring is not too far away! Come learn some gardening tips just in time for the season!