The Northwest Flower & Garden Show, which ran February 8 – 12 in Seattle and received fantastic accolates (along with a 10% increase in attendance!), is the show to visit if you’re a garden writer. Many writers refer to it as being with “my tribe,” but to me it’s “Camp Horta Flora.” Here’s a look at some of the peeps that flocked to the garden show, to soak in the garden inspiration, discover cool new tools and garden must-haves and, above all, to share  in the camaraderie that unites us all, along with our passion for gardening.

#NWFGS TWEETUP 

NWFGS hosted the 2nd annual #nwfgs Tweetup, and the tweets were flying fast on #nwfgs throughout the show’s 5-day run. Guests enjoed coffee (it was only 8 am!), scrumptious refreshments and the chance to meet up and gab! They also got to spend time in the show gardens – with the lights UP! All the better to take photos for the 50+ blogs that have now been written about the garden show.

Tweetup guests were treated to coffee and tasty breads in the South Lobby and did what they do best – gab! Many people were old friends who came from around the country to see the show.

NWFGS Producer Terry O’Loughlin (R) was on hand to greet guests, including meeting up with friends Abana Jacobs (@AbanaJacobs, @subaru_life) and Joe Lamp’l, producer and host of “Growing a Greener World” (@joegardener).

(L to R) We’re not in zone 5b anymore! Idaho’s Maryanne Newcomer, (“Gardens of the Wild Wild West“), Ohlahoma’s Dee Nash (“Red Dirt Rambling“) and Ohio’s Kylee Baumle (“Our Little Acre“) loved the Pacific Northwest Mecca for gardening.

Sponsor Manager for the show, Karin O’Loughlin, gets a rare moment to actually stand still and converse with Jeff Swenson, Show Manager. I’ve got to give a shout-out to Jeff (my boss!) for keeping the rowdy NWFGS team in order and producing one of the finest shows we’ve ever done! Now, take some well-deserved time off!

Billy Goodnick, aka “Garden Wise Guy“ blogger for Fine Gardening magazine and a speaker at NWFGS, greets fellow speaker Joe Lamp’l at the #nwfgs Tweetup.

Local bloggers “Garden Help” Robin Haglund and “My Rubber Boots” Angela Davis share a laugh with The Garden Chat’s Brenda Haas and Dee Nash. The Twitter chatter was running at a a dizzy speed during the show using our #nwfgs hashtag. Brenda has posted a complete 239-page transcript on The Garden Chat website. Fun read!

“Living Homegrown“ designer and blogger Theresa Loe, who is co-executive producer of “Growing a Greener World” on PBS  TV with Joe Lamp’l, (“Compost Confidential“) enjoy the coffee at the #nwfgs Tweetup (well it was only 8 am!). Theresa put together a fun video of the show and Joe was a speaker on Friday and Saturday along with greeting attendees at the Subaru garden on the skybridge.  

LaManda Joy (“The Yarden“), who came all the way from Chicago to join the fun, makes a new friend talking to NWFGS Producer Terry O’Loughlin. Terry is a 3rd generation owner of Portland-based O’Loughlin Trade Shows, producer of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. 

#nwfgs Tweetup guests were trilled to receive swag bags with the latest, hot-off-the-presses Sunset Western Garden Book (@SunsetMag), a book from Timber Press (@timberpress), great tools from Corona Tools (@coronatools), a Moo Poo tea bag from Haven Farms (@GreenSoil), plant labels from The Seed Keeper Co. (@SeedKeeperCo), seeds from Eco-Lawn (@miriamwildflr) and Subaru (@subaru_life)  and a handy-dandy umbrella from the Northwest Flower & Garden Show (@nwfgs). Good thing the show has free package check! Many thanks to all our great 2012 #nwfgs Tweetup sponsors! (And thanks too to all my fellow NWFGS teammates for helping lug the suckers to the 4th floor lobby, and especially to Michelle Derbes, for helping me host the event.)

GARDEN WRITERS ASSOCIATION

For years Thursday evening at the garden show has only meant one thing: the Garden Writers Association annual reception and meeting. This, of course, is a shameless excuse to get together with old friends, swap stories, schmooze, drink free booze and enjoy the tasty hors d’oeuvres, hosted by the garden show, all under the guise of “education.”  The program was an interesting panel discussion with Debra Prinzing as MC, interviewing show judges Steve Aitken and Stephen Orr. 

(L to R): “Personal Garden Coach” Christina Salwitz (@arcadia1) catches up with first-time garden show speakers Helen Yoest (“Gardening with Confidence“) from North Carolina and Barbara Wise (“bwisegardening“) from Tennessee at the GWA reception. 

Speaker Jessi Bloom (“Garden Fowl“), author of the new Timber Press book ”Free Range Chicken Gardens,” visits with Steve and Pauline Smith, owners of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville. Sunnyside always creates a crowd-pleasing Container Exhibition garden, and their garden this year featured a planted piano.

