BOISE FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW

When: Friday through Sunday, March 22-24

Where: Boise Centre

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 22, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 24

Admission: Adults $8 for adults, $3 for ages 12 to 17 and free for children younger than 12

Information: www.gardenshowboise.com

Breathtaking displays, seminars, food and music and plenty of information will be part of the 17th annual Boise Flower & Garden Show. A few highlights:

- Check out the lobby garden designed by Sterling Landscape.

- Don't miss the orchid sale and display to learn more about care and maintenance.

- Visit the Buy Idaho Pavilion to sample made-in-Idaho products.

- Bid on a container garden at the silent PotLuck Auction (benefiting the Idaho Botanical Garden's Lunaria Grant Program).

NATIONAL PUBLIC GARDENS DAY

When: 9 a.m. to dusk Friday, May 10

Where: Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise

Information: www.idahobotanicalgarden.org

Celebrate National Public Gardens Day with free admission to the Botanical Garden.

2013 GARDEN TOUR

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 23

Cost: $20 for Idaho Botanical Garden members; $25 for non-members. Tickets and details will be available online at www.idahobotanicalgarden.org or from the Idaho Botanical Garden.

This year's tour will focus on gardens in the East End of Boise, including homes on Warm Springs Avenue and the Table Rock area. There will be six private gardens and a tour of the firewise garden at the Botanical Garden. In addition, the tour features a special guest: Ciscoe Morris, a popular Seattle-area gardening expert, who hosts a weekly radio show and appears on cable's Northwest News Channel. Morris will visit the tour stops throughout the day.

THE GARDEN TABLE

Where: Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise (www.idahobotanicalgarden.org)When: Idaho Botanical Garden has combined two events (Uncorked and The Garden Plate) into one monthly series that begins June 25. The Garden Table combines wine tasting and cooking demonstrations, and the focus is on items that can be prepared with food directly from the garden. The event is held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month in June, July, August and September. No signup is needed. Cost: Free for Idaho Botanical Garden members; non-members pay general admission prices (general admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and ages 5 through 12 and free for children ages 4 and younger).[0x0b]

TREASURE VALLEY LAVENDER FESTIVALS

When: Saturday and Sunday, July 13 and 14

Where: Lakeside Lavender in the Nampa area, The Lavender Merchant in Kuna, River Ridge Farm and Silver Fox Farm in the Emmett area

Information: Check the websites at http://thelavendermerchant.net; www.lakesidelavender.com; http://silverfoxlavender.com; http://riverridgelavender.blogspot.com.

There will be U-pick lavender opportunities, lavender products, food, crafts and more.

20TH ANNUAL KOI & GOLDFISH SHOW

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14

Where: Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise

Cost: There will be more than 24 display tanks and more than 100 koi and goldfish at the show, plus other exhibits, family activities and entertainment. Free admission to the show and botanical garden.

Some other Idaho Water Garden & Koi Society events:

- 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, Overland Road Zamzows. "Koi Ponds and Water Gardens 101." Free.

- The society is holding a Treasure Valley Pond Tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21.

Information: For more details on these events or to find water garden and koi pond resources, visit www.iwgks.org.

PLANT SALES

Saturday, April 27: 9 a.m.-noon Hilda Packard, 1917 N. 9th St., Boise (between Brumback and Ridenbaugh)

Saturday, April 27: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Idaho Native Plant Society, MK Nature Center, 601 S. Walnut, Boise. For information, visit idahonativeplants.org.

Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4: Idaho Botanical Garden Plant Sale. Members only from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday (free with membership), and then open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (general admission pricing). Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise. Information: www.idahobotanicalgarden.org/index.cfm This event features plants grown by horticulture students and Idaho Botanical Garden staff members.

Saturday, May 4: 8 a.m.-noon Ada Gardeners, 10608 Cruser Dr., Boise (southwest corner of Five Mile and Franklin).

May 9 and 10 (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and May 13 and 14 (11 a.m to 3:30 p.m.): Eagle High School botany class sale, 574 N. Park Lane, Eagle. (Greenhouses behind the school. Park in the faculty parking lot. The first turn into the school off State Street. Follow the signs to the back.)

Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Idaho Horticulture Society, 1211 S. Owyhee St., Boise

Saturday, May 11: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Hidden Springs Memorial Garden, Hidden Springs

Saturday, May 18: 9 a.m.-plus, Long Valley Gardeners, Valley County Fairgrounds, Cascade (south side)

Saturday, May 18: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wacky Weeders Garden Club, 624 Los Luceros Circle in Eagle; also selling other gardening resources and materials

Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19: 9 a.m.-plus, Golden Garden Club, 10305 Harvester Dr., Boise

Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Owyhee Garden Club, Homedale (hardware store parking lot, U.S. 95)

Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Owyhee Garden Club, Marsing High School Agricultural Greenhouse, Marsing

GARDENING CLUBS & PROGRAMS

Many of the above clubs in the plant sale list welcome new members. Google "Idaho garden clubs" for more information and to find clubs and organizations. The Idaho Horticulture Society (idhort.com) and Idaho Native Plant Society (idahonativeplants.org) also welcome new members. Learn about being a Master Gardener at www.extension.uidaho.edu/mg.

VALLEY GARDENING CLASSES

Public libraries, the Idaho Botanical Garden, the Foothills Learning Center, most area gardening/landscaping stores, the Ada and Canyon Extension Offices (related information, page 7) and others have classes for every level.

For instance, the Foothills Learning Center and FarWest Nursery are presenting a series of three classes to teach adults about organic gardening. Although the first class has already occurred, there is still an opportunity to attend the other two classes.

9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 1: How to prepare a summer garden. The focus will be selection of heat-loving crops, companion planting, transplanting and protection, and dealing with pests and diseases organically, and 9 a.m. to noon, Sept. 21: Garden management in the fall. This class will focus on harvesting and storage of summer crops, introduction to seed saving methods, fall crop selection, cold protection and preparing the garden for winter.

The classes are at the Foothills Learning Center, 3188 Sunset Peak Road. Cost is $16 for Boise resident; $24.25 for non-resident. To register online, see parks.cityofboise.org or call 608-7680.

See the Statesman gardening calendars in Friday's Life section and in the online gardening newsletter and store/organization websites for more information. Many gardening store websites are also full of good plant information.

MORE RESOURCES

Some other website resources that haven't been mentioned elsewhere in this special section:

United Water Co.: conservation resources online; tour a low-water demonstration garden at its headquarters at 8248 W. Victory Road in Boise. www.unitedwater.com

Boise Urban Garden School: gardening programs for kids and more. www.boiseurbangardenschool.org

Idaho Capitol grounds: good place to get xeriscape ideas. www.capitolcommission.idaho.gov

Compiled by freelance writer Chereen Langrill and Idaho Statesman staff