Feb 29-Mar 3, 2024
The 2020 West Michigan Home & Garden Show
DeVos Place – Grand Rapids, MI | March 5-8, 2020
The following is a recap of the 2020 Show – click on any bar below to view the information in that category.
This year, all thirteen spectacular gardens designed to the theme “Great Escapes”. Each of our wonderful designers interpreted that theme and incorporate it into their design.
The gardens competed in three categories – Peer Vote, where one lucky landscape designer won the Golden Shovel for impressing their fellow designers, Professional Vote, where local designers and professionals judged the designs based on several criteria, and a Public Vote, which is where YOU came in!
You could vote for your favorite design at the show for your chance to win a one year membership to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park!
View the Winners
Bakhuyzen Landscape Management – Garden F – “Pick Your Escape”
Is your escape in a camper or cottage on your land, relaxing with a drink by lake and fire? Or maybe your escape is hanging out right in your own back yard? Whatever it is, and it can even be both, you can have us work with you to creat your own great escape!
DeHamer / AGRLP – Garden E – “Vacation At Home”
What better way to escape the busyness of life than to have a family getaway in your own backyard? Combine sports, entertainment, relaxation, and amazing food to create the “Great Escape” with your family and friends.
Everett’s Landscape Management, Inc. – Garden A – “Reflection Pond”
We create “respites”, places, courtyards, gardens and features where a person can “escape” the business of life. The “Great Escape” would be to leave the phone in the house, enjoy some contemplative time in nature. You may reflect on the day, your challenges, your dreams! Birds and Butterflies carry away our burdens and help us to rise up to a healthy state of mind!
Harder & Warner Nursery & Garden Center – Garden G – “West Coast Retreat”
Take a trip to the other west shore and relax in our contemporary California courtyard, pairing natural and man-made materials for the ultimate escape.
Heyboer Landscape Maintenance Inc – Garden K – “Repurposed Retreat”
Escape to your backyard hideaway where elegance is found in reusing in sustainable materials. The spacious entertaining area is highlighted with different types of repurposing to create your own great escape.
Katerberg VerHage – Garden L – “Quiet Oasis”
We created a calming garden using the sound of water and incorporating a quiet place to sit. The hedge helps enclose the space. The lights mimic twilight. These elements all combine to create a Great Escape.
Kent Career & Technical Center – Grand Gallery 80 – “Fairytale Hideaway”
Everybody needs an escape, not only from adulthood, but from everyday life. What better way to do it than by finding yourself in every child’s fairytale world? A place where fairies tend to their garden and bridges lead you into your childhood dream world. This fairyland will make you forget the outside world, and who doesn’t want to get away sometimes?
Kloosterman Landscaping – Garden N – “Backyard Getaway”
For our garden we incorporated a water feature, fire pit, and pizza oven. With plantings all around, this private patio is perfect for entertaining friends or just relaxing with the family. Any backyard can become a great escape just steps away from home.
Koetje Landscape – Garden M – “Summer Nights at the Cottage”
The main idea behind this garden design is to incorporate specialty ornamental plants with splashes of color and the sound of water to create a space which promotes peace and tranquility. a stepping-stone path takes you off of the main trail and leads you through the landscape, exposing new sights at every angle. A babbling stream, the smell of evergreens and tulips remind one of summer nights at the cottage, under the blue sky and trees, bringing a certain calmness over one’s body and mind.
Outside Inc – Garden H – “Off the Grid”
Outside Inc. welcomes you to our garden. Cell phones, status updates and overwelming schedules are long forgotten. Take a glimpse into a simpler life, where time is just a number, friends are real, family is everything and nature is king. Please enjoy our ‘Great Escape’…Off The Grid
Pro Mow Lawn & Landscape – Garden B – “Weather or Not, Let’s Chill”
We drew our inspiration from the natural beauty of the Michigan seasons. Our main focus on contrast from Summer to Winter. Giving individuals the ability to “escape” to the season of their choosing.
Rosemont Nursery Inc. – Garden D – “Flower Child”
A visit to the 60’s, an era gone by. A time with calls of peace, happiness and love. Many born in that decade were called “Flower Children”. So jump into your VW bus and escape out of town to your happy place. This garden is dedicated to my daughters, and granddaughters who all have horticulture flower names.
Witte Lawn Maintenance – Garden C – “Welcome to Copacabana!”
