Here’s What’s Happening in January

PLAN AHEAD!

Tuesday, February 7
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Opening Night Party for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show
Enjoy a fabulous evening of delicious food, fine wines, live music, and silent auctions as you feast your eyes of the 26 spectacular show gardens at the 2012 Northwest Flower & Garden Show. This year the Arboretum Foundation is collaborating with the Seattle Audubon Society on its show garden, “Birdsong,” which will celebrate the diverse habitat found in the Washington Park Arboretum. Proceeds benefit the Washington Park Arboretum. Black tie or festive dress.
Sponsored by the Arboretum Foundation
Washington State Convention Center
8th Avenue & Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101
Tickets: General Admission per person – $65 (Arboretum and Audubon Society members; ‘Early Bird’; $75 after January 19th)
$100 (non-members)
$250 Patrons and $50 Benefactors
Visit their website for more information or to purchase tickets.

 

Wednesday, February 8 – Saturday, February 11
9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday, February 12
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Northwest Flower & Garden Show
Join us for the 24^th annual Northwest Flower & Garden Show as we present “A Floral Symphony.” With 26 inspiring show gardens, 300 garden and nature-related exhibitors, over 100 seminars from leading gardening experts and – new for 2012 – 40 musical performances, this is the acclaimed show beloved by avid gardeners everywhere! You won’t want to miss the largest show of its kind on the West Coast, with more gardens, exhibitors, seminars and family entertainment than anywhere else. Families welcome – take the children to our popular PlayGarden or on a Treasure Hunt!
Washington State Convention Center
8^th Avenue & Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101
Tickets: Children 12 and under are FREE!
Youth (13 – 17) $5.00
Adult ‘Early Bird’ (must be purchased by 2/7) $16.00
2-Day Pass $29.00
5-Day Pass $65.00
Half-Day $10.00
Visit our website to purchase tickets, review the Seminar Schedule or browse the Exhibitor List and read about the 2012 Garden Creators.

 

 

Wednesday, January 4
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
“Chinese Garden Design & Lore”
Jan Whitner
Garden writer and Bulletin editor Jan Whitner’s original slide presentation and armchair tour of Chinese gardens was so well received and attended in late November that we would like to provide another chance for you to experience it. We’d like to extend a special invitation to our friends at the Seattle Chinese Garden Society. The lecture is the first in the Pacific Connections Series, an enrichment activity program that we are offering to our new Pacific Connections Garden Stewards. To mark the kick-off of the series, we are opening up the first lecture to all our members, volunteers, and friends. Admission and parking are free. Space is limited, so RSVP soon to reserve your spot. Free.
Arboretum Foundation & University of Washington Botanic Gardens
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 NE 41^st Street, Seattle
Please RSVP to Rhonda Bush by phone (206-941-2550).

 

 

Sunday, January 15
12:00 pm
“Creating Memorable Container Gardens”
Tina Dixon
Nationally renowned designer of container gardens Tina Dixon, owner of Plants a la Cart, will speak on creating memorable container gardens with tips on choosing proper soil, containers and plants, using design principles and elements to best effect. Tina has been featured in Sunset magazine, where her designs were heralded as “richly textural & inventive,” Garden Design, where her home garden earned their prestigious Golden Trowel award; the Seattle Times’ Pacific Northwest magazine; and numerous books. She has been a garden creator and speaker at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show.
Northwest Perennial Alliance
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 NE 41^st Street, Seattle
Fee: Members – Free; Non-members – $10
Visit their website for more information.

 

Seminar Spotlight: Practical Matters

Gardening – it’s both an art, and a hobby. For some of us (I’m talking to you) it’s an obsession. But good gardening requires some skill and knowledge so that the plants – and your body – are treated correctly. And before you even consider putting plants in the ground, you must consider the soil. Then, if you’ve done your job well, the plants grow and thrive. Sometimes they thrive too much – then what?! Pruning a shrub correctly extends it’s life - and it’s beauty.

 

All these dilemmas are addressed in seminars at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, seminars that I think of as “practical matters.” Getting the basics down is the first step to a great garden. So check out these great seminars on how to avoid common gardening mistakes (been there, done that), build a rain barrel, set up drip irrigation, prune correctly, start seeds, and save your own body from damage when you dive into gardening. You’ll be glad you did!

