Get Outside! Join us at the OKC Home + Outdoor Living Show

The OKC Home + Outdoor Living Show falls during the first weekend of spring, and we’re celebrating the season with blooms, butterflies and building outdoor living spaces for the whole family. Join us March 21-23 at Oklahoma State Fair Park and learn from more than 250 exhibitors showcasing landscaping, remodeling, cooking and design ideas and trends. 

Some of this year’s features include:

• HGTV’s Justin Cave – Star of HGTV’s “Groundbreakers,” Justin Cave will present the top ways to upgrade an outdoor space as well as ideas for low-cost gardening and landscaping. He also will demonstrate how to create show-stopping container gardens, one of his easiest tricks for adding big impact to outdoor spaces.

• Storm Shelter Feature – With storm season right around the corner, the Show will feature nearly 20 storm shelter companies allowing Oklahomans to shop and compare in one location. A storm shelter scavenger hunt will make comparing entertaining and will offer shelter accessories and safety items as prizes.
• Butterfly House and Pocket Prairie Garden – Visitors can experience more than 500 butterflies in the Butterfly House, a transparent structure with a walkthrough for attendees to observe a variety of butterfly species. Additionally, the house will be surrounded by a pocket prairie garden designed by Olthia. The pocket prairie garden concept incorporates plants indigenous to the state including native grasses and wildflowers that thrive in Oklahoma’s harsh weather conditions. Prairie gardens are less expensive than a typical landscape design because they start with seeds instead of fully developed plants, grow quickly and require little to no maintenance or watering.

• Disaster Preparedness Education, Red Cross – Show attendees can learn how to build a disaster preparedness kit and develop an action plan for their family by taking part in the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma’s disaster preparedness education. Activities will be offered to help make disaster training enjoyable and less intimidating for children. The Red Cross will also provide information about storm shelter grants and funding for homeowners trying to rebuild from the 2013 storms.
• Outdoor Living Space and Landscapes – Pergola Supreme will offer landscape inspiration with two outdoor kitchens, a custom pergola and pavilion, waterfalls, fire pits and a stained concrete farmhouse table. Additionally, Tony’s Tree Plantation will be offering education on trees native to Oklahoma on The Little Project Stage. 
• Grill-It Stage – The outdoor kitchen stage will feature live cooking demonstrations using the latest in grilling technology. Chefs will share recipes for quick and easy family meals as well as demonstrate how to use the Green Egg and pellet grills to cook traditional grilled foods and non-traditional fare like grilled pizzas and pies. Attendees can sample the meals as they learn tips to make their next outdoor barbeque a hit.

• Plaza Palooza – The outdoor plaza will include a variety of entertainment including wine tastings, live music, a children’s playground and plant sale.

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To help storm victims in their efforts to rebuild, Moore residents will receive free admission to the OKC Home + Outdoor Living Show all weekend with a valid Oklahoma driver’s license with a Moore address. All Oklahoma teachers will receive free admission to the show on Friday only with a valid school ID.

MARCH 21-23, 2014

OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR PARK

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Justin Cave: a Man with a Plan for Landscaping

Justin Cave, star of HGTV’s “Groundbreakers,” has been digging in the dirt since he was a teenager at a landscaping company dragging water hoses to flower beds. He grew up to own a successful landscaping company, host a popular outdoor living television show and travel nationwide delivering landscape presentations, but his passion is still rooted in the basics of outdoor design. At this year’s OKC Home + Outdoor Living Show March 21-23, Justin will plant ideas to upgrade outdoor spaces starting from the ground up.

Start with a Plan

Do you envision a pergola, a seating area surrounding a fire pit and maybe a water feature? Or is a simple patio and a new sod lawn more your speed? Regardless of the budget and experience-level, Justin is confident that you can have the outdoor living area of your dreams, and he says starting with a good foundation and a realistic budget is critical to the plan’s success.

“The two most important things to do before starting a landscaping plan are to assess your wants and needs and establish a budget,” Justin says. “Understanding these things can help you create an outdoor space you and your family can really enjoy.”

Low Cost, High Style

No matter what your budget or style might be, container gardening is one of Justin’s easiest and most cost-effective tips to bring style to your landscape. By mixing the soft edges of foliage and flowers with the hard smooth surfaces of pots or containers, these inexpensive gardens can pay major visual dividends in any garden.

Justin says, “Framing a door or the steps of a front porch with two container gardens is an easy way to add big impact to your home’s curb appeal without spending a lot of money. One key to making an eye-catching container garden is using a plant with foliage that spills over the edge, like a vine.”

Shine Some Light

Strategic lighting is another landscaping technique Justin likes to use in landscape design, no matter if the budget is high-end or cost-conscious. With inexpensive low-energy LED light bulbs and a rainbow of color options, landscaping at night is a trend that is here to stay, according to Justin.

“Landscaping doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Highlighting an ornamental tree or showcasing interesting architecture can add a lot of appeal to the landscape, especially at night.”

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Justin will present on the “Little Projects Stage” at the OKC Home + Outdoor Living Show on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23. For a complete stage schedule for Justin and other landscape and gardening experts, visit www.homeshowokc.com. We hope to see you there!

MARCH 21-23, 2014

OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR PARK

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