MEET EMMY AWARD-WINNING TV HOST, STEVE THOMAS, ON SUNDAY Steve Thomas, current host for Renovation Nation and host of This Old House for 14 years, will share his viewpoint on green renovation techniques. Over the course of his 14 years as host, Steve became known as the "ultimate home enthusiast" and helped catapult This Old House to the top of PBS's list as the most-watched ongoing series of all time. With very practical advice, Steve will inspire homeowners to spend their green dollars wisely. Meet Steve on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Home Ideas Stage presented by Valpak.
LARRY SPRINKLE Meet Charlotte’s favorite weatherman, Larry Sprinkle, on Saturday. See Larry’s Garden, a special garden sanctuary created specifically for Larry by Ponders, Inc.
RETRO RENOVATION: BACK TO THE FUTURE STYLE Pam Kueber is the publisher of www.RetroRenovation.com a daily blog currently reaching more than 50,000 readers monthly. A writer and interior design enthusiast, she launched the site after struggling to find resources to renovate her own 1951 home in Lenox, Mass. She blogs daily and RetroRenovation.com today features 1,100 stories focusing on new-product resources, vintage photos and illustrations, design ideas, and reader stories. All are aimed at helping the growing number of homeowners eager to renovate their midcentury homes in authentic retro style. In all, 20 million homes were built in America during the Baby Boom years. The site also is great for anyone who wants to add retro pizzazz to a home of any era. She doesn’t stop there, she also publishes a second site, SaveThePinkBathrooms.com But wait…you can learn more when you meet Pam at the Home Ideas Stage.
MEET SUSIE COELHO, HGTV LIFESTYLE GURU Susie provides straightforward tips on home style, gardening, entertaining and cooking in a fun and easy to follow way. As the host of HGTV’s primetime series, “Outer Spaces,” she and her team surprised homeowners with beautiful outdoor living spaces. Susie will share her style tips Wednesday at the Home Ideas Stage presented by Valpak. Prior to that, her hit series, “Surprise Gardener,” also on HGTV, was a forerunner in the make-over genre. She has hosted a variety of other lifestyle and entertainment shows, in addition to over ten specials for HGTV. She has also appeared regularly as a lifestyle contributor on numerous network shows including NBC’s Today, ABC-TV’sThe View, and Oprah.
BARRY GLICK, SELF-PROCLAIMED “KING OF HELLEBOROUS” Barry Glick, Founder & Owner of Sunshine Farm & Gardens and self proclaimed “King of Helleborus” will enlighten, entertain and educate garden enthusiasts on native plants and wildflowers as well as provide an entertaining tour of American’s favorite shade perennial – Helleborus, from the genus of hybridizing to propagation. Learn from Barry at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday and 11:00 a.m. on Thursday at The Garden Stage presented by Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
BOB TIMBERLAKE Internationally known realist painter and home furnishings creator chats about his life as an artist at 11:30 a.m.Saturday on The Home Ideas Stage presented by Valpak. Afterwards, make sure to stop by the Our State exhibit in Independence Hall for autograph signing.
SPRING INTO WREATHS
Hope Wright, Floral Designer for A Gardener’s Place at Biltmore.
Imagine having the 75 acres of the Biltmore Estate gardens as inspiration! With a little planning you can incorporate plants in your own garden to supply year round enjoyment. Hope will suggest some additions such as pussywillow, celosia, and nigella that can be grown and harvested at home to enliven creations as she weaves these and other everlastings along with natural botanicals into a wreath.
A floral design and decorating specialist, Hope Wright creates elegant visual displays, hosts informal floral design and gardening workshops in “A Gardener’s Place,” Biltmore’s garden shop, located below the historic 1895 conservatory. Hope has appeared in several “Specialties of the House” segments from Biltmore and Lowe’s on HGTV. Hope hails from Brevard, set in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Although her work with the Biltmore Estate calls primarily on her talent for floral arrangement, Hope has the true soul of a gardener. From the towering blaze of bronze fennel in the estate’s walled garden to the knee-deep froth of lavender in her own backyard, you’ll find Hope Wright at work in all seasons with a smile on her face!
