Home sweet home, garden show

If there?s a question relating to home improvement, the answer can likely be found among the 137 booths at the 43rd annual Johnson City Area Home Builders Association Home and Garden Show, which is set to begin Saturday at Freedom Hall Civic Center.

JCAHBA executive director Lisa Luster said all signs are pointing up for an industry that has seen some decline during the recession.

?A lot of the industry has been hit hard, but they have come to us this year realizing that things are turning around. The public is calling, builders are starting to build again, remodelers are working, landscapers are working full-tilt and this is a good time to start doing this work,? she said.

This year, the Home and Garden Show will feature 89 vendors dealing with everything from building, remodeling and landscaping to answering questions about refinancing and home restoration.

Even if one isn?t in the market to build or remodel a home, Luster said the show is the perfect place to come to get ideas for future projects.

?If they?ve got a wish list or a plan, we have an architect that can work with you,? she said. ?Come to get the idea. Come to make a plan and find the professionals that can put your plan into action, and that?s what we?re all about for this.?

As with previous years at the show, there is a concentration on energy-efficient building, including several vendors who offer solar power services.

?We feel like building smart is the only way to do it,? Luster said.

Certified green professionals will be on hand at the show, as well as green flags at booths where green products will be available.

Workshops will be hosted throughout the weekend, including workshops presented by the Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners, the Orchid Society of East Tennessee, Englewood Lawn & Landscapes and Paul Walton, certified aging in place specialist and certified green professional.

For the first time in the show?s history, a ?Kid?s Zone? will be available for children where they can learn about building and decorating in a kid-friendly environment.

The showrooms will be open Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tickets are $3 per person per day and a weekend pass is available for $5. Children 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For more information, call the JCAHBA at 282-2561.

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Home sweet home, garden show