Dogwood Arts is Getting the Stage Ready for its 2012 House & Garden Show

Jay Baker

Natalie Evans

KNOXVILLE – Dogwood Arts is setting the stage for a spectacular House & Garden Show with grand new inspiring features. This year's show, selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events for 2012, will take place Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday, February 19 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Knoxville Convention Center.

The 2012 Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show, presented by homemarketnow.com, will showcase more than 200 commercial exhibits featuring innovative home and garden products. Professionals will be on-hand providing ideas and assistance. Tennessee's largest house and garden show inspires attendees to shop and save on the newest innovative home and garden products and services for indoor and outdoor design.

Three of the most exciting features this year will be the Green Living Pavilion, a Cooking School, and the second annual fundraising raffle. The Green Pavilion is a sustainability initiative that emphasizes energy efficiency and conservation. Green Living vendors will educate attendees about new energy-efficient technologies, products and services, while providing resources focused on greener and cleaner homes, gardens, and overall lifestyles. A Cooking School, sponsored by locally-owned-and-operated, Avanti Savoia, will be providing cooking demonstrations throughout the weekend. Visitors who participate in the second annual fundraising raffle will have the opportunity to win valuable house and garden products provided by vendors, including a John Deere tractor from Ritchie Tractor, a children's playset provided by FunMakers, and a GO-GO Elite Travelor Plus Scooter from Senior Safe Solutions of TN.

Celebrity speakers will make entertaining appearances, including home improvement expert Jay Baker, sponsored by ACME Block and Brick, who will present "Outdoor Living." Parker Andes, Biltmore Chief Horticulturist, will present "The Biltmore Estate Landscape and Gardens: Planning and Planting, 1895 through 2012," and Martha McClellan of the Knoxville Garden Club will delight attendees with her floral presentation, "Fashion Flowers: Hats!" Accomplished interior designer Moll Anderson, fashion designer Julie Baker, and CEO of Low Country Luxe, Natalie Evans, will delight and enlighten audiences.

The 2012 House and Garden Show will feature multiple exhibits which will spark the imaginations of home and garden enthusiasts. The Grand Gardens, a showcase of more than 10,000 square feet of landscapes constructed by the region's top designers. The Flower Markets will offer everything colorful and green that can brighten a garden. Artisans in Action create artwork on the show floor that opens a window into their fascinating techniques, and the How-To Stage will present twelve do-it-yourself shows throughout the weekend. The House and Garden Show is definitely your ticket to spring!

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (over 65), and $5 for youth (6-12 years old). Children under 5 are admitted free. All proceeds benefit Dogwood Arts.

For more information on the House & Garden Show, visit www.dogwoodhouseandgarden.com.

Published January 21, 2012