Nashville, TN — The timeless appeal, importance and fun of gardening will be celebrated at the 23rd annual Nashville Lawn & Garden Show next month at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds.

Under the theme of Gardens Past, Present & Future, the 2012 presentation of Tennessee’s largest and most popular gardening event will be held from Thursday, March 1 through Sunday, March 4. The annual show, which attracts more than 20,000 people from across the mid-south region, is produced by the non-profit Horticultural Association of Tennessee.

According to event organizers, an acre of live gardens featuring thousands of spring flowers, plants, waterfalls, fountains, gazeboes and more will serve as the centerpiece for this year’s show. Meanwhile, more than 250 exhibit booths will offer horticultural products and services, and a floral design gallery will spotlight the creativity of more than 20 award-winning Middle Tennessee floral designers.

“The 2012 show will particularly emphasize the crucial role that plants, landscape design and management play in creating and maintaining a healthy, sustainable environment,” Nashville Lawn & Garden Show Co-Manager Randall Lantz said. “From rivers to rooftops to roadways – plants, planting practices and planning can have a huge impact on the quality of life in our backyards and throughout our communities.”

This year’s show will also provide the opportunity to attend free presentations by horticultural, landscape design and gardening experts, including Peter J. Hatch, director of gardens and grounds at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Hatch is scheduled to speak on Friday, March 2 about Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden, which featured more than 330 varieties of vegetables and continues to provide gardeners with a model in vegetable cuisine, sustainable horticulture and a passion for the earth – a perfect example of how gardens reflect the past, present and future.

On Saturday, March 3, Hatch will follow up with a presentation called “Thomas Jefferson, Gardener,” which will explore Jefferson’s use of native plants, the union of gardening and sociability and his experimentation with useful plants as a means of social change.

Among the popular speakers set to return for the 2012 show are Jeff Poppen (also known as The Barefoot Farmer) from Long Hungry Creek Farm in Red Boiling Springs, Rita Randolph of Randolph’s Greenhouses in Jackson and Justin Stelter, historic gardener for Franklin’s Carnton Plantation and The Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson. Complete information about all free lecture presentation topics and times is available at www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com.

Tickets to the show are $10 for adults; $9 for seniors age 65 and up; $1 for children age 12 and under; and a four-day show pass is available for $15. Tickets may be purchased online at the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show website as well as at the ticket window at the show. One-dollar discount coupons are available at participating branch locations of Regions Bank, the show’s sponsor. Discounts are also available for groups of 15 or more adults when purchased in a block at the ticket window. Discount coupons and offers cannot be combined. Parking at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds is $5. The show is fully handicapped accessible, and all events are indoors.

Proceeds from this year’s show will benefit The Cumberland River Compact, a non-profit educational and advocacy group focused on promoting a healthy natural and economic environment in the Cumberland River watershed.