Kingdom Landscaping attends MANTS 2014 in Baltimore

You're probably wondering, what in the world is MANTS?

MANTS is the Mid-Atlantic Nurseryman's Trade Show.

MANTS is widely known as The Masterpiece of Trade Shows because it is one of the largest horticultural trade shows on the East Coast.  It is the place where industry members come every January because MANTS means business.  The show covers over 300,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the maximum amount available on one level at the Baltimore Convention Center.   MANTS draws exhibiting companies and attendees from throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and Asia.

Kingdom Landscaping began attending MANTS way back in the late 1990s.  The show is not only about plants, but it is about everything that has to do with the business of outdoor living:  Trees, plants, shrubs, flowers, bulbs, containers, pavers, wall block, natural stone, power tools and equipment, sales and marketing, software, water features, fountains, lighting, greenhouse supplies, pottery, hats and apparel, signage, college courses and education....and so much more.  For us, it's like a kid in a candy store.

Show Highlights

One of the things we enjoy the most about MANTS is having the opportunity to visit the booths of our product manufacturers and spend time talking with our sales representatives.  Both Shane Robinson (EP Henry) and Don Tapley (Eagle Bay) are good friends who we enjoy a great working relationship with. We've known Don Tapley since 1998 when we first got started in laying pavers and building retaining walls.

As a designer, I like to go to the booths and discover different layout ideas that I can apply to my designs. Right now, paver layouts are trending more toward mosaics and creative borders. Take a look at some of these ideas.

I have to admit that my favorite hardscaping display booth was by Cambridge Pavingstones. They really put a lot of time and energy into incorporating many aspects of the outdoor living space including an outdoor kitchen, fireplace, water feature, and it was multi-level with a set of steps.

A few other items that really caught my eye were the different types of water feature fountains. I love incorporating the sound of water into every hardscape that I design, and these fountains really help make that possible where space is limited. My favorite is the “tree” fountain, although my picture didn’t come out as good as I would have liked. Matt’s favorite feature is the rain wall coming out of the stone (the look reminds me of a miniature stonehenge with water).

A special treat for all of us was a delicious catered lunch at a VIP suite in the Hilton courtesy of Eagle Bay Hardscapes. The view outside of the window overlooked the Oriole’s baseball field at Camden Yards. We were told that during a game this suite is available for $12,000 per night.

And, it wouldn’t be right to attend a large horticultural trade show without showing you some plants. I love topiaries.

MANTS is a great way to kick-off a New Year in designing beautiful and creative outdoor living spaces.   Kingdom Landscaping is looking forward to a successful and prosperous 2014!  Enjoy life – Jodi