A rare photo of the Succulent King and Queen together! Robin Stockwell, owner of Succulent Gardens Nursery in California,  here as a first-time garden show speaker, compares notes with “Her Succulency” Debra Lee Baldwin, author of “Designing with Succulents” (and rumor has it, a third book on succulents is on its way). 

Surely conspiring on where to continue the party after the GWA reception are Debbie Teashon (“Rainy Side Gardener“), Seattle designer Virginia Hand, Marty Wingate, author of the new “Landscaping for Privacy” book and garden/lifestyle author Debra Prinzing, author of the upcoming book, “The 50 Mile Bouquet.” In all her “spare time” Debra is serving as the President of the acclaimed Garden Writers Association. I don’t know how she does it!

LaManda Joy (“The Yarden“) with show speaker Teresa O’Connor (“Seasonal Wisdom“) and fellow-Chicago-area friends Kerrie and Carol, co-owners of The Seed Keeper Company.

If you missed the best garden celebration in the US (OK, I know I’m biased, but really – everyone says that!) then head over to our Facebook page. In the last two weeks I’ve posted links to many of the 50+ blogs that have been posted about the show since it ended a successful 5-day run earlier this month. Keep following us on Facebook, Twitter, and check out my new Pinterest page as well, where I’ve started to post photos about this year’s show. And of course, if you missed this year’s event, you won’t want to miss our 25th ‘silver’ anniversary celebration next year!  We’ll be rolling out the red carpet to bring you “The Silver Screen Takes Root: Gardens Go Hollywood.” Mark your calendar for February 20 – 24, 2013! ~ Janet

Subaru is a proud sponsor of the 2012 Northwest Flower & Garden Show. Visit their gardens on the skybridge and in the South Lobby for fun giveaways.

Subaru of America is not your ordinary car company. Did you know that their Indiana manufacturing plant is a Zero Landfill Plant? This means ALL waste is recycled or turned into electricity. And the site is designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat – over 800 acres serve as a home for birds and animals, including white-tail deer, red-tail hawks, blue heron, Canadian geese, mallard ducks, beavers, coyote, snapping turtles and the bald eagle. And Subaru has established a one-of-a-kind corporate initiative with the Subaru Share the Love Garden, which donates to local food banks to combat hunger in the region. Located at the Subaru headquarters in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, garden plots have been adopted by Subaru employee teams.

Subaru owners get such high mileage with their cars that Subaru designed this 'Endless Journey' garden at the 2011 show.

Subaru also has a long tradition of supporting the gardening community throughout the U.S. and they are a proud sponsor of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. They will have two gardens at the show: The “Subaru Ranch” will celebrate a good, old-fashioned hoedown. Its big red barn will be reminiscent of country gatherings where music, laughter and kinship filled the air. The plants will be reminiscent of the Wild West, down to the tumbleweeds, and a red 5-door Subaru Impreza carries the ranch supplies. Stop by the Subaru garden on the skybridge where they will be giving special gifts for people who show them their Subaru car keys.

In the South Lobby, another Subaru Impreza takes the stage stage with the Subaru Impreza Improv display. Look for tree pruning demonstrations along with a special gift for attendees in conjunction with Corona Tools. With easy access to round up all your gardening supplies and plenty of room for bags of potting soils or compost, the Subaru Impreza is a great addition to your garden tool kit.

Stop by the Subaru garden on the skybridge to see Joe Lamp'l on Friday and Saturday after his seminars.

Subaru, sponsor of the popular PBS show “Growing a Greener World” starring Joe Lamp’l, is also sponsoring Joe’s appearance at the show for seminars on Friday and Saturday. Joe will be presenting “Growing a Greener World: Gardening to Make a Difference” and then he’ll be heading up to the Subaru garden on the skybridge to autograph his book  and chat with fellow gardeners.

And that’s not all. Subaru has selected five seminars for special recognition. They will have four front-row VIP seats reserved for seminars by Joe Lamp’l (February 10 & 11), Steve Aitken (February 8), Graham Kerr (February 11) and Willi Evans Galloway (February 8). Along with these seats you’ll get a complimentary autographed copy of each speaker’s books. To find out how to get one of these VIP seats, just stop by the Subaru garden on the skybridge the morning of each seminar.

Subaru has even more free stuff! They have created a special blend of seeds, and handy reusable shopping bags, as a thank you giveaway, just for stopping by their garden (while supplies last). ~ Janet

Look for your SHOW GUIDE wrapped around the Seattle Times on Monday, February 6.

Don’t forget that the Northwest Flower & Garden Show’s SHOW GUIDE will be in your Seattle Times – both home delivery and news stand editions – wrapped around the paper, on Monday, February 6^th!

The good news is this change from printing it in the Sunday Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine allows us to print more show information and to design it in a format that is easier to read. So you can find all the seminars you want to see, search for your favorite exhibitors, and read all about the show gardens and other special features we will have at the show. After all, we’re the second largest flower & garden show in the U.S. and (from what everyone tells us) the most beautifu, friendliest and awesome garden celebration anywhere!

Read Val Easton's garden articles in the Sunday Seattle Times, and catch her seminar, "Petal & Twig" on Thursday at the show.

