Everything you need under one roof

Bob Polling and his wife, Karen, are by no means experts in the construction industry, but that isn't stopping them from building a new home in Ocala from scratch.

After Saturday, they're a bit closer to purchasing cabinetry, a septic system and solar electric panels, and the couple also got a few hints on other accessories.

The Fort Myers couple attended day one of the 11th Annual Winter Home & Garden Show in downtown Fort Myers. The show continues today.

MARC BEAUDIN/news-press.com
Lee Hanson demonstrates the Window Wizard at Lee County's 11th Annual Winter Home & Garden Show at the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers. The show continues today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

One-stop shopping can't even begin to describe what visitors saw under the tents Saturday. Exhibitors include mortgage brokers, lawn-care specialists, storm-shutter experts, water and septic companies, horticulturists, concrete manufacturers, artists, travel agents and dozens more.

'You've got a good cross-section of things you need, and there are a lot of exhibitors here,' said Robert Martin, 66, who is looking to enhance a new 750-square-foot addition to his San Carlos Park home.

The show features products for new and used homes, inside and out. Tents run all along the north and west sides of Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers, stocked with local and national exhibitors and vendors.

Erin Fountain, 47, of Cape Coral, didn't stop by Harborside just to outfit her home, however. She owns a design consultant business, Chrysalis Interiors, and might have found the perfect item for one of her customers — a bonsai tree. That customer wants a unique landscape, and Fountain said the show reflects Southwest Florida's unique natural habitat by showcasing tropical plants and vegetation not found elsewhere.

"It's certainly different here, a little more regional flavor," Fountain said of the show.

Renee Beddouk, who staffed the Bonsai Society of Southwest Florida booth for the afternoon, saw a steady flow of passers-by.

"People who see a bonsai for the first time are intrigued," Beddouk said.

Intrigue isn't necessarily what David Roberts was shooting for at the show; he just wanted interest. As owner of Blind & Shutter Gallery in Cape Coral, Roberts uses shows like this to set up appointments with homeowners ready to buy, and distributes business cards to those who are considering future home-improvement projects. He collected a dozen names and numbers Saturday, but said the show will pay bigger dividends than traditional advertising.

"Ads are more of a crapshootw," Roberts said. "Here, you speak to a customer face to face. They know you're not just here to make a profit.

"After the show, I'll get calls for the next three months."

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