When you have the Michigan winter blues because you haven’t seen the sun in a month, Copacabana is an amazing place to escape to for some fun and sun. Copacabana is a historic ocean front district in Rio de Janeiro that stretches two and a half miles along the Atlantic Ocean. You will certainly recognize its unique landscape as it has hosted many famous events over the years, including the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, Beach Volleyball Game for the 2016 Olympics, noteworthy New Year’s Eve Parties, and the largest open-air concert ever attended when 3.5 million people gathered on the beach to jam to Rod Stewart in 1994. The Copacabana Promenade is a historic walk originally built in the 1930s and was rebuilt in the 1970ss using black and white Portuguese pavement stones designed as a geometric ocean wave alongside of Copacabana beach. Come! Escape to Copacabana and enjoy sand sculptures on the beach, warm ocean water, local artists’ crafts, delight in a Brazilian Barbeque, dance the samba, and seep into nature and the culture that is Copacabana!
Life in Bloom Flower Power Charity Challenge!
Friday, March 6 at 6pm on the Home Stage, watch your favorite local celebrities arrange flowers in a bid to win money for their favorite charity! Hosted by 13 ON YOUR SIDE‘s Catherine Behrendt & J Schwanke
The Prize:
Grand Prize $500 for the Winning Charity!
The winner is determined by audience applause! Cheer on your favorite celebrity or charity! Runners-up win $100 each for their charity.
The Players:
Angela Cunningham – 13 ON YOUR SIDE, playing for ELNC – Early Learning Neighborhood Collective
Jill Johnson – Crane Dance Farm, playing for the Fulton Street Farmers Market
Shelley Irwin – WGVU Morning Show, playing for WGVU Public Media
Michelle McKormick – 97 WLAV Morning Show, playing for Hawkeye & Friends Dog Rescue & Sanctuary
Dr. Adam Van Gessel – Family Chiropractic playing for Hand 2 Hand Kids
The Sponsors:
Flowers & Foliage courtesy of Sun Valley Flower Farms, Eufloria Flowers, Amy’s Orchids, Esprit Miami, and SF Brannan Street Wholesale Florist and FernTrust
CELEBRATE WOMEN’S DAY – FREE TULIPS!
Courtesy of Sun Valley Flower Farms while supplies last. Women’s Day is March 8.
Garden & Art Market
A featured shopping section of the West Michigan Home & Garden Show with booths of unique and inspired garden accessories, plants, decor, art and gifts from the finest West Michigan nursery greenhouses, artists and gift boutiques. Stroll through the Grand Gallery Meeting rooms for the perfect piece of art for your home and essential accessories for your garden!
Grand Gallery Garden Path
As you walk through the Grand Gallery, walk the Grand Gallery Garden Path to draw inspiration from the show’s garden center and landscaper designed pocket gardens!
Great Lakes Floral Association Events
Flower Shop – Stop by the Retail Flower Shop at the back of the Grand Gallery for an opportunity to purchase fresh cut flowers and floral arrangements designed by Michigan Florist. Stop in….Smells are Free! !
Annual Design Contest – The Great Lakes Floral Association’s Design Contest is one of the most prestigious contests in the nation. Design Contest entries will be on display for view in the Secchia Foyer on Saturday and Sunday.
Family Day Project – On Family Day, Saturday, kids can pair up with a Professional Floral Designer to make a flower arrangement to take home for free!
Spontaneous Design Contest – The GLFA will host two pop-up competitions during the show (time/location TBD). All contestants will be given identical flowers and hard goods items to create the designs onsite and unprepared!
The Great Lakes Floral Association is a full-service trade organization representing more than 500 florists, growers, wholesalers and Certified Florists statewide. Located in Haslett, MI, GLFA offers group savings on insurance, financial services, retail bank card processing & supplies, office supplies, and fleet fueling; is the sponsor of the Certified Florist (CF) program; creates and hosts the Great Lakes Floral Expo annually; conducts educational seminars though out the year at the association headquarters; publishes the Professional Florist magazine; hosts the GLFA web site, and interacts with state / federal government agencies.
To find a professional Florist near you visit www.greatlakesfloralassociation.org and click on the Find A Local MI Florist tab in the top menu bar
Smart Gardening Conference
This annual event for all gardeners, expert to novice, is sponsored by the Kent County MSU Extension:
You can register online or download the brochure that outlines more details about this fun and exciting conference! We hope you can join us!
Proven Winners® National Plants of the Year
As you enter the show, check out the 2020 National Plants of the Year from Proven Winners®, The #1 Plant Brand®, new to Garden Centers Spring 2020!