Look for the Show Guide as a downloadable PDF file on the garden show website. Scope out all our incredible speakers. Can’t make up your mind which seminars to see? Read the speaker bios and their seminar descriptions on our website. We’ll have 61 speaker book signings, so those are also indicated in the Show Guide and on the website.

But be sure to read Sunday’s Pacific Northwest magazine in the Seattle Times. You won’t want to miss their special gardening edition in honor of the show, filled with timely gardening articles by garden writer (and show speaker) Val Easton. According to Val, the theme of the issue is “Everyone loves a playhouse” and it includes island, rural and urban gardens featuring an inspiring variety of getaway buildings, large and small. 

Look for the complete list of our 350+ exhibitors in the SHOW GUIDE. Here Robin Haglund shops for seeds at last year's show.

“From a tiny Beacon Hill backyard studio built of reclaimed materials to an intricately carved joglo surrounded by a strikingly contemporary garden, these playhouses serve as respite, retreat and gathering places as well as the most stylish garden focal points ever,” Val said in a recent email about the magazine.

And, she said, “I’ve been working on this issue for a year, and it offers a peek inside the gates of some pretty well-known Northwesterners.”

We'll have 26 show gardens in all styles and sizes to inspire you. WSNLA created this rustic Northwest garden filled with sustainable features.

So plan your strategy to attend the Northwest Flower & Garden Show by picking up a copy of next Monday’s Seattle Times. And remember – the Early Bird ticket price ends at midnight on February 7 so get your tickets soon.

The garden show has been a gardening tradition for 24 years and one thing hasn’t changed – our commitment to bringing you a world-class garden show brimming with inspiration, education and entertainment, for both well-seasoned gardeners, budding “grewbies” and children – the charming gardeners of the future. - Janet

Special Thanks to our Sponsors:

No more waiting for tickets outside in the cold! We've MOVED the ticket office to the 4th Floor North Lobby for your comfort.

Like any mildly obsessive gardener that moves a plant only a few feet to get the garden just right, the team at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show has MOVED the Ticket Office to the 4^th Floor North Lobby. If you go looking for the ticket office in the usual street-level location on Convention Center Place, you won’t find it!

Last year, when Mother Nature got cold flashes and dumped snow and freezing temperatures on Seattle, people had to stand outside in a long line to buy tickets before the show opened at 9 am, or to buy Half-Day tickets at 3 pm. So in order to make the ticket purchasing experience more comfortable for all our garden show attendees, we decided to relocate the ticket office into the spacious area outside the show in the North Lobby.

To get to the ticket office from the South Lobby, just follow the signs and go down the hallway. While you’re waiting in line enjoy the the lovely tunes from solo piano artist Victoria Salmon, from Fairbanks, Alaska, who will be playing throughout the five days of the show. After you purchase your tickets you can enter the show from there, and you’ll find yourself next to the skybridge, where the Container Exhibition and Subaru “Wild West” garden will be.

Don't forget to get your hand stamped by a King County Master Gardener volunteer so you can re-enter the show if you leave.

Or you can go back down the hall to enter from the South Lobby (near Tully’s), where you will find the Floral Competition, the Subaru Impreza Improv Display and the Alaska Airlines “Seasonal Variation” Getaway Garden, along with the South Lobby concert stage and another entrance to the show gardens.

The WILL CALL office remains where it has always been – next to the South Lobby entrance, acorss from Tully’s.

Of course the easiest way to buy tickets is to simply go to our ticket page on our website and use our convenient print-at-home feature. Or if you prefer to go to a ticket outlet, you can search for one using our searchable list and find the outlet nearest your home.

Bring the kids to the garden show - Children 12 & Under are FREE, and they love our PlayGarden.

Remember, the Early Bird gets the worm (that’s a good thing if you’re a bird) so to get the Early Bird ticket price of only $16 for a full-day ticket, you must purchase your ticket no later than midnight on February 7^th. After that, online and ticket outlet prices go to $20, as well as at-the-show ticket prices.

If you want to leave the show and return later, don’t forget to get your hand stamped on the way out!

Children 12 and under get in FREE and a Youth ticket is only $5. Or spring for a really great bargain, a 2-Day Pass for only $29 (only available online, by phone at 253-756-2121 or at the show). See you at the show. Mother Nature is smiling upon us this year, and the weather is looking like it will be just the way we like it! Spring arrives February 8 – 12 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle! ~ Janet

Special thanks to our Sponsors:

Graham Kerr entertains the audience at the 2011 garden show in our huge new Rainier Room. He's back speaking on February 11.

Many of you were thwarted in your efforts to get to the garden show last February. Mother Nature wasn’t very kind to the folks who adore her! So you didn’t get to enjoy the new location for our three main seminar rooms – The Conference Center at the Washington State Convention Center. (Or, for those into acronyms, it’s TCC at the WSCC.) We were the first major show to christen this new space, and it worked for our show attendees (and for me and my terrific staff and volunteers) beautifully.

