Kickoff of show a signal of spring
Sure signs that spring is near arrive each year with a flood of seed catalogs and the Dispatch Spring Home & Garden Show.
The seed catalogs go to my bride, who has the green thumb in our family, and we both like the ideas and expertise we find at the show. I assure you that I'd say that even if I didn't work for The Dispatch. Attending the Home & Garden Show is simply the best way to catch up with trends, tools, products and experts.
And that starts with "DIY Day" and two of my favorite TV personalities — Tom Silva and Richard Trethewey from "This Old House." They are scheduled to appear Saturday on the opening day of the show, which runs through Feb. 24 in the Bricker and Celeste buildings at the Ohio Expo Center (aka the State Fairgrounds), Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue.
Silva is a general contractor who has been part of the "This Old House" team since 1986, and his conversational, downto-earth style allows him to explain complicated construction, renovation and remodeling processes so that novices can understand them.
And Trethewey, a plumbing-and-heating expert, is one of my heroes because I hate plumbing and he has helped me hate it less by showing me (and telling me in layman's terms) how it works and how to put it together.
He has been with the PBS program since it made its debut in 1979. And he and Silva also appear on its sister show, "Ask This Old House."
Silva will appear at the Home & Garden Show at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Trethewey will appear at 4 p.m.
Just looking over the show schedule online at Dispatchshows.com leaves
me wanting to rush home, throw on a pair of jeans and dive into a project.
The theme of this year's show, presented by Ohio Mulch, is "art gardens," in partnership with the Greater Columbus Arts Council, which will offer some fascinating ideas for landscapers and gardeners.
Among the more than 350 craftsmen and professionals will be an array of experts to help with all aspects of home remodeling and renovation.
On Saturday, folks from Lowe's will give a DIY
presentation on how to make your house "connected" with smart speakers and other smart devices. (One of my co-workers told me last week that she has made her house so "smart" that it includes moisture detectors. They're connected to her home network and sent her an alert on her phone recently when her dishwasher sprang a leak while she was away.)
Lowe's experts also will give demonstrations on installing shiplap walls, painting and tiling.
The second annual
Pop-up Arts Fest next Sunday will showcase Columbus-based artists and their work in a variety of mediums for home decorating.
On Feb. 20, experts will give demonstrations on insulating your home, the best practices for your heating-and-cooling systems and traditional remodeling versus "smart" remodeling techniques that work with your existing layout to add the most value to your home in the most cost-effective ways.
Sessions on trends in
interior design, designing a home and keeping a basement dry will be featured on Feb. 21.
Demonstrations on Feb. 23 will include simple bath and kitchen designs, plus tips for how to build a treehouse.
And the show will conclude Feb. 24 with an emphasis on gardening.
Alan D. Miller is a Dispatch editor who writes about home maintenance and historic preservation. amiller@dispatch.com @youroldhouse