Can you dig it? Hendricks County Master Gardener Rosie Lenihan says that virtually anyone can, provided they have the time, pledge the effort, and receive the proper education.

It’s in that spirit that the Hendricks County Extension Master Gardener Association has announced details for the county’s 20th annual garden show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 5 at the 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex.

The event is free to the public and carries the new title “Gardening for All Ages.”

“As Master Gardeners, our biggest goal is to educate, and that’s what this show is all about,” Lenihan said. “[Gardening] is very therapeutic and when everything else is going to pot, it’s great exercise and relieves stress.”

Hendricks County Master Gardeners President Colletta Kosiba said that the show will feature a number of activities and presentations including ones on composting, insects, container planting, and even stretching tips to help prevent injury while gardening.

“We’re going to have something for everyone from kids to seniors,” Kosiba said. “Our motto is to teach others to grow and that’s what flower and patio shows should be. It’s not about selling ginsu knives.”

Kosiba added that gardening has been noted in several polls and publications as the number one leisure past-time in the nation.

Lenihan said that the America the Beautiful Fund has agreed to provide the organization with free seeds and work gloves, as well as a monetary grant to help with expenses associated with the show. The first 100 attendees will also receive free Norway spruce trees.

The show will also feature its first ever Eco-Friendly Container Gardener Sweepstakes. Thirty entrants will be selected at random at the Gardening for All Ages show to plant their container. Those plants will be nursed and eventually judged in July during the Hendricks County 4-H Fair with winners receiving cash prizes ranging from $100 to $200. Applications for the sweepstakes must be received by April 1. Contest details and an entry form are available by accessing this story on the website at www.flyergroup.com.

For more information on the Gardening for All Ages show, visit the website at www.hendricksgardeners.com.

Brian Kern writes for the Hendricks County Flyer in Avon, Ind.

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