Debra Prinzing shares how to make beautiful bouquets from your own garden. Catch her DIY Stage seminars on February 10 & 11

The Washington State Convention Center proudly opened The Conference Center in July, 2010, a 71,000 square feet of high-end, configurable space built with a LEED-certified eco-friendly design. It boasts adjustable lighting, a built-in sound system and programmable LCD screens at the entrances to the meeting rooms. The Rainier Room, Hood Room, the DIY Stage and the Book Signing Station have never had it so good.

The seating in our rooms is now the biggest the show has ever had. So remember – we dropped those annoying seminar passes! There are also no lines to see your favorite speakers. You can waltz into a room whenever you please. (Just be considerate to the speaker and audience if you arrive early.)

The seminars are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get (although Richie Steffen is always entertaining).

So for all you garden show attendees who flock to the acclaimed seminar series, don’t look for the seminars in the old location! Instead of exiting the show in the North Lobby (where we now have the ticket office), you stay inside and go across the sky bridge. Then turn right down any aisle, and go to the end of that aisle. You can’t miss the huge opening for the Conference Center. There is both elevator and escalator access down one flight, and you’re there.

The chairs also have twice the padding – you can sit for hours and hours and see dozens of seminars! (Just remember, I’m kicking you out at 8:00 pm so I can get to bed. But you can come back the next day, and the day after that…)

When you’re on your way to the seminars, stop and grab a latte at the new Café that is along the back side of North Hall. We’ve added this for those of you in a hurry to grab something to eat on the way to the seminars or between seminar speakers.

Teresa O'Connor & Jayme Jenkins lecture in the new Hood Room. Both return for the 2012 show.

The garden show would also like to thank the King County Master Gardener Foundation for partnering with the show and providing volunteer support for the seminar rooms. When you see their volunteers, give them your thanks! They are providing an invaluable service to the show and all its attendees.

It’s a really terrific lineup of speakers this year (if I do say so myself), including Stephen Orr, Rosalind Creasy, Steve Aitken, Joe Lamp’l, Jamie Durie, Dan Hinkley, Graham Kerr, Ciscoe Morris, and Billy Goodnick (and 65 more great speakers – check out all my earlier Seminar Spotlight blogs) and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the seminars. – Janet

Look for the Subaru gardens on the skybridge and South Lobby for special giveaways.

Over the past 24 years the Northwest Flower & Garden Show has become an eagerly anticipated tradition for winter weary gardeners. Families with young children flock to the show’s PlayGarden for the fun exploration and giggles from kids learning about nature’s wonders. Plant addicts mark their calendars months in advance and make a beeline to our Plant Market to see what new cultivars our nurseries have brought. New gardeners and deeply-rooted veterans looking for inspiration for their gardens – a balcony or an acre, it doesn’t matter – savor the lavish show gardens and swoon in the fragrant aroma of thousands of flowers blooming in early February. And with 116 seminars – that’s 104 hours of education – gardeners of all skill levels get priceless take-home advice and ideas.

Just as all gardeners work in partnership with Mother Nature to create their gardens, so too does the garden show work with partnerships from our valued sponsors. The support and participation of our sponsors enables us to bring over-the-top displays and added customer conveniences to the show. We are continually striving to improve the show experience every year, and one way to achieve this is with the support from our dedicated sponsors. 

Check out the Subaru "Impreza Improv" pruning demos in the South Lobby at next week's show.

Subaru of America, Inc. has a long tradition of supporting the gardening community throughout the U.S. They will have two gardens at the show: The “Subaru Ranch” will celebrate a good, old-fashioned hoedown. Its big red barn will be reminiscent of country gatherings where music, laughter and kinship filled the air. The plants will be reminiscent of the Wild West, down to the tumbleweeds. Stop by the Subaru garden on the skybridge where they will be giving special gifts for people who show them their Subaru car keys! And feast your eyes on the 5-door 2012 Subaru Impreza in a sweet red that will surely catch your eye.

In the South Lobby, another Subaru Impreza takes center stage with the “Impreza Improv” display. Look for tree pruning demonstrations along with a special gift for attendees in conjunction with Corona Tools.

Joe Lamp'l will be speaking Friday & Saturday at the show and then signing his books at the Subaru garden on the skybridge.

Subaru, sponsor of the popular PBS show “Growing a Greener World” starring Joe Lamp’l, is bringing Joe to the show for seminars on Friday and Saturday. Joe will be presenting “Growing a Greener World: Gardening to Make a Difference” and then he’ll be heading up to the Subaru garden on the skybridge to autograph his book and chat with fellow gardeners.

And that’s not all! Subaru has selected five seminars for special recognition. They will have four VIP front-row reserved seats for seminars by Joe Lamp’l (February 10 & 11), Steve Aitken (February 8), Graham Kerr (February 11) and Willi Evans Galloway (February 8). Along with these VIP Seats you’ll get a complimentary autographed copy of each of their books. To find out how to get one of these VIP seats, just stop by the Subaru garden on the skybridge the morning of each seminar.

