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Ladew Garden Festival 2016

Ladew Topiary Gardens iconic scene of the flx and hounds
Ladew Topiary Gardens iconic scene of the fox and hounds

 

Now in its 8th year, the Garden Festival at Ladew Gardens in Monkton, MD, has become the most anticipated specialty plant and garden ornaments sale in the region, featuring an eclectic variety of vendors who specialize in unusual and unique plants and garden related items.

Beautiful arrangement greets visitors as they enter the Garden Festival
Colorful containers dot the grounds at Ladew

Garden Festival guests can shop from more than 45 vendors offering hard-to-find perennials and annuals, unusual exotics and container specialties, decorative garden furniture, urns, statuary, and other architectural treasures. I attend every year and get lots of ideas, buy many plants, and meet like-minded plantaholics. You don’t get many casual plant shoppers here, but knowledgeable plant fanatics.

An antique bird house for sale
The gardens are in spring bloom
Unique garden items are for sale

Attending the lectures and workshops is an added benefit, but I am usually so busy shopping that I don’t have time to attend. After shopping, I also stroll through Ladew’s beautiful historic gardens known for the sculpture of shrubs into fantastic shapes.

Oversized bird houses are on the grounds

I am always searching for the latest and greatest plants and I am sure to find them at Ladew – at a cost though. The prices aren’t cheap, but you will find things here that you can’t find anywhere else, so I am careful about what I purchase. Since I usually buy wholesale plants, I always get sticker shock when I see retail prices.

I picked up this yellow Salvia Madrensis which I love for its unusual color and furry leaves

 Forget carrying all those heavy purchased plants around as Ladew volunteers collect your plants in wagons and take them to the parking area where you can drive up and load them up. I still take my portable cart with me as once it is full, I stop!

Ladew is always looking for quality vendors, and there is usually new ones as well as old favorites. The fairy garden vendor is especially charming and I always stop and admire the miniature gardens.

Miniature garden for sale
Verbenas in chair
Peace Tree Farm booth
Lloyd Traven of Peace Tree Farm

This year the Festival will be held Saturday, May 7, from 10 AM to 4 PM at 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD.  For more information, go to Ladew Gardens. This is your opportunity to find plants and ornaments that are rare and beautiful to make your garden a unique place.

A beautiful spring container at Ladew
Want a Venus Dogwood that has blooms as big as your hand? You will find this at Ladew
Where else can you find miniature hostas?
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