Dr. Robert Geneve, University of Kentucky Horticulture Professor
Dr. Robert Geneve has been a factulty member of the University of Kentucky, Department of Horticulture for over 30 years doing teaching and research in ornamental plant production and propagation. He is an author of several books including co-authoring the textbook “Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices.” Dr. Geneve has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences and the International Plant Propagator’s Society – Eastern Region. He is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on subjects ranging from plant propagation, seed biology and plant morphology.
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva
Diane Devereaux is The Canning Diva®, a nationally syndicated food preservation expert, television presenter, instructor, mother of two, and author of Canning Full Circle: From Garden to Jar to Table and The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning. Devereaux has bridged the generational gap of traditional canning methods for over a decade, teaching the art and craft of home canning to busy families across America.
J Schwanke, J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom, uBloom
J Schwanke is the host of J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom, a half-hour lifestyle show featuring everything flowers and the positive impact they make on daily life, broadcast nationwide. J is a fourth-generation florist, award-winning author, and speaker – whose passion for flowers is infectious.
“Research has shown the presence of flowers has an immediate impact on people’s health and happiness,” says J Schwanke. “It’s been my life-long mission to show people how easy it is to improve their daily lives, by including flowers. Viewers have responded so positively to the beauty and relaxation flowers provide – even from just taking a break and watching the show. I’m excited to show many simple ways to interact with flowers, which can improve our environment, mood, and even physical well-being.”
In each episode of J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom – seen on public television (PBS) and Create TV stations – J shows viewers how to arrange flowers with simple techniques that guarantee success. He also welcomes friends and guests for segments with crafts, cooking, cocktails, and flowers for entertaining. Location segments include visits to flower farms. Flowers intersect topics as varied as soap making, pets, and bonsai are included, as well as easy-to-make recipes with flowers as ingredients, such as a lavender cheesecake and garden gimlet cocktail.
J Schwanke was actually born at a flower convention and grew up in his family’s greenhouses. His website, uBloom.com, offers flower fans everywhere the opportunity to learn and experience the fun of flowers and flower arranging, 24/7! J has given flower demonstrations in all 50 states, Canada and England. Highlights include the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Art in Bloom, Bouquets to Art, San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, Flowers at Kensington Palace and hundreds of state, association, wholesale and public shows. J has also appeared several times on the PBS show “P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home.” J is the author of Fun with Flowers, which received a Silver, Living Now Book Award. His most recent book, Bloom 365 – The Essential Guide to Arranging Flowers Every Day, was awarded the Gold IPPY (Home and Garden category) by the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Bloom 365 features 365 tips, tricks, and techniques to make flower arranging easier.Don’t miss J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom airing on WGVU Saturdays at noon starting March 21st!
Chef Angus Campbell, Culinary Consultant
A City and Guilds Master Craftsmen, with 43 years of experience, Chef Angus Campbell was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Beginning his professional career, Chef Campbell worked at the Bahamas Hotel Training College where he became the Department Chair for their Culinary Arts Department before moving to Grand Rapids where he taught food production at the Hospitality Education Department at their acclaimed public restaurant ‘The Heritage.’ He has won medals at many levels of food competitions and is an accomplished junior culinary team coach. He recently produced a twelve part series on Italian and Scottish cuisine on location for WZZM TV13 and his production of a monthly cable TV show recently won a national bronze medal at the Paragon Awards. His years in the culinary field has taught him the importance of simple being best and allowing the food to speak for itself. Now, as he steps away from teaching, he continues to consult for local, national and international companies.
The 2020 Recipe: Fresh, Healthy Noodle Bowls with Lightly Smoked Seafood
Leslie Hart-Davidson, HDD Studios
Leslie Hart-Davidson is a nationally recognized professional interior designer, author, and owner of HDD Studios in Michigan. Leslie holds a B.A. in interior design and has nearly two decades of industry experience, but credits her family for the desire to enter the world of design. The Hart family practiced real estate flipping while she was a child, so her calling for home improvement came early.
Leslie lives and breathes interior design not only in her successful design business, but also through monthly live tv segments on WZZM’s My West Michigan. She has written two home improvement books full of snark and great content: Remodeling Your House without Killing Your Spouse in 2014 and her new release It’s Not Your Room, it’s You.