Ask the friendly folks at the Alaska Airlines garden in the South Lobby about their flights to 4 Hawaiian islands.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines will also have a garden in the South Lobby. Their “Seasonal Variation” getaway garden will showcase the two destinations featured in their TEXT-2-WIN promotion – Hawaii for the winter, and Alaska for the summer. Look for color and contrast, with the Hawaii garden recreating a lush tropical setting (anyone for basking in the sand?) along with beach gear. Their summertime Alaska adventure includes a campsite surrounded by tall conifers and native plants – a great place to get away from our hectic electronic world. Alaska Airlines operates over 100 nonstop flights a week to four Hawaiian islands from the West Coast and Alaska, and they can help you plan your dream vacation at the show.

By now you should have entered Alaska Airlines’ fabulous TEXT-2-WIN contest – the largest prize offered in the show’s history! Just text GARDEN 44227 for your chance to win a trip to the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel on Maui or to Glacier Bay in Alaska. Visit our website for more details. 

Pendleton created this cuddly soft "Counting Sheep" blanket exclusively for the show.

Pendleton Woolen Mills  – with six generations of family leadership – is proud to team up with the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, also proudly family owned and operated. They have created an adorable and cuddly soft “Counting Sheep” Eco-Wise Wool® baby blanket exclusively for the show. It can be preordered on the show’s website at a discount for only $60 and picked up at the show. Even better, the proceeds help support the Seattle Children’s PlayGarden, an invaluable new playtime and educational resource for families.

Scott & Bill of Marenakos Rock Center can talk to you about all your hardscape needs.

The garden show has had a long partnership with two of our suppliers – Marenakos Rock Center and Sawdust Supply Company, Inc. Both of these companies provide crucial supplies for building the lavish display gardens and other show attractions. The experts at Marenakos Rock Center bring in the massive boulders and place them – ever so carefully – in the show gardens. Huge pallets of natural hardscape materials are also provided for walls, patios and paths. Sawdust Supply Company, Inc. provides something that showgoers don’t even see but is nevertheless critical to building the show gardens – the sawdust that serves as a base for the plants and structures. (After all, we start with a flat floor!) They also supply their popular SteerCo® to serve as a top dressing for the gardens, which helps the plants stand out and adds extra polish to the gardens.

Support from our media partners is important too, getting the word out about the show. The show has had a long-standing partnership with the Seattle Times to develop the special Show Guide. Look for your copy of the Show Guide wrapped around the Seattle Times and delivered on Monday, February 6. It will also be available on newsstands everywhere. The Show Guide will have the garden descriptions, exhibitor list, seminar schedule, music performances, special features and lots more information to help you plan your days at the show. And local television and radio station KING 5 and its “Home Team” have provided support through its programming line-up and on-the-air personalities.

For more information on all of our partners, visit our website and support these valuable sponsors that support our beloved show! ~ Janet

Special Thanks to our show sponsors:

Show attendees loved the creative and whimsical gates in the "My Garden Gate" exhibit at the 2011 show.

Last year the garden show brought back the popular feature, “My Garden Gate,” an exhibit of hand-crafted gates from both regional and out-of-state artists. The gates were made from a wide variety of materials, and included many imaginatively repurposed items. This year we’re giving the exhibit a new twist with “Garden Gallery” which will feature garden seating (chairs and benches) and birdbaths.

Bob Bowling Rustics in Langley on Whidbey Island, a new exhibitor at the show, and entered the gate competition last year. He’s going to the birds this year, creating the ultimate in bird watching with a one-of-a-kind chair. Titled, “A Better View,” the piece mimics a lifeguard chair, but is equipped with the bird lover in mind. The charming, rustic structure, like all of Bob’s pieces, is handmade entirely from reclaimed and recycled materials, and will add a touch of whimsy to the garden. It is a delightful and functional piece of artwork for serious or aspiring Birders, or just those who love the idea of something eclectic in their garden sanctuary. You could really catch the bird action in this chair.

Nancy Searcy was inspired to create this bird bath after visiting a Florida garden.

Nj Searcy of NJ Searcy Metals from Amado, Arizona, also had a piece in the gate exhibit last year. She’s back this year with a metal and ceramic bird bath sure to delight birds and humans alike. It was inspired by a trip with her mother to Bok Tower Gardens in Florida. The reflecting pond in front of the tower has giant lily pads with huge beautiful flowers. Nj was just mesmerized by the plants, and determined to use them in a design. The bowl is ceramic, and getting the color just right was a challenge. The base is welded steel and includes seed plates, a plow disk and crusher screen elements as representations of lily pads and grasses. Since Nj is a ‘desert rat’ and surrounded by desert in Arizona, she confesses to a frustrated love of gardening. She’s often inspired to create colorful, light-hearted pieces from the world around her just to bring the green goodness of gardening into her life.

Bothell’s John Daoura of Dakota Craftworks is creating a piece that is his own version of the classic Adirondack chair, made from used wine casks! The natural curves from a wine barrel and the wineglass holders in the arms make it a natural place to sit and relax while enjoying any outdoor space. For over 20 years John has been creating unique wood furniture from used wine barrels, sourced from local wineries. The wood, which is actually white oak, has unique stains from the wine itself which makes every piece distinctive – no two pieces are alike. Each piece is sealed with two coats of clear marine-grade sealer to protect it from the elements. Wouldn’t you love to kick back after a day in the garden with a glass of wine in your wine barrel chair?

