Home & Garden Show: Milwaukee snow welcomes spring event
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - The REALTORS Home & Garden Show started Friday as snow fell outside State Fair Park, but experts said you shouldn't worry too much about the spring storm.
The calendar may tell you it's spring, but Wisconsin weather always has the last word. Cathleen Veley and her husband came out to the 98th annual Home & Garden Show for an escape.
"I’m not really a gardener – my plants usually die," she said.
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Don’t tell that to Jans Hoogendoorn. It's his first time as a vendor and his first time in Wisconsin, period; his green thumb comes all the way from The Netherlands.
"Don’t worry about your tulips. Last week it was very warm. The snow will just cover it and keep them warm like a mattress," he said. "The snow won’t hurt your plants, so don’t worry."
Jans Hoogendoorn
Hoogendoorn’s flower booth is one of nearly 300 exhibits at this year’s show. Dean Pipito's business, Aquatica, will put a waterfall in your backyard.
"We’re kind of the cherry on the sundae in a backyard next to a deck or patio," he said.
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Pipito isn't worried about a springtime cold-snap impacting business either. He's keeping an eye on the weather, but he has bounced back from worse.
"The building can be remodeled – redone," he said. "But you can’t replace animals."
In 2016, FOX6 News profiled Pipito after his pet tortoise, Matilda, accidentally set fire to his business.
Aquatica exhibit at Home & Garden Show
"That was almost 10 years ago now, and we just keep moving forward – learning from the past," he said.
The point is: snow will melt, flowers will bloom and, if you just can’t wait any longer, there's a place to go to feel like spring is already here.
The Home & Garden show runs through March 30. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but it still gives you plenty of time to stop and smell the flowers.