 
Now in its 8th year, the Garden Festival at Ladew Gardens in Monkton, MD, has become the most anticipated specialty plant and garden ornaments sale in the region, featuring an eclectic variety of vendors who specialize in unusual and unique plants and garden related items.
Garden Festival guests can shop from more than 45 vendors offering hard-to-find perennials and annuals, unusual exotics and container specialties, decorative garden furniture, urns, statuary, and other architectural treasures. I attend every year and get lots of ideas, buy many plants, and meet like-minded plantaholics. You don’t get many casual plant shoppers here, but knowledgeable plant fanatics.
Attending the lectures and workshops is an added benefit, but I am usually so busy shopping that I don’t have time to attend. After shopping, I also stroll through Ladew’s beautiful historic gardens known for the sculpture of shrubs into fantastic shapes.
I am always searching for the latest and greatest plants and I am sure to find them at Ladew –Â at a cost though. The prices aren’t cheap, but you will find things here that you can’t find anywhere else, so I am careful about what I purchase. Since I usually buy wholesale plants, I always get sticker shock when I see retail prices.
 Forget carrying all those heavy purchased plants around as Ladew volunteers collect your plants in wagons and take them to the parking area where you can drive up and load them up. I still take my portable cart with me as once it is full, I stop!
Ladew is always looking for quality vendors, and there is usually new ones as well as old favorites. The fairy garden vendor is especially charming and I always stop and admire the miniature gardens.
This year the Festival will be held Saturday, May 7, from 10 AM to 4 PM at 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD.  For more information, go to Ladew Gardens. This is your opportunity to find plants and ornaments that are rare and beautiful to make your garden a unique place.
This looks like fun. My sister took me to Ladew one July and I have always wanted to return.
It is the best plant sale ever and I live about 8 miles away!
Same day as Mayfair at Kenilworth. Many garden clubs will be there.
Yes, I know. I do Cylburn Market day Friday night and then go to Ladew in the early morning saturday and Mayfair later that morning. It is a big plant weekend!
So sorry this is the same day as May Fair at Kenilworth. Hopefully, the date for Ladew will get out early next year and I can plan on attending. Love this blog Claire. Thanks so much.
Yes I go to both-8am ladew, 11am kenilworth
Whaaaa!!! I wish I lived closer!!!