The annual Home & Garden Show is always a pleasant escape from Cleveland's winter weather. If you just can't wait until spring to see and smell blooming flowers or if you are more interested in home improvement and lifestyle enhancing products this show is for you!
Each year's theme usually focuses on a country -- this year its the Netherlands. The garden display near the entrance features two large windmills and a canal complete with a realistic looking lock. This and most of the other gardens are filled with bright colored blooming tulips, daffodills, crocus and hyacinths.
The Boulevard of Dreams, a display of model homes, this year included an International Style home by h-haus. Its red exterior was definitely eye catching! The glass floor in the upstairs hall -- a feature that cuts down the need for electric lighting -- was an exciting surprise for most who toured the home and walked across the floor. The h-haus designers called it "the ultimate showcase of intelligent home design for the 21st century ... eco-friendly designs adopted from European housing standards.
A sleek black windmill in the backyard caught many peoples attention too and got them thinking about windpower.
I go to the Home & Garden Show to see the gardens. I like to see the latest trends in landscape design . Each year local landscaping companies compete for awards creating some spectacular displays. But, if you are more of a shopper or need some decorating and home improvement inspiration more than half of the show's space is reserved for commercial booths. With so many booths competing for shoppers' attention some -- like this vacuum cleaner seller-- go out of the way to be memorable. In this area you will find kits for beautiful conservatories to install in your yard, swing sets to make your children the envy of the neighborhood, hot tubs, swimming pools, ceramic tile, replacement doors and windows, kitchen cabinets, sewing machines, clocks, peruvian wool sweaters, lots of cleaning tools and products and much, much more.
There are also a few non-profit organizations represented at the Home and Garden Show. The APL moble adoption van was there filled with adorable cats and kittens -- plus a rabbit and a guinea pig. Parrot Hope Sanctuary, a rescue organization for birds was there to increase awareness.
The Home & Garden Show ends this week. Go see it as soon as you can -- while the flowers are still fresh!