The design philosophy Leslie adopted when she started her business in 2001 is straightforward: design is a democracy, not a dictatorship. This guiding principal helps audience members and clients better understand design language and the psychology behind how they live in their homes. Her innovative seminars include “Taste of Her Own Medicine: Lessons from a Designer’s Home Kitchen Remodel” & “It’s Not Your Room, it’s You” When she’s not on stage or on camera, you can find Leslie happily pinning to her designdemocracy Pinterest boards and creating helpful videos for her designdemocracy YouTube Channel
Derek Woodruff, Floral Underground
Derek joined the floral industry at the age of 16 where he began learning floral design in vocational school and working for a local florist. Since then, he as continued to study the trade through institutes such as Michigan State University, the Great Lakes Floral Association (GLFA), and the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). In 2008 he launched his own business, Floral Underground. Derek is a captivating speaker who specializes in “today’s consumer” connecting and engaging them through different types of media including demonstrations, subscription services and hands-on workshops with both plants and flowers. In addition to being an educator, Derek is considered a “National Floral Design Champion” spending many years polishing the practice of live floral design competition. This love of competition has won him numerous awards in the industry, including the GLFA’s Chuck Bannow Award and Designer of the Year (twice), AIFD’s Bobbi Cup (Thrice), Chicago’s Best in Blooms Competition, second runner-up on a national television floral design competition reality show called: “The Arrangement”, is the 2016 Sylvia Cup Design Competition Champion and was the runner-up in the 2018 FTD America’s Cup Competition.
After each of Derek’s seminars, he’ll be hosting a Pop Up Shop/Make & Take where you can create & purchase exactly what’s covered in the seminar! Additional fees required.
Thursday 8pm – Pop Up Shop at the Home Stage
Friday 4pm & Saturday 3pm – Succulents Bar in the Grand Gallery
Sunday 2pm – Pop Up Shop at the Home Stage
2018 Sarah Brown Photography
Sydney Kamaloski, Lauren Figueroa Interior Design
Sydney Kamaloski is the Operations & Design Assistant at Lauren Figueroa Interior Design (LFID). With five years of experience in professional organizing, Sydney works with clients that strive for a simplified, streamlined space that best serves their lifestyle. Her simple approach takes the guessing away from home organizing by breaking down the process, systems, and strategies to approaching your home with intention. You can find more information and tips on home & wardrobe organization, designing your space, project reveals, and more on the LFID blog. Sydney is also a photographer for QuickSites.co, shooting branding, lifestyle, and product photography for local businesses and individuals. One client puts it this way, “You’ve probably never met someone as positive and optimistic in your life. Sydney is incredibly organized and creative, has awesome skills in marketing, photography, and design, and has the amazing ability to make you feel, well, happy!”
Chef Tommy FitzGerald
Tommy’s recipes are stupidly simple by design, with creations that are surprisingly simple and quick, but with big taste to wow your palette!
2019 Recipe: Grilled Stuffed Campari Tomatoes
Come witness the versatility of a natural gas grill!
Expertly trained and mentored by dozens of renowned chefs spanning the globe, FitzGerald is one of the most well-known and foremost chefs in Grand Rapids, receiving such accolades as 2017’s Chef of the Year from the Greater Grand Rapids American Culinary Federation. Tommy lives in Grand Rapids, and among many other projects is the new Sous Chef at The Urban Platter inside Mercy Health.
WiFi Sponsor – MLive Media Group
The West Michigan Home & Garden Show has an open WiFi network thanks to MLive Media Group!
Proven Winners® – Garden Stage Sponsor
No industry is greener than gardening, and Proven Winners® is constantly working to refine and improve their offerings for the North American garden and aid the nursery industry in using the best in new plant and production materials. They are committed to doing this by providing the education and service to gardeners everywhere that helps them succeed, which makes them the perfect sponsor for our Garden Stage!
Standard Kitchens – Cooking Stage Sponsor
‘Making Your House a Home’… Standard Lumber and Standard Kitchens has been serving West Michigan Builders, Remodelors, and Homeowners since 1904. We are proud to again be the sponsor of the Cooking Stage. We invite you to attend the entertaining and informative cooking demos by Chef Angus and follow that with a visit to our booth to meet our professional designers and see the latest in kitchen trends.
DTE Energy – Grilling Stage Sponsor
Thanks to DTE Energy for sponsoring our Grilling Deck!
Official TV Sponsor – 13 On Your Side
Thanks to WZZM 13 for being a sponsor of the West Michigan Home & Garden Show!
The one constant throughout WZZM 13’s entire history in West Michigan is our commitment to serve the local community. Our tradition of service and innovation continues in the 21st century. We are determined to make WZZM 13 the number one choice for news, information, and entertainment programming by working for and caring about our viewers, employees, advertisers and shareholders.
Visit WZZM13.com for the latest news, sports & information!