Detail from Ray Hammer's "Mushroom of Light" made from recyled metals.

Ray Hammer is an industrial artist and owner of Blue Collar Artwork In Sequim, specializing in the use of repurposed and recycled metals, glass and plastics. About 95% of his pieces are recycled and reused materials. This year he is creating a birdbath using reclaimed materials and calling it “Mushroom of Light.” It will include underwater fiberoptic cable, disc harrow blades, clutch plates, car gasoline lines and handmade chain from the early 1900’s. (Where does he get this stuff?!) The bird bath is also a light made with low-voltage LED system (very efficient and the bulb lasts for years).

Joe Clifton, owner of Clifton Metal Works in Vancouver, Washington, has dreamed up a birdbath from recycled materials and a custom pottery bowl created just for this whimsical piece. It features a giant cat that is holding the bowl in its front paws, with a devious smile on its face that shows it just can’t wait for a bird to take him up on the offer to land in the bird bath.

Doug Mader, owner of Courtyard Art from Dundee, Oregon, is also doing a birdbath, with the title of “Grass.” He was reminded of the movement of tall grass in the breeze when he designed the sweeping and intersecting lines. He incorporated blades of grass overhanging the bowl so that birds have a place to land and access the area when arriving at the bird bath, before immersing in the cool bath or taking a drink. The dramatic piece is made from heavy steel and is powder-coat finished to provide a clean, dramatic focal point in the garden for years. The bowl is shallow enough for all birds and the piece can be specially ordered in a variety of colored finishes.

The Garden Gallery artists are using forged steel, glass, copper, ceramic, wood and repurposed items to create their chairs, benches and birdbaths.

The remaining artists exhibiting in the 2012 Garden Gallery include Gunter Reiminitz of Abraxas Crow from Port Townsend; Gina Nash of Experienced Materials from Portland; Bellingham’s Joe Clark from Architectural Elements and Brett Cleveland of Red Grass Design.

Many of these artists are also exhibitors at the show, so stop by their booth and see more of their creative works or talk about a custom piece for your own garden. ~ Janet

Abraxas Crow Company – Booth 1018
Bob Bowling Rustics – Booth 401
Clifton metal Works – Booth 1206
Courtyard Art – Booth 1219
Experienced Materials – Booth 502
NJ Search Metals – Booth 508
Red Grass Design – Booth 1207

2011 Founder's Cup winner by Karen Stefonick Design

Most people know about the awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze or Crystal) awarded to the show gardens by our main Show Judges – Stephen Orr, Rosalind Creasy and Steve Aitken this year – along with the coveted Founder’s Cup Award (the Oscar of the garden show) and the American Horticulture Society’s Environmental Award, which goes to the garden that best demonstrates skillful design that incorporates environmental stewardship in the garden. But volunteer judges also give many awards throughout the show the day before we open, and these mean a lot to the creative people who have worked months and months to put together their displays throughout the garden show.

2011 Sunset Western Living award by Creative Gardener

The show gardens also receive awards from media sources. These are usually judged by garden writers and editors, and have specific set criteria which the award is based on. The Sunset Western Living  Award goes to garden most filled with fresh, useful, achievable ideas that enhance outdoor living in the West. It will be judged by Sunset editor Julie Chai and local writer Jim McCausland.

Regional magazines judging the show gardens include 425 Magazine, seeking the garden that dazzles thanks to smart design, creativity and originality, and judged by publisher Josh Dunn. A new award this year is the Gray Design of Choice, from Gray Media, judged by creative director and publisher Shawn Williams. She will be looking for the garden with the most creative, forward-thinking design – considering use of materials, spatial composition, uniqueness, functionality, a fresh aesthetic, and overall visual appeal. 

2011 Pacific Horticulture magazine award by Arboretum Foundation

The Pacific Horticulture Magazine Award looks for the garden that best demonstrates the regional nature of garden design.  Seattle Times’ garden writer Val Easton judges this award along with designers Keith Geller and Ray Larson.

Of course, you can get in the act too! The Ethel Moss People’s Choice Award goes to the favorite garden as voted by the public.  The winner receives a permanent plaque, and a rotating trophy which must be relinquished prior to the following year’s show. Look for the voting stations. The award is given out on Saturday afternoon, so be sure to vote for your favorite garden when you come to the show.

2011 Fred Palmer Garden Creator's Award by Susan Browne Landscape Design

Finally, the Fred Palmer Exhibitor Award is a very meaningful award to all the hard-working garden creators. It goes to the garden voted the most accomplished by fellow garden creators. Since these people have been working tirelessly for over six months, and then exhausting themselves working side-by-side in the cacophony of noise and chaos to build their show gardens, receiving this award from their peers is a gratifying achievement.

