Food gardens, gifts for Mom, interactive events invite you to dig into spring

This piece is sponsored by Landscape Garden Centers.

Plant a pico de gallo or pizza garden, assemble a spring container, or play Plant Bingo with a full slate of spring events coming up at Landscape Garden Centers.

“I am so happy with how our events have been going, and the things coming up on the calendar are a ton of fun,” said Clare Buseman, events specialist.

“We’re so busy this time of year. Every day is something new and great, and I love it.”

Here’s a look at how you can join in.

Food truck fun

Kick off the season on Saturday, May 2, with Black Iron Waffles food truck from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering made-from-scratch waffles while you shop.

Then, come back on Mother’s Day, May 10, for Maple Drip coffee and breakfast food truck from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mother’s Day destination 

Speaking of Mother’s Day, May 10 is filled with activity at Landscape Garden Centers as the weekend marks the unofficial start of the growing season.

Stop by the Bloom & Branch Bouquet Bar to assemble a bouquet by the stem, or shop permanent jewelry with Midnight Spark.

Kids can enjoy free garden bowling all day, and the Landscape Garden Centers team will be snapping free Polaroid photos for families.

“Mother’s Day is a big day for us,” Buseman said. “We open early at 9 a.m. and stay open until 6 p.m., and a lot of families make this an annual tradition to begin shopping for the growing season.”

Shop for Mom

Stop by Bloom & Branch by Landscape Gardens Centers in the Jones421 Building at 421 N. Phillips Ave. to start your shopping now.

“We have a pop-up shop selling annuals, and we’ll be open daily, so you can look at florals for a Mother’s Day bouquet or put together a Mother’s Day pot,” Buseman said. “We have really cute ‘Mom & Me’ blooms that we can put together with your mom’s birthday month and yours with flowers for each month.”

Order for Mother’s Day by May 3 and receive 20 percent off your preorder, plus free local delivery.

Plus, shop unique locally made products in the main garden center, or pick up a gift card.

“Even if the person you’re buying a gift for isn’t a huge plant person, you can create a gift basket in the store and use the gift card at workshops or other events,” Buseman said.

Spring container workshops

These fill up fast — so sign up soon.

May will bring a series of container garden workshops, offering the chance to work with plant experts who will guide you through selecting the right plants, pairing beautiful color combinations and learning proper care techniques to keep your container thriving all season long.

Bring your own container, or purchase one from a large selection.

“Spring container workshops are by far the most popular, and you always leave with something pretty,” Buseman said. “You can count on that.”

Visit here to sign up.

Plant a food garden

Spice up your spring and summer by creating food gardens that will take you through the season and end up on your table.

Create a pico de gallo garden on May 5 beginning at 4 p.m. You’ll grow everything needed to harvest the ingredients for fresh salsa. Register here.

Then on May 28, 29 and 30, the popular pizza garden workshop returns at 4 p.m. You’ll create your own container garden filled with pizza-perfect ingredients such as basil, oregano, tomatoes and peppers.

Register here for that event.

South Side Farmers Market

A new weekday farmers market will offer the chance to bring together local growers and makers every Tuesday beginning  June 2. Shop at the Landscape Garden Centers headquarters at 47238 271st St. each week through October.

“We’re still accepting vendor applications, and we’re keeping it flexible by selling spots for four consecutive weeks at a time,” Buseman said. “We’re hoping to hold this in the greenhouse and on nice days blend it into the nursery for an indoor-outdoor experience.”

Play Plant Bingo

Reserve your spot soon if you’d like to experience a popular new event from Landscape Garden Centers. Held downtown at Bloom & Branch in the Jones421 Building, Plant Bingo will be held monthly.

The May event is sold out, but there are still tickets for June 27 beginning at 6:30 p.m..

“For a $30 ticket, each participant will get two bingo cards, and we’ll do 15 rounds of bingo with prizes for first, second and third,” Buseman said. “So we will hand out a ton of prizes, but everyone will leave with at least one plant.”

Learn more and sign up here.

Host a private event

Can’t make it to one of these events or would like a private and personalized experiences? Groups beginning with just four people can book a custom event with Landscape Garden Centers.

“If you’d like to come plant containers with friends, family or colleagues, we’re booking spring container workshops through June and can always do your own pizza or salsa garden event,” Buseman said. “Our workshops are totally customizable based on your budget and the type of experience you’d like to create.”

To learn more, contact [email protected].