 

Stacy Walters – Kinesiotherapist, master gardener & ‘Fit to Garden’ blogger
Stacy Walters is a Registered Kinesiotherapist, master gardener and composter, holistic lifestyle coach, and budding freelance writer with a passion for green living.  The development of Stacy’s brainchild Fit to Garden™ is the result of the fun-loving blend of her love affair with nature and enthusiasm for her profession.  The program is designed to help gardeners prepare their body to safely perform the task at hand; the bending, kneeling, twisting, standing and squatting movements necessary for effective lawn and garden care. The goal is for gardeners to reduce the risk of injury, make lawn and garden work easier and more enjoyable–and ultimately help gardeners become stronger! Stacy educates audiences via local television and radio interviews, presentations, magazine articles, and her videos co-starring NASCAR driver Carl Edwards.

 Garden for the Health of It
Learn How to Safely Perform Gardening Tasks
Wed, Feb 8 at 3:30 pm / DIY Stage
Thurs, Feb 9 at 6:45 pm / DIY Stage
Stacy Walters’ Fit to Garden™ program is designed to help gardeners prepare their body to safely perform the task at hand; the bending, kneeling, twisting, standing and squatting movements necessary for effective lawn and garden care.  Join Registered Kinesiotherapist and master gardener Stacy Walters as she demonstrates exactly how to quickly warm-up before heading out to the garden, the proper gardening biomechanics to protect the knees and low back, simple post-gardening stretches, and even off-season exercises to keep gardeners in shape all year long. Learn these simple techniques and stay Fit to Garden!

 

 

Robin Haglund – President, Garden Mentors Inc.
Robin Haglund, Founder and President of pioneering garden coaching firm Garden Mentors®, is viewed nationally as The Garden Mentor. She is an award-winning designer, an engaging speaker, a gardening television writer & producer, and she dedicates much of her own gardening time to educating & raising crops and plants to feed others in need. Her articles and lectures are peppered with colorful anecdotes derived from her childhood on the farm, her daily adventures with honeybees & puppies in the garden, and her every day garden coaching experiences working hand-in-hand with professional & aspiring novice gardeners in their gardens. Robin’s garden coaching, design insights, her tips for gardening with pets, and her experiences with urban beekeeping are featured in several media sources including Organic Gardening Magazine, The New York Times, Sunset Magazine, The Seattle Times, Dog Park Wisdom, PBS’s “Growing a Greener World” and HGTV’s “Landscaper’s Challenge”.

Mayhem, Murder & Must-Nots
Top 10 Maintenance Mistakes Gardeners Should Avoid
Sat, Feb 11 at 10 am / Rainier Room
We’ve all made gardening mistakes even when our intentions are for the best. Some slip-up’s are easily remedied, some take years and lots of money to put right and others result in a complete loss. Knowing how to garden correctly in the first place saves time, money, and keeps the garden healthy and looking good. Take a visual tour through some of the most frequently made mistakes in the garden. And, learn how to achieve your gardening goals without making these costly flubs in the first place. From pruning, to weeding to mulching and more discover how to make gardening easy on yourself – and even easier on the eyes!

 

 

Cass Turnbull – Founder, Plant Amnesty & author, Guide to Pruning
Cass Turnbull’s name is synonymous with the art of good pruning.  As the founder and President of Plant Amnesty, her mission has been to “end the shameless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs.”  She left the Seattle Parks Department in 1986 after 11 years to start her own landscape maintenance and consulting business, Cass Turnbull Gardening Services. An updated 3^rd edition of her must-have 2004 book, Cass Turnbull’s Guide to Pruning, will be released by Sasquatch in December, 2012. Cass is also the author of The Complete Guide to Landscape Design, Renovation and Maintenance (Betterway, 1990). She has made many media appearances and her articles have appeared in Organic Gardening, Pacific Horticulture, the Seattle PI, Los Angeles Times and quoted in the Wall Street Journal. She is on the Arboretum Foundation Bulletin Editorial Board and has won awards from the International Society of Arboriculture, the City of Seattle, WSNLA and the National Arbor Day Foundation. 

 Difficult Plants to Prune
Basic Techniques, Common Mistakes & Corrective Action
Sun, Feb 12 at 11 am / Hood Room
This presentation will teach you how to prune rhododendron, hydrangea, callicarpa (beautyberry), Viburnum bodnantense and abelia. Included in this slideshow are basic pruning techniques, common pruning mistakes and corrective pruning.

