Preview of 2008 Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show

For author Ellen Zachos, it all starts with a seed. "If you plant a seed when you're 5 years old and you can remember it growing up to be a plant," she says, "then when you're 25 you know how to do it." And if ...

[Sad gardener]

Please bring the Chicago Garden show back to Navy Pier! The shows there showcased glorious gardens in full bloom; they were large and breathtaking, and there were many gardens!

This year's show is small, the gardens are not full or spectacular, the plants are not labeled (if you happened to see something unique, which did not happen often).

There were hundreds of vendors selling crap - not very many selling plants or bulbs. There was a HUGE display of hottubs, so many that this should have been the Hot Tub and Garden Tchotchke Show!

At Navy Pier, when you walked into the show area, you could smell the fresh garden air, clean dirt, blooming flowers. This year's show, well the gardens were so few and so meager, that there was none of the usual thrill of the nearing spring.

It really is a shame that a great show was downgraded to this weak display.

Too bad.

[Sad gardener]

I forgot to say "Keep your money". This show is NOT worth the price of admission. You would get a better show at your local Home Depot Garden Center! Or better yet, go check our our beautiful public gardens and greenhouses.

[GoNativeGal]

I was hoping to go but last year was so awful.
So, even though they had more time this year to line vendors and lecturers it's still that bad?