For area gardeners and horticulture enthusiasts, the annual Johnson County Garden Celebration is out of this world.
Booth after booth of garden-related vendors offer everything from the newest plant varieties to locally made artwork to gadgets and gizmos to make your beds look their best. Like-minded residents snack on food from area eateries, and visitors take home free seed packets and tree seedlings, while supplies last.
As the gardening season blasts off, it’s a perfect place to find everything you need, said Gary Kiesel, president of the Johnson County Garden Club.
“There’s a lot of plant lovers out there, and we like to fill that need for them. So this is a celebration of plants themselves,” he said.
The Johnson County Garden Celebration returns on Saturday to help local residents fully grasp their green thumbs. This year’s theme is “May the 4th Be With You: The Ultimate Experience in Gardening,” a nod to the Star Wars-themed celebrations that occur every year on May 4.
More than 80 vendors are signed up for the event, taking up most of Scott and Herring halls at the Johnson County fairgrounds. Educational seminars focusing on Indiana birds of prey, native species and natural landscapes are also planned throughout the day.
“We’re meeting that educational component, so we try to have a variety of topics there. That educational piece is so important,” Kiesel said.
This will be the 19th Garden Celebration, an annual event of the Johnson County Garden Club in coordination with Purdue Extension Johnson County. The event was created to educate residents about all things lawn and garden, while providing them with all of the equipment and supplies they’d need to bring their yards to life.
In its nearly 20 years, the event has helped improve gardens all over the county, Kiesel said.
At the heart of the Garden Celebration is education, which is why organizers put together a program of informative seminars each year.
Kicking off the 2024 seminars is Dawn Slack, who will give a presentation titled, “Hoosier Hospitality — Celebrating Native Plants.” Slack has worked as a biologist for over 25 years, focusing on rare, threatened and endangered species surveys, wildlife management, stream mitigation and land management.
Through her presentation, Garden Celebration guests will learn how to use native plants on your properties to create gardens that are both beautiful and ecologically beneficial.
Following Slack’s presentation, John Landry will give a talk on “Raptors of the Hoosier State.” Landry is left Louisiana for Indianapolis in 2013, arriving with an infinity for photography and nature. In 2020 he began focusing his photography on nature and specifically birds.
To further his wildlife knowledge, Landry joined the Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation as a volunteer and later became education director.
Other information will be provided by local representatives of the Wild Ones Project, which promotes native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaborative action.
“It’s an emphasis on native plants to benefit wildlife,” Kiesel said.
While attendees can stock up on practical knowledge during the Garden Celebration, they can also load up on everything they need for their gardens heading into the spring and summer. Area greenhouses will be selling plants, flowers and more to beautify their yards. Tables full of garden art and decorations cater to every style and taste for homeowners. Gadgets and tools give homeowners the best equipment to tend and care for their gardens.
“We’ve got more than 80 vendors. They seem to be coming out from the woodwork, but that’s a good thing. We have a lot of returning vendors who have been with us for years, and lot of new people, so it’s adding a lot to the variety of what people might be interested in,” Kiesel said.
In between shopping and learning, people can grab a bite to eat in the Garden Cafe, with selections from Jodie Beasley Catering and the MoBowl food truck. Windy Knoll Bakery has Amish baked goods for dessert or to take home.
Attendees can pick up free seed packets and tree seedlings while supplies last. Tentative tree seedlings include swamp white oak, white pine, ninebark and buttonbush.
Parking for the event is free, and admission is $2 — cash only.
IF YOU GO
Johnson County Garden Celebration
What: A gathering covering all of your gardening needs, featuring more than 80 garden-related vendors and educational seminars. Food to purchase from Jodie Beasley Catering, MoBowl and Windy Knoll Bakery will also be available.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 4
Where: Johnson County Fairgrounds, Scott Hall and Herring Hall, 250 Fairground St., Franklin
Seminars
Noon: “Hoosier Hospitality — Celebrating Native Plants” from Dawn Slack
1 p.m.: “Raptors of the Hoosier State” by John Landry of Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation
2 p.m.: Wild Ones Project
Free giveaways include seed packets and tree seedlings while supplies last
Admission: $2 at the door; cash only
