Gardening season is finally upon us, and there are few means of casting off the weight of cabin fever more satisfying than grubbing in the sun-warmed earth in quest of the fresh-cut flowers and sprightly salads of summer. It’s time for gardeners to get together and trade tips, tricks and shortcuts as they stock up on seeds and seedlings or hunt for the latest gardening gadget.
On Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Montgomery Place in Red Hook will be the setting for the Hudson Valley Garden Association’s third annual Garden Fair. Nurseries, plant and gardening supply vendors and non-profit garden organizations from across the region will gather to show their wares and tout their services. You can tour the estate and its handsome landscape gardens, attend lecture/demonstrations by horticulture experts and meet other members of the green-thumbed geekdom.
The day’s keynote presentation will be a lecture and book-signing by Matthew Benson, author of Growing Beautiful Food: A Gardener’s Guide to Cultivating Extraordinary Vegetables and Fruit and The Photographic Garden. One of America’s most prominent garden and lifestyle photographers, Benson operates a small CSA at the historic Stonegate Farm in Balmville, which he restored after a long period of neglect. The lecture begins at 11 a.m. in the Coach House, and seating is limited, so preregistration is advised.
To register for the lecture and purchase tickets in advance, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/hudson-valley-garden-fair-2015-registration-16397976790. Tickets cost $12 and will also be sold at the gate. For more info on the Hudson Valley Garden Fair, visit www.hvgardenfair.com. To learn more about the Hudson Valley Garden Association, visit www.hvga.org.
Hudson Valley Garden Fair, Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., $12, Montgomery Place, 25 Gardener Way, Annandale-on-Hudson; www.hvgardenfair.com.
Join the family! 
