What Is a Garden Festival?

A garden festival is a celebration of flowers, plants and all things garden-related. Festivals often showcase the best and newest garden offerings, from new types of roses and fruit trees to topiary techniques. Workshops at the events often feature presentations by gardening and lawn care experts. Garden and landscaping vignettes offer festival-goers a chance to learn about new products and techniques, as well as picture how the items would look in a home setting. The shows also offer an opportunity for lawn care and landscaping companies to exhibit their abilities, products and skills.

Some garden festival events focus on one particular garden element or flower, such as tulips or topiaries. Many events have local flair and focus on flowers, plants or crops that are locally grown or popular in an area, such as the annual Holland Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan in the U.S. Some garden festival events are more far-reaching, such as the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show in Melbourne, Australia. This annual garden festival features landscape, floral and garden exhibits.

Most garden festivals also offer learning opportunities for gardeners by featuring a variety of workshops. These programs are often presented by experts in assorted areas, including growing roses and orchids. The workshops typically offer demonstrations of how-to tips for gardeners, such as pruning, grafting and worm composting. Some demonstrations are often offered free for all festival attendees, while others may require reservations and a fee.

In addition to plants and flowers, garden festivals often include landscaping, tree and lawn exhibits. Many landscaping firms will exhibit their expertise through elaborate displays with various species of grasses, shrubs and ornamental trees. They will also promote new products and techniques at a garden festival in hopes of attracting new customers and selling products. Yard art, flower pots and statues are also focal points of many gardens, and garden festivals are often a popular place to shop for the latest items.

Water features for a garden or yard, such as ponds, waterfalls and fountains, are often a popular attraction at garden festivals. Many gardeners appreciate the impact and drama that a water feature can provide in a garden area. Displays at a garden festival will often include a pond, complete with pond plants, fish and a waterfall. Water fountains are often operational at garden events in order to help promote sales, and smaller versions of fountains are often available for purchase at the event.