photo by: Contributed and Journal-World File Photos

Left to right: Lawrence Home Show, Lawrence Public Library seed library, "Vanishing Man" by Charles Finch.

At this weekend’s Lawrence Home Show, you can fight off the winter blues by getting some ideas for spring landscaping and home improvement projects.

For homeowners of all ages, the show will be full of inspiration for all kinds of projects, from the front yard to the back door, said Bobbie Flory, executive director of the Lawrence Home Builders Association, which hosts the annual event. Experts in remodeling, heating and cooling, solar heating, painting and flooring will be available, Flory said.

Plus, remodeling experts who specialize in projects for seniors will be on hand. They are skilled at making homes more comfortable for older homeowners, Flory said.

Full new kitchens will be on display, Flory said, and vendors will be offering the latest in colors and trends both indoors and out. Flory said the event should appeal to those interested in a major remodeling project, as well as to people who just want to get new window blinds or find some new ideas for the garden.

“You don’t need a project up your sleeve,” Flory said. “Plus, everything is under one roof, so you can comparison shop and talk to different people.”

The show is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, at Crown Toyota Pavilion; 3430 S. Iowa St. The cost is $5 for adults. Children are admitted for free.

Seed library opening and local farmer meet and greet

As you continue to dream of spring, you can check out the Lawrence Public Library’s seed library on Saturday afternoon and also meet local farmers who provide fresh food.

Melissa Fisher Isaacs, information services coordinator for the Lawrence Public Library, said the seed library is intended to make it easier for people to get into gardening.

“The exercise is good for you and it’s a healthy, local option for food,” Fisher Isaacs said.

Some of the seeds are donated by local vendors, including Cottin’s Hardware and Lawrence Feed and Farm Supply, and others are paid for with grant funding. This is the second year native seeds will be available through the Kaw Valley Native Plant Coalition.

photo by: Lawrence Public Library

Volunteers helped package seeds for Saturday’s kick-off LPL Seed Library’s fifth season. The event is from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.

The seed library opening will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday in the atrium of the library, 707 Vermont St. To kick off the event, 10 farmers with Lawrence’s local Community Supported Agriculture group will be there to discuss the products they provide.

More information can be found at lplks.org

Mystery author at the Raven

Two days after the release of Charles Finch’s latest book, “The Vanishing Man,” he will be discussing it and signing books at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Raven Book Store, 6 E. Seventh St.

The book is part of Finch’s long-running Charles Lenox mystery series. Finch has made USA Today’s best-sellers list, and Danny Caine, owner of the Raven, said his books are popular at the store.

“We at the Raven love Charles Finch,” Caine said.

Although the store is small, Caine isn’t concerned about the space for the author’s visit.

photo by: Raven Book Store

Charles Finch has been named the USA Today bestselling author of the Charles Lenox mysteries. He will be speaking at the Raven Book Store at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“An in-store event can be really nice, even if it gets a bit intimate. Our capacity is 50 but we’ve crammed even more in there,” Caine said. “You can’t beat the atmosphere in there — the author spotlight below those huge detective posters, the cats finding legs to weave between or laps to sit on.”

Immigration documentary screens again

“Strangers in Town,” a documentary by local filmmaker Steve Lerner about immigration in Garden City that premiered to a packed house last month at the Lawrence Arts Center, will be shown again at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at KU’s Hall Center Hall Center for the Humanities, 900 Sunnyside Ave.

The event is hosted by the Kansas African Studies Center as part of a program titled “Migration in the Heartland.” Lerner and Amy Longa, former director of the International Rescue Committee office in Garden City, will lead a discussion after the screening.