Northwest Flower and Garden Show
| Today was the opening day of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, which runs through Sunday at the Washington State Convention Center. Since I eagerly anticipate this show every year, I wasted no time in getting over there the moment I had a chance. Plant allergy sufferers might be a little overwhelmed by it, but I adore the heady scent of flowers that washes over you the moment you enter the space. Covering both the north and south sides of the convention center’s fourth floor, the garden show is packed to the gills with everything related to gardening you can imagine and then some. Whatever the size of your yard and whatever you want to do it, you will find the tools to do it at the show. Don’t know what you want to do? Get inspired by the professionally designed and built show gardens. |  |
| The show gardens have always been my favorite part of the show–I’m amazed at the ingenuity and craft that goes into making them. Two of my favorites this year were a garden designed to resemble a placid mountain pastoral scene and one with fences made from old skis. Another I liked had a “tequila sunrise” theme that combined a small bubbling pool with a vaguely Southwestern themed furniture arrangement, the whole scene tied together with the red in the plants surrounding the patio complementing the red in the furnishings. All of the show gardens deserve praise and I have to say that as much as I appreciate the more extravagant and unusual gardens, I have a lot of love for the settings that look like they could be the patio of your average Jane Notamillionaire, too. |  |
This year I was especially looking forward to the container gardens on display and they did not disappoint. I was amazed at how much greenery the designers were able to fit into show gardens no bigger than the size of an average condo’s patio or balcony. I don’t even have that much space at my own home but looking at the pots on display I found more than a few I could use to work with my very limited space. Plus, the vendors and exhibitors at the show are all friendly and helpful and there a ton of resources available. Even if you have no interest in doing any gardening yourself, the show’s still great fun and I highly recommend it. My only regret about the show is that I forgot to take my regular camera and had to snap shots with my crappy cellphone camera–the entire show is gorgeous.
I guess I never realized how popular this show is — but I read yesterday that people fly in from around the country to see it. Makes me want to check out what all the fuss is about.