I don't live near a metropolitan area any more, but I used to love garden shows like the one in the DC convention center where they brought in dumptruck loads of soil and large trees and every kind of imaginable flower. Also I miss private and public gardens.

Where have you been lately and what have you seen that you just love?

The more our small garden centers disappear because of the Lowe's and Walmart competition, the less I see new flower combinations.

We are going to have a master gardners fair this coming weekend where multitudes of folks are exibiting at the fair grounds; this is done thru the county or state extension office; they offer classes on master gardening, master canning, etc. I love going there cuz I always find exciting things & many that are just superb buys on my pocketbook; they have some spendy things yes, but many plants are cuttings from folks gardens & 25 cents; 50 cents etc; I love it cuz I can buy small acers for $2!!! & yes, they do grow up! I like going to the nurseries just to look at what is available (usually am with sister); what I also do is send for FREE catalogues; mark what i absolutely adore! & then WATCH for it to appear at Walmart for a fraction of the cost! Like the Will Goodman turquoise blue almost just a superb shade of blue clematis that blooms from June thru Sept but it was like $12.95 thru catalogue + S&H; I found at Walmart for $3.00; also the beautiful tulips that are like $5 to $7 a PIECE I have found at Walmart in a bag with 8 or so for $4; so, my advice to you is to order the sales catalogues in the winter; they will come early; keep looking & looking & mark down what you absolutely adore; & put in your purse; you have the names of the plants; then keep watching at Walmart; many times they come in & are gone quickly; but if you have the name of the plant you want, & keep watching for it you can many times locate it for a fraction of the cost. My buy this year so far has been a J&P rose that was only $6.97!!! Planted &  blooming in a 5 gal nursery pot. When J&P had their store here in Medford Ore they sold them for $29!! It was a beautiful Angel Face lavender floribunda & I just could not pass it by. The clematis was in a package with the root, & planted it grew beautifully; the tulips were bulbs; I live near a Walmart so I walk there for somewhere to walk which is maybe a mile 1/4 there & then back. It helps me get excercise, lose weight, & have something to do!

Oh, I almost forgot. Go to the local nurseries & help support them! Many I buy my herbs, etc from. Like the walla wallas I started, at Walmart they had maybe 8 plants in a small container for $3. I went to the grange & got the bundles of onion starts (maybe 35 to 40) for $2.59; I also got 2 6 pack containers of everbearing strawberries for $1.29; far better veggies & prices than at Walmart; for my herbs I almost always go to a local nursery who is known for his annuals but he has superb herbs for far cheaper than elsewhere; So there is a purpose for Walmart but I never would neglect local nurseries; they all have different things at different prices so go & explore; I take the bus lots to save on gas; also if you have farmer's markets in your areas try them out; & join some local garden clubs! Maybe you can get great ideas & get starts & give some for free! Also, I found a fantastic plant growing along a home & took my sister to it just to see it; we used to do that a lot; look at other folks gardens & what plants they had! She walked right up & knocked on the door & asked the folks! They were renters & didn't know but they allowed her to take a small piece to identify it to the nursery which she did & got one which is a flowering pomegranite; there's were large growing to 8'; she got the minature & red (they had 2; one salmon colored & one red); if you take pictures of what you see & like in gardens, you can identify the plants you like if you decide to do that in your yard. With a computer, you can elect to get emails from like Wayside Gardens, etc; find the ones you love & then look for them elsewhere for a fraction of the cost!