VALDOSTA — A variety of vendors espoused the wonder of everything from the Sham Wow to hardwood flooring Saturday at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center.

The eighth annual Home and Garden Show will be open again today from 2-4 p.m.

The event has brought in more than 80 vendors from all across the South. Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

Sharie Bates Elliott from Bates Precast, Inc. was informing visitors about SafePorch Storm Shelters on Saturday.

Built by Bates Precast Concrete, Inc. the concrete storm shelters can be used as a safe haven in bad weather or as storage units, Elliott said.

The family-owned and operated company started building the shelters more than 20 years ago.

“Its quite common in other states to have a concrete structure for safety,” Elliott said.

The Home and Garden Show is a great way for vendors to educate the public on their products. Many people are not even aware storm shelters can be purchased locally, she said.

The shelter can be placed in the ground, next to a person’s home, with the exposed part serving as a porch. The door to the shelter opens down, to keep a person from being trapped inside, Elliott said.

“They don’t rot or rust, they don’t deteriorate,” Elliott said.

The structures come in two sizes: four by six feet and seven feet deep and six by 12 feet and seven deep.

Though cooking gadgets and plants were in plentiful supply the show also has products that don’t fall into either category of home and garden.

L’Paige Lipstick distributor Marilyn Villar from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. said her product is only sold at events like the Home and Garden Show.

Villar and her partner touted the wonder of L’Paige Lipstick to several women at their booth. The company, based in Dallas, has been in business for 30 years.

When applied the lipstick can last four to six hours, Villar said and does not contain lead or aluminum.

Cathryn Gaddis of Valdosta enjoyed getting a peak at all the vendors. Events like the Home and Garden Show are an excellent way to network, she said.

The event lets the vendors meet face to face with the customer and explain the viability of their product, Gaddis said.

The Home Builders Association of South Georgia presents the Home and Garden Show every year.

By Johnna Pinholster

www.valdostadailytimes.com