Before heading to Lowe's for the weekend's honey-do supplies, get some inspiration on infinite ways to enhance the aesthetics, functionality or value of your personal habitat. The American Royal Center (1701 American Royal Court, 816-221-9800) is the site of the
Metropolitan Lawn & Garden Show and the Kansas City Remodeling Show, and the theme is practicality. Yes, the usual top-of-the-line products and elaborate landscaping concepts are still on display — there's a whole series of water gardens, complete with fish, waterfalls and nighttime lighting — but organizer Pat Riha says he has noticed a major DIY trend. "A lot of people with limited budgets still want to improve their homes," he says. Nowadays, people also want lawns that are green in the environmental sense. Water conservation through dryscaping (the use of more drought-resistant native plants instead of finicky exotics), Riha notes, is gaining popularity. Both shows are open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (The shows began Friday with weekend hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.) Admission costs $10 (and is free for children 12 and younger). For more information, see
metrogardenshow.com and
kcremodelingshow.com.
$10; kids under 12 free
785-842-1390
