R O R
Home and Garden Showcase is April 6 & 7 By Peggy Werner ith the promise of spring now clearly in view, it’s time to gather ideas to refresh and renovate your home, yard and gardens. The 16th annual Home and Garden Showcase can help with that. This year’s free event will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 6 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at Forest Hills Lodge, Highway 173 and Forest Hills Road. The show will feature more than 100 vendors with goods and services for the home and yard. “Our show is the first sign of spring and people look forward to getting out of the house and getting in the mood for projects they have to do inside and outside, while being able to talk with experts and get discounted prices,” says Andrea Nichols-Costello of Showtime Productions, sponsor of the event. Vendors this year include those
W
16
Smart Living Weekly
selling solar panels and installation, gutters, windows, siding, bath and kitchen updates, blinds, power washing, landscaping, seed packaging, plants, patios, saunas and more. Kerrie Rosenthal, co-owner of The Seedkeeper, will return this year with more than 60 gardening helps, tools, and gift items. Among her most popular items is the Seedkeeper Deluxe, a seed storage system that safely holds 100 seed packets and comes with a set of tools and divider cards. Teague Dickey is CEO of Iconic Energy and will be at the showcase to talk with people about the benefits of solar energy. He will have solar panels and installation materials on hand for people to see as well as a video showing “before and after” images. “Solar panels are a state-of-the-art
March 27 To advertise call 815-316-2300
upgrade to an existing or new home and they can really impact a home’s value, positively affect the environment, and help people save money. With the federal and state incentives and rebates currently available, the cost to install solar panels is almost totally paid for,” he says. And the reduced electricity costs are immediate, he adds, with most homeowners saving $800 to $1700 on their yearly energy bills for an average-sized home. Master Gardeners from the University of Illinois Extension will be available all weekend to host workshops and answer questions, says Samantha Burbach, program coordinator for University of Illinois Extension in Winnebago County. Saturday workshops include “Give Your Garden the Blues,” by Beth Edwards at 10:30 a.m.; “Growing Veggies 101” by Michelle Cox at 11:45 a.m.; “The
