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Before the ferris wheel was turning, before any cotton candy had been spun the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) celebrated its annual Garden Show.

CNE officials and gardening enthusiasts gathered on Aug. 14, the eve of opening day for the 2008 Garden Show preview night in Heritage Court on the CNE grounds.

The show is Canada's largest judged horticultural show. Over the two-week run of the CNE there is a rotation of begonias, orchids, cactus, house plants, roses, vegetables and more on display.

Also on display in Heritage Court are two landscaped gardens and three exhibits.

The Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario put together the display 100 years of Anne celebrating the anniversary of the author's most famous heroine, Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables.

Stretching across the back of Heritage Court is a brightly coloured Quilt of Belonging, a project initiated by Esther Bryan in 1998. It is a collaborative work of art that recognizes Canada's diversity. Seventy aboriginal groups and 193 immigrant groups contributed one square to produce the 263-square quilt.

The third exhibit is the archives exhibit, put together by the manager of records and archives, Linda Cobon. Titled Women's Work and Children's Play it focuses on special programming for women and children at the CNE since 1879.