Under the Arbor took 2011 Best Overall Design for this 'Living it Up' garden

The “Living it Up” gardens will be nestled on the garden floor along with the show gardens this year. These are three 12 ft. x 10 ft gardens designed to show how you can pack style and panache into a balcony, lanai or patio space. Their award will be judged by Sunset’s Julie Chai and Jim McCausland as well.

And the local and out-of-state artists submitting works for our “Garden Gallery” exhibit, which runs the width of the North Hall and includes 12 artist-designed chairs, benches and birdbaths made of metal, wood and recycled materials, will also be eligible for first, second and third-place awards.

Cultivar won the Best Design award for this 2011 Container Exhibition garden

The Container Garden exhibitors lining the sky bridge also vie for awards. They are judged in four categories – Best Design, Best Plant Material, Best ‘Re-Characterization’ of Recycled Material and The People’s Choice Award. It will be judged again this year by container designer Tina Dixon, owner of Plants à la Cart in Bothell and Marsha Davis-Thomsen.

Funky Junk is a special show section designed to encourage students who might be considering horticulture careers to get involved with the show. The goal is to demonstrate ways to reuse, recycle and repurpose materials in the garden. These too are judged by two masters of the repurposing craze – Matthew Levesque, show speaker and author of The Revolutionary Yardscape: Repurposing Local Materials to Create Containers, Pathways, Lighting and More, and Beth Evans-Ramos, author of The Salvage Studio: Sustainable Home Comforts to Organize, Entertain and Inspire.

Not to be outdone, the Floral Competition is also judged. These extravagant artistic floral creations are assembled by some of the cutting-edge designers in the local floral industry. Look for them as you first enter the show through the South Lobby. The judging team for 2012 is floral designer Lee Holcomb and Gary Waller.

Chocolate Flower Farm won Best Overall at the 2011 garden show

The show itself also judges the 350+ exhibitors, giving a number of awards to those that create beautiful displays in keeping with our high standards.  Last year we had 14 award-winning exhibits in the following categories: Best Overall Display, Outstanding Visual Presentation, Outstanding Marketing Display Awards; in the Nursery category, we have Outstanding Marketing and Outstanding Visual awards, and finally we also have an Outstanding Educational Display award.

YOU can vote for the People's Choice Award, won by Christianson's Nursery last year.

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show is truly a partnership with many different garden designers, landscapers, nurseries, artists, craftsmen, florists and retailers in the horticulture industry. We applaud those that take such pride in their work and help us maintain the high level of visual beauty our attendees eagerly expect.  And if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, you can print them at home  or buy them at the door. We have moved our ticket sales location from the freezing cold street level location to a new, spacious 4^th floor North Lobby location. Head on up the escalators, get your tickets, and enjoy the show! – Janet

Attendees enjoy the bold and beautiful floral masterpieces at the 2011 garden show.

When excited garden show attendees first stride through the doors of the South Lobby of the Washington State Convention Center, they are immediately stopped in their tracks by the elegant display of floral fantasy created by some of the region’s best floral designers. These are definitely not your gramma’s nosegay bouquets – these floral artists embrace “over the top.” They are vying for the coveted blue ribbon of the best design in the show’s popular Floral Competition, to be judged this year by Lee Holcomb and Gary Waller, who have the difficult task of choosing first, second and third place winners from a group of talented floral artisans.

Edie Stowbridge of Jungle Luv in Stanwood will be in the Floral Competition for the first time this year. Her design is titled “Prelude to Spring” and will feature a sustainable garden urn crafted from recycled aluminum, with a wild cherry twig ball made from local materials, and the finishing touches of fresh-cut flowers spilling out of the top. All in the very unique way that is the signature style of Jungle Luv.

Christopher Flowers designed these exotic flowers for the 2011 show.

Keeping with the musical theme, Seattle designer Christopher Smith of Christopher Flowers is designing a floral masterpiece titled “Crescendo.” Christopher explained, “I wanted to use this musical term as my inspiration because its literal meaning is “growing.” I’m going to explore the idea of growing in different ways within one arrangement.” This is the second year Christopher has participated in the Floral Competition and even with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, he loves to be a part of the show.

Seattle-based Kan Orchids & Flowers  is at the show for the first time. Thinking about the arrangement is a start, but often the final concept doesn’t take shape until he sees what flowers are available just prior to the show. As Pradit Kan explains it, “I suppose my philosophy at my shop and as a designer has been to pretty much stay out of the way. These flowers are already spectacularly beautiful. My job as a designer is to create a platform to let them speak as clearly, and beautifully, as possible. I think this might be a very Thai way to look at the world. I’m not so much an artist as a curator.” Pradit grew up with wild orchids in his native Thailand, so look for them to be a strong component of his floral display.

Juniper Flowers won 2nd Place for "Modern Landscapes."

Jean Louise Paquin Allen, the owner of Juniper Flowers in Seattle, has a goal is to portray the progression of design ideas through the use of color, technique and materials in a piece titled “Growth Transition.” It will incorporate unique items, such as tillandsia, craspedia, manzanita, and green ball dianthus. Jean Louise has participated in the Floral Competition off and on since 2003 and is excited to be involved again.

