Flower shows, festivals celebrate spring

After a long winter, it's time to celebrate the return of spring. Check out the colors of the season for free at local parks and gardens. If all the natural beauty leaves you inspired, you can take home some tips and supplies to plant some flowers of your own.

Here is a sampling of upcoming flower shows and festivals:

A Bloomin' Festival

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe, (847) 835-5440, chicagobotanic.org

Hours: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 14; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16

The Women's Board of the Chicago Botanic Garden has been holding their annual sale for 44 years, but this spring A Bloomin' Sale serves as the focal point for a new festival. Along with browsing 30,000 ferns, fruit and vegetable plants, herbs, wildflowers, roses, shrubs and vines, visitors can purchase baked goods, organic produce, honey, pottery and gardening tools. You can also learn how to improve your growing skills at daily demonstrations.

Garden Faire

Chalet, 3132 Lake St., Wilmette, (847) 256-0561, chaletnursery.com

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 1, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 2

The annual sale offers 20 percent discounts on perennials and roses Saturday and annuals and tropical plants Sunday, along with deals on planting supplies and accessories. There's plenty to do besides shopping. Demonstrations offer cooking tips and samples of spring salads and vegetable dishes you can make with homegrown produce. You can cool off with fresh lemonade, snack on bruschetta spreads, get your garden tools sharpened and learn about plants from the Chicago Botanic Garden's director of plant collections. Kids can get their faces painted, decorate pots and plant a spring flower to take home. Dogs are welcome.

GreenhousEffect

Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, (630) 668-5161, cantigny.org

Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 2

The annual open house lets visitors tour the 18,000-square-foot greenhouse that supplies all the plants used in Cantigny's gardens and golf course. Along with viewing thousands of varieties of flowers, you can get some gardening advice from experts, enjoy free refreshments and buy plants to take home. For a small fee, kids can decorate a papier-mâché pot with a seedling in it and learn how to make paper. You can also pick up tips for green living with beekeeping, composting and rain barrel demonstrations. Cantigny sells $80 rain barrels made from fertilizer containers decorated by artists.

"Most people collect the rain water to water their gardens," said Jeff Reiter, senior manager of communications. "You attach your downspout to them so they fill up pretty fast."

Lilac Time

Lilacia Park, 150 S. Park Ave., Lombard, (630) 953-6000, ext. 27, lombardparks.com

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Saturday, May 1, through Sunday, May 16

When Col. William Plum died in 1927, he left his estate to the people of Lombard. The land became Lilacia Park, which boasts 200 varieties of lilacs and 50 types of tulips.

"Lilac Time is a celebration of Lombard and Lombard Park District's history," said Jackie Brzezinsky, Lombard Park District administrative assistant.

The festival has been going on for 80 years and can bring in more than 12,000 people. Along with viewing 81/2 acres filled with 1,200 lilacs and 25,000 tulips, visitors can participate in plenty of special events including free concerts, an arts and crafts fair, tours and lilac sales. One of the most popular events is the Mutt Strut 5K on Saturday, May 15, where you can bring your pooch and race to raise money for DuPage County Animal Care and Control and the Lombard/Villa Park Food Pantry. Registration is $20 to $25 and includes a pancake breakfast and after party.

Spring Flower Show

Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago, (312) 742-7736, chicagoparkdistrict.com

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday, May 9

The Victorian-style greenhouse erupts in color for the annual show. Azaleas are the stars and some of the blooms on display are direct descendants of flowers showcased at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. You can also get a taste of warmer climates by browsing the conservatory's collections of palms, ferns and tropical plants.