Garden designer and television host Shirley Bovshow

Flower and garden shows are in full swing across the country as garden lovers and plant enthusiasts flock to shows to load up on ideas and inspiration.

I invite you to consider attending the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival in Orlando Florida anytime between March 19 and June 1 2008 where  I will be the featured speaker during the weekend of April 4-6, speaking on “Art in the Garden.”

Those of you who know me, can expect some “out of the box” ideas that won’t break the bank and some that will!

Take a look at this overview of the festival and the list of speakers who will be speaking in the “Great American Gardeners” Series from the Disney web site.

Hurry and make your travel plans and stop by and say “hi.”

The Fifteenth Annual Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival Blossoms to 75 Days!

Celebrating “Fun in the Sun,” the Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival is packed with new experiences for the entire family.

See millions of blooms and the largest collection of Disney Topiary anywhere!

Interact with top horticulturists at Garden Town, a new festival addition, where you can get gardening tips, participate in demonstrations, plan your day, and more!

Have a fun evening “under the stars” at the America Gardens Theatre and enjoy the music you grew up with during the Flower Power Concert Series.

Try our new “Easter Brunch” on March 23rd. and mom will love our scrumptious “Mother’s Day Brunch” on May 11th so make your reservations early.

Great American Gardeners “ Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. “ Garden Town
See informative and entertaining presentations from nationally recognized garden personalities.

• Roger Swain ” March 19 and 20
  Join the man in the red suspenders, the long-time host of PBS’s “The Victory Garden” for an eye-catching, mouth-watering, planet-saving, and just plain old heart warming celebration of the harvest of sunlight we call gardening.
• Joe Lamp’l aka joe gardener March 21  23
  Gardeners enjoy a connection with the earth unlike anyone else. Joe offers practical information and environmentally friendly tips to revolutionize the way gardeners should look at their landscapes and what they can do to make them “greener.”
• Ellen Zachos  March 28  30
  Ellen Zachos shows you how to plant a dinosaur garden for kids of all ages. Discover how prehistoric (and prehistoric-looking!) plants make a perfect playground for kids and dinosaurs alike.
• Shirley Bovshow April 4 – 6
  Garden designer and television host, Shirley Bovshow offers some “out of the box” ideas for elevating common landscape elements such as fences, walkways, garden beds, furniture and even mulch, to art status. “Take an artistic approach to the design of your garden, and blend function, beauty, and whimsy so that your art is built-in to the garden!”
• Jeffrey Restuccio  April 11 – 13
  Author of “Get Fit through Gardening” Jeff will discuss how to reduce back strain, muscle soreness and even calluses on your hands using proper gardening techniques. Going further, Jeff’s presentation will show how to transform traditional gardening into a lifelong, fitness and wellness program.
• Tovah Martin  April 18 – 20
  A double-whammy from a well-known author/freelance writer/frequent television guest on PBS’s “Cultivating Life”, Tovah talks about Garden Stewardship – successfully bringing gardens with a past into the future. Plus, she’ll share Garden Secrets from the country’s primo green experts.
• Felder Rushing  April 25 – 27
  Nationally-renowned horticulturist, columnist, NPR host and author of award-winning Passalong Plants Felder Rushing talks SLOW – Slow Gardening, that is. He shares practical tips for all-year beauty using tough shrubs, flowers, herbs and even “designer” vegetables grown in regular flower beds and containers.
• Tom MacCubbin  May 2 – 4
  Florida garden writer, media personality and Extension Agent Emeritus with the University of Florida, Tom MacCubbin talks about how to make your landscape pay its way by growing much of what you eat. Most landscapes can be converted to plantings your family enjoys and Tom shows you how to be a success at putting these foods on the table.
• Raymond Western  May 9 – 11
  A guerlain perfume speciaist, Raymond offers insights into the world of fragrance and the intimate relationship between plants and perfume.
• Robert Bowden  May 16 – 18
  Gardening expert, author and director of beautiful Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Robert Bowden talks about the best plants for weekend gardening projects. Discover how plants with unusual textures, habits and colors make an interesting and fun home landscape.
• Melinda Myers  May 23 – 25
  Nationally known gardening expert, TV host and author Melinda Myers shares some simple, yet creative, ideas for packing a lot of garden into a small space or creating an intimate garden within a large lot. Discover tips, techniques and accessories for designing and maintaining gardens with year round interest in every layer from the ground to the roofline.
• Jon Carloftis  May 31 – June 1
  Acclaimed garden designer Jon Carloftis, author of “First A Garden” and “Beyond the Windowsill,” offers insightful tips to integrate plants and nature in every aspect of life – from interior spaces to urban scapes.