Here’s What’s Happening in June

Thursday, June 2
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Spring Comes to the Japanese Garden
Arboretum Walks & Talks
Washington Park Arboretum
Join the Arboretum’s knowledgeable tour guides for a lovely tour of the famed Seattle Japanese garden, now celebrating its 50th year. The tour will highlight the many beautiful spring flowering plants. Free tour; small admission fee into the Japanese Garden.
RSVP by email to amyers@arboretumfoundation.org or by phone.
Arboretum Foundation
Graham Visitors Center
2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA
Visit their website for more information or call 206-325-4510

Wednesdays
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Second Saturdays
10:0 am to 2:00 pm
April to October
Plant Donations Nursery
The Plant Donations Nursery sells plants donated to the Arboretum Foundation by area gardeners. The volunteer-operated nursery features an excellent selection of popular and unusual plants at great values. Volunteers are present on Wednesdays and second Saturdays (see hours above); however, visitors are welcome to browse the nursery any day of the week and purchase plants at the Arboretum Shop, open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, except in winter.
Arboretum Foundation
Graham Visitors Center
2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA
Visit their website for more information or call 206-325-4510

Saturday, June 4 & Sunday, June 5
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
3rd Annual Glenwood Plant Fair
For all gardeners in and around South Puget Sound, specialty plant vendors from the area are bringing their best plants – from dwarf conifers to shrubs, trees, and perennials – to sell. You’ll be able to find rare and hard to find varieties. And, there will be plenty of opportunity in a relaxed setting to ask questions and talk to the growers. Master Gardener booth available for information. Free.
Glenwood Gardens
15155 Glenwood Road SW, Port orchard, WA 98367
Visit their website for more information or for directions or call 360 876-2449.

Wednesday, June 8
Reception 6:45 pm; Lecture 7:15 pm
“Work in Process: Insights into Evolving Designs”
Sarah Price
Sarah Price is a rising star in British horticulture and a landscape designer for the 2012 London Olympics. She will give a personal insight into the working methods that have driven some of her recent design commissions, from award winning show gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower show to the evolution of the 2012 planting designs for London’s new Olympic Park.
Northwest Horticultural Society
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
Fee: Members $5; Non-members $10
No reservations required
Visit their website for more information or call 206-780-8172.

Saturday, June 11
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
“Hummingbird & Butterfly Favorite Plants”
Drop by for an informal show and tell with Perennial Growers, Skagit Gardens. Plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies will be featured. Bring your questions, and come try to stump our experts. Lots of color on hand for this weekend! No Registration Required. FREE and open to the public.
Windmill Gardens
16009 60th Street East, Sumner, WA 98390
Visit their website for more information or call 253-863-5843.

Saturday & Sunday, June 11 & 12
10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sogetsu Ikebana Rose Festival Exhibition
Each year for the past 39 years, the Sogetsu School of Ikebana has presented their annual exhibition at the Garden as a sanctioned event of the Portland Rose Festival. Visit the Garden to see these elaborate and colorful flower arrangements presented by the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Fee included with garden admission.
Portland Japanese Garden at Washington Park
611 SW Kingston Avenue, Portland, OR 97205
Visit their website for more information or call 503-223-1321.

Saturday, June 18
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park Garden Tour & Plant Sale
Tour Lake Forest Park gardens with artists and musicians in each garden. The Garden Tour, which is part of a week-end long 50th Anniversary celebration, begins at 10 am. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 event day. Ciscoe Morris will be broadcasting from the plant sale at the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre, between 10 am and noon. Then he will be helping you plant containers.
Advance tickets available from Towne Centre merchants and online.
Garden Fair & Plant Sale free; Garden Tour tickets $12 advance purchase, $15 day of event.
Lake Forest Park, WA
Intersection of Bothell Way NE (SR 522) and Ballinger Way NW (SR 104)
For more information or to purchase tickets or call 206-957-2804 or Email: lfpgardens@yahoo.com

Saturday, June 18
2:00 pm
“Mama Mia- Design Inspiration from Italy”
Marianne Binetti
Look to the Italians for inspiration for classic gardens and water-saving container gardens, planting beds, and shrubs. Class will discuss landscaping with low water needs plants and more. Learn how they grow such amazing gardens in such a tough climate. Alternatives to the thirsty lawn will also be covered. Registration Required. $5
Windmill Gardens
16009 60th Street East, Sumner, WA 98390
Visit their website to register or call 253-863-5843.

Tuesday, June 21
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
“The Details Make the Difference – Plant Marriages That Don’t End in Divorce”
Meghan Fuller
Plant Amnesty’s Meeting of Like Minds
Plants and layout provide the structure of a good garden, but for a truly stunning garden, you need interesting, beautiful plant combinations that read both at a distance and up close. Learn how to combine plants so you can take your garden to the next level. Meghan will discuss plant type, texture, size, shape, and color showing unique combinations that work. Plant Amnesty meetings are potlucks, although you need not bring food—a small donation will pay your way out of the minor guilt involved. They also have a fun auction and announcements of current events. Free and open to the public.
Plant Amnesty
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
Visit their website for more information or call 206-783-9813 or Email: info@plantamnesty.org
Phone: 206-783-9813

Friday – Sunday, June 24 – 26
Hardy Plant Study Weekend
“Gardening in 3-D: Dichotomy, Diversity & Desire”
It’s not too late to grab one of the seats remaining for the renowned Hardy Plant Study Weekend! Considered “Horticulture Camp for Grownups,” this annual conference is a must-attend event for passionate gardeners. Speakers include Nan Sinton, Paul Bonine, Laura Crockett, Fergus Garrett, Lucy Hardiman, Thomas Hobbs, Jack Staub, and Bernard Trainor. Garden tours, plants sales and other delights included.
Hardy Plant Society of Oregon
Smith Center, Portland State University
Portland, Oregon
Visit their website for more information and to register.

