Chicago Flower and Garden Show

I know you all have been waiting to hear of our adventures in that Urban Jungle known as Chicago, and how they could possible be host to a flower and garden show.

Well, they actually have soil, ground, good old fashioned earth in Chicago. It just takes some looking for. There were 20 different garden displays, full gardens, at the show. Lots of creative ideas for growing were on display.

“Let food be thy medicine” is a saying as old as medicine itself. Also the slogan to a campaign to rid the world of GMO’s, that Dr. Axe is on. I recommend his broadcasts to anyone.

And speaking of good healthy, the best food you can find anywhere, kind of food, did you hear about the WORS opening event? Yes, I am talking about a Mountain Bike Race. A Mountain Bike race held on  Englewood Grass Farm in Fall River, Wisconsin. Pure delicious grass fed beef. It is what’s for dinner, yum, cause your store bought beef is full of hormones and antibiotics, yuk. The family farm, it is what life is all about.

The Iola Bump and Jump, one of my favorites, is over. I am actually down to race weight. I will have to get in some Metro Mountain Bikers Wednesday Night Races. They have begun.

So Chicago has a show in which things actually grow. Our interest was in growing edibles. Not the main focus of the event but some good information all the same. The meat of the show, not grass fed, comes in the presentations. Two open public stages, one for growing things and another for cooking things. There were a few interactive/training displays that were inactive when we passed by, an area for paid classes and a large room for major speakers to comment on deep and profound aspects of growing stuff.

That was the meat. Plenty of booths. Support a convent by buying their bakery, buy some overpriced tea (Maybe not overpriced for Chicago) and plenty of garden ornaments were your options along with the other half of the booths which had nothing to do with gardening. If you wanted to change your Internet service or were interested in new siding, you were in luck.

Dr. Earth had a display, nothing for sale. We each received free samples of fertilizer. They are great products carried by Home Depot as well as others. The busiest booth sold seed, plants and other goodies, but I did not venture in to weather the crowd. I was looking for an insect house otherwise. My wife finally found one at Aldi for less than $10.

The most outstanding booth at The Chicago Flower and Garden Show had ties to UW Madison. They have produced a cutting edge LED light grow system for indoors. Research and the best LED’s on the market that will not lose intensity over time make their system far worth the money. It is not just the lights but also the growing system; seed tapes, watering wicks etc.. Check it out; LED Habitats. My seed starts indoors were dismal. I need a better refined indoor lighting system.

If we had been free to pick the optimal day, as far as presentation availability, to go to the show I would have enjoyed the show more. Check out the show guide before making your plans. Having never been to Navy Pier before we had a good time, with plenty of exercise walking the pier between shows. Found a great burger joint, grass fed.

Our garden, where I do all the work, is starting to take shape. Had to get the bitter melon and some cucumbers out of their pots; they were not doing well. I hope those domes protect them. It has been cold still, at times. My writing (I have published) and gardening, everyone just puts it up to me having fun. I guess all my hard work is not truly work. Lucky me.

The $154 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.