The largest garden show in Kansas opens Friday at Century II
At the Outdoor Living and Landscape Show this weekend, the concrete floors of Century II are once again being converted to pop-up garden plots.
The show features large patio and garden displays set up by area landscapers and garden centers in both the Expo Hall and Convention Center of Century II, 225 W. Douglas. Billed as the largest garden show in Kansas, the it takes up 145,000 square feet altogether.
With the sights of backyard displays, the fragrances of the plants and trees, the sounds of water features and more than 15 seminars, the show is meant to get you inspired and excited about working in and improving your yards and gardens. That’s the reaction organizer Brad Horning of Entercom Communications has.
“I just can’t wait to get home and pull weeds,” Horning said, as he took a break from coordinating with Century II staff and more than 150 vendors who started setting up their displays on Monday.
The show also is a good way to mark the change in seasons for the staff of Suburban Landscape, according to co-owner, vice president and construction manager Jeff Davis.
After installing a fireplace feature Monday morning in a 40-by-30-foot space in Century II, Davis’ crew started installing a more time-consuming part of their display: a 7-foot waterfall that ends in a 2-foot deep pond. The rest of Suburban Landscape’s space will include 100 landscaping lights and patio pavers, including natural blue sandstone, a stone less porous than limestone so it’s less likely to absorb water and “pop when it freezes,” Davis said.
Most vendors set up their displays in similar-sized areas as Suburban’s space, but some are even larger, measuring 60-by-30 feet, Horning said.
Lighting has become a major trend for backyard spaces, and that meant setup crews were up in the rafters of Century II Monday to turn off overhead lights to allow exhibitors like Suburban or new vendor Wichita Lights to have their backyard lighting displays shine through, Horning said.
Seminars are another key feature of the home show. Throughout most of the show’s schedule, seminars will be offered at the top of the hour. The more than 15 seminars will be presented by area master gardeners, experts from the K-State Extension Center and the Great Plains Nature Center, as well as staff from area landscaping and nursery businesses. Topics range from tips for growing vegetables to new annuals and perennials hitting the market to native plants that attract beneficial insects.
The first 100 visitors to the show on both Friday and Saturday will receive a 27 1/2-inch wind chime.
Outdoor Living & Landscape Show
When: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, March 6; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, March 8
Where: Century II Expo Hall & Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas
Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors (60+), $5 children ages 5-12; free children under 4. Look for $1 discount coupon on admission in Eagle’s Friday GO! section.
Parking: Shuttle buses available from former Gander Mountain parking lot, 605 S. Wichita, and from a parking lot by Market and William. Regular Century II parking, some paid and some free, is available as well.
More information: outdoorlivingandlandscapeshow.com
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 5:01 AM.