Sunday, June 26
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Garden Conservancy’s Open Days – Bainbridge Island
The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program offers opportunities to learn and exchange gardening ideas – or to simply explore and enjoy magnificent gardens not normally open to the public. Five renowned gardens will be open for the June 26 tour: The Brewer garden; the Little & Lewis Garden Gallery; the garden of Cassie and Doug Picha; Ravenswold II and Heronswood. Admission to each private garden is $5, Open Days are rain or shine and self-guided tours. No reservations are required. Simply show up at the garden during the times indicated and pay at the gate. There is a $5 admission fee per person per garden that you may pay in cash or check at the entrance of each Open Day garden. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Visit their website for more information and driving directions or call 1-888-842-2442.

Let’s hope our typical June days of cool temperatures and incessant drizzle don’t come to pass (a girl can dream, can’t she?) and we have “unseasonably warm” weather for all these great events and tours! – Janet

Small Container Gardens Reveal Big Ideas

One of the many highlights at this year’s Northwest Flower & Garden Show were the inspiring container gardens gracing the scenic sky bridge at the Washington State Convention Center. Fifteen designers pulled out all the stops to create their 8 ft. x 6 ft. masterpieces, artfully demonstrating that you don’t have to have a massive space (or a massive budget) to create eye-catching, functional places for outdoor living. From the sublime to the whimsical, and every style in between, these were container gardens with great take-home ideas stuffed in every nook and cranny. After all, when you only have 48 square feet of space, you’ve got to make the most of it!

The Container Exhibition is judged on Tuesday, the day before the show opens, the same time as the show gardens. This year’s judges were Tina Dixon, owner of Plants a la Cart, and one of the designers on her team, Marsha Davis-Thomsen. Their difficult task: decide which displays win one of three awards – Best Design, Best Plant Material, and Best Re-Characterization. Show attendees also got to vote for their personal favorite for the “People’s Choice Award.”

Judson Sullivan of Cultivar, LLC, took home the Best Design award for this aged water garden brimming with daffodils

I spoke to Tina about judging the Container Exhibition. She said she and Marsha really enjoyed the volunteer gig but shared they had one challenge: the new award category, ‘Best Re-Characterization.’ “This new category really made us think about the difference between recycling and re-characterization. Almost every garden recycled old materials in their gardens. But which ones actually took items and reused them in completely new ways, in a manner that they weren’t originally designed? We decided that was the way to define the new award.”

FLOATING AWAY
All of the container designs were imaginative, and the competition was close. But in the end, Judson Sullivan, of design firm Cultivar, LLC, took the top honors, winning the Best Design award. Judson’s design strategy was to explore the intersection of recycled materials, contemporary design, Buddhist poetry and a flower and garden show, just to see what would happen. Tina loved the way Judson used wood and metal pieces in the garden that were “so consistent with aging. He had wonderful rhythm in the garden, and good repetition of lines and spaces.” The container garden, titled “In This Floating World,” was inspired by the poetry of the Buddhist nun Rengetsu and highlighted containers constructed from repurposed materials.

Gillian Mathews showed her passion for purple, winning both Best Plant Material and the People's Choice Award

THE COLOR PURPLE
Once again Gillian Mathews, owner of Ravenna Gardens in Seattle, created another show-stopper with her bold use of color and keen eye for plant combinations, collecting another award (she won Best Design in 2010). Actually, two awards this year: the “Best Plant Material” Award and the People’s Choice Award. Their garden, titled “A Passion for Purple,” depicted an cozy outdoor living space, incorporating recycled and repurposed found objects and vertical gardening accents, including a peice of stunning succulent wall art, along with bold splashes of the gorgeous color purple in both the Adirondack chair and repeated in the plants. Tina praised the garden, explaining “Ravenna Gardens did it all – good design, sophisticated color echoes, and good use of repetition. I’m glad they also won the People’s Choice Award. The show attendees have a good eye for design.”

Mari Malcolm used ingenious ways to reuse unique objects into plant containers, winning the Best Re-Characterization award

LIVING LUSH
Mari Malcolm launched her “Lusher Life Project” at the show, with a garden titled “Seaside Succulents.” Mari mixed flotsam and treasures from the Puget Sound with a profusion of hardy and tender succulents, tucked in vintage crates and tins. It was a beautiful way to show how reusing items, and reimagining new uses for items, can enhance a design. “This garden helped me rethink about what can be used for a container in my own work,” explained Tina. “The details were amazing. Even the tiniest barnacle held a plant. They were really inventive in showing how items can be used in completely new ways, which was why they won the Best Re-Characterization award.”

Rounding out the entries were container exhibits by designer Virginia Hand; Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville; Janit Calvo from Two Green Thumbs teamed with Christina Salwitz, from the Personal Garden Coach; Sylvia Matlock, owner of DIG Nursery on Vashon Island; Marcia Bruno from West Seattle Nursery; Geralyn Rudolph, owner of Small Worlds Within Reach; Michelle Blakeslee, CPH, owner of Mudface Landscape & Container Design; Joe Grienaur, owner of Emerald City Orchids; Tim Moshier, owner of Cambium Landscape; a team from Molbak’s in Woodinville; Ragan & Associates, and designer Wendy Welch,who also designed the popular new children’s PlayGarden area.

To view a complete list of all the Container Exhibition participates, with links to their websites, go to http://nwf.gs/jAOC3n - Janet