Plants and furniture abound at home and garden show

BELTON – From in-ground pools to pool tables, from plants to pest control, Amish wooden furniture to water preservation, even garden-size putting greens – it’s all at the Bell County Expo Center this afternoon from noon till 5 p.m.

Drop your husband off to admire the classic cars while you spend time in the garden at the Temple Area Homebuilders Association Home and Garden Show – and take your checkbook along.


Children’s state-of-the-art play sets, rockers for mom and dad, flowers for grandma, and tools and riding lawnmowers for pa – there is something there for everyone.

Environmentally friendly equipment was popular at the home show Saturday. Energy-saving lightbulbs and rainwater preservation and harvesting are items of the future.

“All of us in this area know that our electric bills have more than doubled in the last couple of years,” Krista Kern of Southern On-site Solutions in Temple said. “We do septic systems but we are expanding. We are going to do solar, rainwater preservation – we are going to everything as green as we can. It doesn’t make sense anymore not to.”

Peter Parkins of Belton was looking at the rainwater harvesting equipment. “I want to collect enough rain off my roof to be able to water my garden for free,” he said.

Lauri Shoemaker has been attending for about six years and wouldn’t miss it for anything. “I love the gardening,” she said. Lauri had a bag full of herbs that she intends adding to her garden. “The lemon balm repels mosquitoes and the caraway attracts butterflies to your garden,” she said. “I like the idea of rainwater collection.”

Eventually Shoemaker would like to do some remodeling on her home. At the moment she is working on her garden but eventually granite countertops will be installed. “I get so many ideas every year from here every year,” she said.

Cindy Schoeppel of Temple was enjoying the woodwork of the Amish made furniture available at Falls Furniture in Lott. “It’s just gorgeous and so well made, all the dove-tailing. The Amish do beautiful work,” she said.

Patricia Simpson of Limestone Landscapes and Design in south Belton specialize in mulches and gravels, topsoil, river rocks and masonry supplies, stone supplies for your house and yard. The store is only retail but offered gorgeous ideas to make your Texas outdoor lifestyle more comfortable and enjoyable.

Janet Lawdel of Temple loved the stone garden benches they offered. “It looks so nice, easy to care for, Lawdel said, “I know exactly how I want my garden to look now. Our family spends so much time outside.”

Jack Bimmel of Belton had left his wife in the garden furniture area while he admired the classic cars. “I am not really interested in owning one but I love looking at the cars,” he said, “She (Mrs Bimmel) doesn’t like me near her in a garden store. I think it has something to do with how much she spends,” he said with a wink.