Family owned and operated, Young’s Enumclaw Flowers & Gifts is also a first-time entrant at the garden show. The title of lead designer Mary Magalhaes’s piece is “Ugly Bugs Ball Presents: A Tropical Moonlight Sonata”. It will be a bug’s ball surrounded by a tropical garden. There will be little Chinese lanterns glowing above the ball floor and as in the song -a caterpillar queen; among other features.

Ikebana by Magumi designed an evergreen arrangement in 2011.

This will be the third year participating in the Floral Competition for Megumi Schacher, owner of Ikebana By Megumi. Her goal each time is to introduce people to Ikebana and to show how it can be practiced as an art form using plant materials as a medium. This year she will be using interesting branches with unusual shapes and twists, and camellias, to create a sculptural arrangement expressing a breath of spring.

Rounding out the Floral Competition will be dramatic arrangements by Dawn Griep, Flowers by Shamay, Holly’s Fine Flowers, Loves Me Flowers, Marine View Florist, Stanwood FFA Horticulture, Tiare Floral Design, and Woodinville Florist. They are all busily working on their creations (on top of the hectic Valentine’s season) and will be intertwining flowers, foliage, found objects and accessories all into an expression of true floral fantasy.

These are not your gramma's nosegay bouquets!

And just ahead in the South Lobby, look for the Flower Growers of Puget Sound WA’s beautiful show garden packed with blooming plants (take a deep breath to inhale the heavenly perfume!) and the gardens by Alaska Airlines and Subaru, along with our jazzy concert stage. Spring will be arriving at the Washington State Convention Center at exactly 9:00 am on Wednesday, February 8^th, but she’s only there for five days, so make sure you don’t miss her! (And don’t forget – Early Bird ticket prices end February 7th.) ~ Janet

It's OK for little hands to get dirty in the PlayGarden.

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show is a wonderful way to spend the day with the entire family. The show wants young children to learn about the wonder of nature around them, to unplug from their electronic toys and dig the outdoors! So we’ve created a special place just for the kids. It’s called the PlayGarden, and this is one area of the show where the motto definitely is “Look – and touch!”  Even better – children 12 and under are FREE, and Youth tickets (age 13 – 17) are only $5.00.

The PlayGarden theme this year is ‘Rockin’ Robin’ and it is a great way to teach children about the birds that live in our urban and suburban areas. But sooner or later Moms and Dads and Grandparents will want to see the show gardens. How do you drag the little ones away from having all that fun in the PlayGarden? It’s easy – take them on a Treasure Hunt!

Children can look for a hidden (and disguised) birdhouse in the show gardens

The Treasure Hunt is the perfect kid-friendly activity to help your young ones race to the display gardens. Each of our garden creators was given a bird house for their garden. But our inventive designers are decorating the bird house to go with the theme of their garden – so they will all look different. Perhaps they will be painted, or covered with sequins for a glittery look, or maybe lichen and moss will be glued to the bird house for a natural look. And then the garden creator will “hide” the bird house somewhere within their garden for children to discover and identify. Whatever the garden creator chooses, it will be great fun for your children to try to find all bird houses in the show gardens.

To get started, simply pick up a Treasure Hunt form at the PlayGarden (located in the North Hall just beyond the ‘Garden Gallery’ exhibit), one of the two Show Information booths, or at select Display Gardens. Then head off to the gardens for a treasure hunt adventure! It’s sure to engage your children in the gardens, while you can be taking notes and photos to get ideas for your own home garden.

Look - do you see it? Find all the birdhouses and children get a cool activity book from Molbak's.

Where could these bird houses be? Maybe nestled in some blooming Hellebores, or tucked among the tools on a potting bench. Perhaps one will be nailed to a tree, or perched on a rock next to a babbling stream, or peeking out of an overflowing container planting on a deck. Bird houses might be really hiding – or hiding in plain sight. Parents can have fun playing along with their children, helping them find all the decorated bird houses.

 After searching for the hidden item, please stop by the Playgarden and reward your child with a special prize from Molbak’s Garden + Home - a fun-filled children’s activity book all about birds, with games, puzzles and fun facts on our flying feathered friends. With the help of their friends at Wild Delight, Molbak’s hopes to grow the next generation of gardeners and nature lovers.

Children love all the things to explore and create in the PlayGarden, plus live music!

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show wants to thank PlayGarden designer Wendy Welch (who taps into her own inner child for PlayGarden ideas), which was inspired by the classic song ‘Rockin’ Robin’, originally sung by Michael Jackson when he was just a boy. To read more about our 2012 PlayGarden, read our earlier Garden Show Blog.

And be sure you don’t miss our acclaimed children’s singer/ songwriters Caspar Babypants (daily at 10:30 am); Your Imaginary Friend (Friday – Sunday at 12:30 pm); the ‘Creepin’ Critters’ (Wed & Thurs at 12:30 pm) and Nancy Stewart (daily at 2:30 pm).  They’ll be singing ‘Rockin’ Robin’  along with many other award-winning children’s songs full of fun and giggles. ~ Janet

Treasure Hunt sponsored by