Guests attending this year's Flower and Garden Show said not only did they enjoy the event, but as well the new building in which it was held.

The 11th annual Currituck Flower and Garden Show, held Friday and Saturday at the new Cooperative Extension building, attracted about 800 visitors. The show featured 27 vendors selling flowers, shrubs and vegetable plants, as well as products reflecting nature, including jewelry, paintings, stained glass, handbags and garden supplies. The event is sponsored by the county Extension office and its Master Gardeners.

Agricultural technician Jan Perry-Weber, who was in charge of organizing the show, said both the vendors and the visitors commented on how much they enjoyed the new Extension building.

"They liked the openness and brightness of the building and enjoyed the amount of booth space," Perry-Weber said. The new building opened earlier this year off U.S. Highway 158 next to Central Elementary School.

Clint Grandy, who was selecting several colorful hydrangeas from a display sponsored by Sunshine Nursery, in Hertford, commented on the Extension's new facility.

"The county really needed this," he said.

Other show stoppers included the Harbinger Lavender Farm display, which featured several products made from its home grown lavender. The exhibit included handmade soaps, bath oils, sachets and candles, as well as live lavender plants.

Another Currituck vendor, Blooms to Your Door, displayed live tulips and daffodils. Owner Doris Morris said her large garden, located in Point Harbor, allows customers to select a variety of seasonal flowers. It also offers subscriptions to fresh flowers delivered weekly to your door, and arrangements for special occasions.

Morris also said she was pleased with the Flower and Garden Show.

"It's a great venue and has a big turnout," Morris said. "It's really impressive."

The year's event theme was "Going Native," which attracted vendors with information on ways to attract wildlife through native coastal planting.

Guest speakers provided information on topics such as native flowers, how to attract birds, as well as an introduction to Bonsai.

The Pasquotank Master Gardeners had an exhibit of native plants and shrubs, and the club's members discussed the types to buy and how to care for them. One member, Don Pierce, commented on the new facility.

"This is a great facility," he said. "It's nice to have such a nice facility in the area."

The show also included a variety of food vendors, including the Coinjock Ruritan Club booth, which sold barbecue and hot dogs, baked goods by the Currituck Master Gardeners.

Vendor Linda Xenakis, of Virginia Beach, Va., offered a large variety of herbal gourmet foods, such as dips, salsas, vinegars and jellies.

While parents shopped, kids visited the "Secret Garden" to play games and work on gardening projects. Currituck Chiropractic also had a booth to show gardeners ways to avoid body aches and pains.