The Master Gardeners of Hamilton County will present their annual “Master Your Garden” Expo the weekend of April 12-13 at Camp Jordan Arena in East Ridge.
Focusing on gardening and the outdoors, the Expo brings together a wide-ranging array of exhibits, demonstrations, educational activities, and vendors of interest to experienced gardeners, gardening enthusiasts, browsers, and children.
“We are so excited to present another extraordinary ‘Master Your Garden’ Expo in 2025. Our goal in creating the MGHC’s Expo is to showcase an inspiring mix of gardening activities and provide useful gardening information to the Chattanooga community," said Expo co-chairs Juanita Wade and Jo Grant. Once again, Master Gardeners will provide two days filled with informative seminars, demonstrations, and exhibits, as well as our wonderful market place where people can talk to knowledgeable vendors and purchase a wide range of live plants and garden related items"
The Expo, presented in association with the University of Tennessee Extension, will be open on Saturday, April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $10 and is good for both days (children 12 and under are free). Free parking is available. Proceeds from the Expo benefit MGHC’s scholarships and community garden programs.
"In past years, people attending have stayed for hours enjoying our numerous and varied offerings and learning from Master Gardener experts," Wade and Grant added. "At the end of each day, we have seen many happy and enthusiastic people leave with something beautiful and lasting for their own gardens. We look forward to another exciting Expo focused on our mission: We Teach You How!”
For more information, go to mghc.org/garden-expo.
Events throughout the “Master Your Garden” Expo include talks presented by local and out-of-town experts:
- Saturday: Growing Daylilies; Caring for Bonsai; Growing Roses Successfully; Growing Pawpaws for Fruit; Taking Care of Your Trees; Preserving Foods the Safe Way; Spring Wildflowers of the TN Valley; Tennessee Smart Yards.
- Sunday: Pruning; 101; Low-Maintenance Landscaping with Native Plants; Kids in the Garden; Chickadees and Other Birds in Your Bluebird House; Why Lavender?; What To Do In a Place Where Nothing Grows.
In addition to the talks, there will also be:
- On-going Live Demos: Backyard Chickens, Bluebird Nest Boxes, Bugs & Insects, Bonsai Care, Composting, Grow Buckets, Invasive Vines, Magical Monarchs, Mulching Materials, Rain Barrels, Raised Beds, Vegetable Gardening Q&A
- Vendors & Exhibitors: live plants (annuals, perennials, natives, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees, hanging baskets); gardening tools and supplies; landscaping materials; plus hand-crafted foods, nature-related items, hand-made crafts, and yard art.
- Bonsai Exhibit: Sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society; Displaying rare specimens of this art form.
- Children’s Area (ages 2 to 12): Budding gardeners can engage in hands-on, gardening-related activities with a fun project to take home.
- Magical Monarch Scavenger Hunt: New this year for kids and adults!
- Master Gardener Q & A Table: “We Teach You How!” Master Gardeners provide expert advice on maintaining an attractive, eco-friendly, and productive garden.
For over 30 years, the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County (MGHC), a non-profit, educational, volunteer organization, has played an important role in the civic life of Hamilton County. MGHC sponsors annual events open to the public including: Master Your Garden Expo, Spring Garden Tour, and Fall Festival.
Among the many ongoing landscaping and garden partnerships undertaken by MGHC are: Alpine Crest Outdoor Learning Center & Gardens, Aquarium Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden, Battle Academy Rooftop Gardens, Bonny Oaks Arboretum, CUMC Community Garden, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Chattanooga Zoo, Crabtree Farms, Green Grace Gardens and Grounds, McCoy Farm & Garden, and Orange Grove Center P.L.A.N.T.S., among others.
For more information about MGHC programs, visit mghc.org.