Are you a gardening fanatic? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to have your little postage stamp of a garden or grow an herb garden. Regardless of your skill or experience level, there’s one flower and garden show you can’t miss out on – the 2019 Arkansas Flower and Garden Show March 1st-3rd.
For three days in March, the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show is taking over the Arkansas State Fairgrounds with a riot of flowers, garden displays and more. According to, Mary Beth Rogers, Executive Director of the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show, it is the largest event of its kind in the state. “We call it Arkansas’ premier horticultural event. It is the largest flower and garden show in the state,” she says.
Visitors will see flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors throughout the show. From shrubs to camellias to irises, there will be flowers for all tastes and budgets. In addition, there will be special gardens throughout the venue decorated in unique and whimsical ways. “We have three large gardens, and one of those gardens is the train garden, which kids love,” Rogers says.

Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities to buy the wonderful flowers and decorative elements that you see. With over 80 vendors on hand, you’re sure to return home with something in hand! “There are a variety of vendors, and most of them are garden-related. So, there will be shopping opportunities,” Rogers says.
One of the highlights of the show will be the landscape challenge. In the landscape challenge, designers will be given a work area and asked to choose a house background. They will then have four hours to design a front yard for that house. The designers can incorporate flowers and other unique design elements to make their yard stand out.
“The landscape challenge is something that separates us from some of the other shows,” Rogers says.

This year, the challenge will get a new feature – public voting. “We’ll have a tip jar sitting out on a table. Whichever one they like the best, they can put however much money they want in it. That money goes to our horticulture scholarships,” Rogers says.
If you can’t make the show but want to watch the landscape challenge, don’t’ worry! It will be streamed on Facebook Live for your viewing pleasure.
Perhaps the most significant part of the show, to Rogers, is how the proceeds from ticket sales are used. All of the proceeds, she says, go to fund grants and scholarships for horticulture students. Every year, there are six scholarships that benefit students who are enrolled as horticulture majors in Arkansas universities.

Providing scholarships for the next generation of horticulturists is a point of pride for Rogers. She encourages anyone with an interest in horticulture to apply for the scholarships.
Rogers is quick to point out that being a Master Gardener is not a requirement for enjoying the flower and garden show. She sees the show as a way for people to get inspired and develop new ideas for their own garden
“It’s a fun day to just walk around and look at all the creative gardens to inspire you to do something in your own yard. Gardening helps you facilitate a healthy lifestyle. It gets you outside, moving around, digging in the dirt and getting some Vitamin D. You don’t have to be a Master Gardener to jump in and start your own corner of your yard,” Rogers says.
Rogers encourages newcomers to dip their toes in the horticulture waters and start their gardens with a trip to the show. “You can be the most basic beginner and walk through and get some ideas of what to do in your yard,” she says.

The show starts on Friday at 9 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. On Saturday, the show is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, the show is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults per day. Three-day passes are available for $15. Children under 12 years of age get in free.
While there will be an abundance of free parking, there will also be trolleys running throughout the day to ferry you back and forth to the show.
Images courtesy of the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show