 

 

Barry Hoffer – Owner, Maples for all Seasons
Barry’s passion is Japanese Maples.  He turned his passion into a business when he opened Maples for all Seasons, a Nursery specializing in Japanese Maples, based in Pleasanton, CA. His passion grew from when he acquired his first Japanese Maple, Acer japonicum, Acontifolium, 16 years ago, to a collection that now consists of almost ¾ of the worlds available cultivars. He is still adding. He serves as President of the Northern California Japanese Maple Society and regularly conducts classes as “The Maple Guy” teaching about gardening with Japanese Maples, the care and pruning of the Japanese maples as well as discussing the four seasons of the Japanese Maples. Being an expert on Japanese Maples as well as an Arborist, specializing in Japanese Maples, including the care, planting and pruning, Barry was a featured guest on Ciscoe Morris “Gardening with Ciscoe” on Seattle’s KIRO, 97.3FM. He does regular appearances at local Garden Clubs, Home and Garden Shows, Landscape and Garden Shows, and Nurseries throughout the U.S.. Barry owns Maples for all Seasons with his wife and fellow Japanese Maple expert, Sue Hoffer.  Visit his show booth # 2434.

 Pruning Japanese Maples
Pruning Maples From an Arborist’s Point of View
Fri, Feb 10 at 9:30 am / DIY Stage
Barry Hoffer has a passion for Japanese maple, an invaluable tree for the Northwest landscape. He will explain the philosophy of pruning and then demonstrate proper pruning technique on an actual Japanese maple tree showing each point as discussed. An Arborist point of view includes proper cuts, soil and the overall health of the tree we are pruning. Diseases associated with the Japanese Maples are discussed, including how we repair, remove diseased branches and treatment. 

 

 

Mallory Gwynn – Portland TV host, “Simply Gardening”
Mallory’s connection to the gardening world began early. He was born in the middle of a strawberry harvest on his parents’ farm. His Mom and Dad had him out in the fields when he was only three days old. Mallory has grown up loving plants. He enjoys sharing what he knows with anyone who will listen. Mallory has 13 years of experience working the retail, wholesale and farming side of the nursery industry. In October 2002 Mallory first appeared on television on KPTV. His second TV debut involved having his own garden program, “Simply Gardening -Anybody Can Do It,” airing on Comcast channel CNW 14. Mallory has offered garden advice on KPAM 860 for eight years now. His “Simply Gardening Minute” is aired Monday through Saturday on the station. Mallory writes a monthly gardening column for The East County Gazette. He travels the Northwest speaking at numerous events including Portland’s Yard Garden & Patio Show and Seattle’s Northwest Flower & Garden Show. Mallory’s greatest passion in life is his family. He and wife Sheri raise five daughters on 2 -1/2 acres South of Portland.

 Be a Drip!
Hydrating Your Favorite Plants with Drip Irrigation
Sunday, Feb 12 at 9:30 am / DIY Stage
Hanging Baskets and deck pots can dry out quickly during the heat of summer. Mallory will show you how easy it is to get planters setup with a drip system. Handouts available and step by step video posted on ‘Simply Gardening’ Facebook page and on the ‘Simply Gardening’ Website.

 

 

Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott – Author, “The Informed Gardener” & WSU Horticulture instructor
Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott has a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and is an ISA certified arborist.  She is WSU’s Extension Urban Horticulturist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.  Linda has lectured extensively to a variety of audiences on diverse topics, all pertaining to sustainable landscaping and always based on current and relevant plant science.  In 2009, she and three other academic colleagues launched “The Garden Professors” blog, through which they educate and entertain an international audience. Over the past 11 years, Dr. Chalker-Scott has expanded her academic writing to popular audiences, including articles for Fine Gardening, Organic Gardening, and MasterGardener Magazine. In 2010, she was named a contributing editor to Fine Gardening magazine. Her first book, The Informed Gardener (2008, University of Washington Press), is an award-winning examination of some common horticultural myths. The sequel – The Informed Gardener Blooms Again – was released by UW Press in 2010 and continues horticultural myth-busting. She also recently published Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens: good science – practical application (2009, GFG Publishing, Inc.), a 22-chapter book which she edited and jointly authored with 20 colleagues.

 Meet Your Garden Soil
How to Determine Your Soil’s True Texture
Sat, Feb 11 at 5:15 pm / DIY Stage
So you think you have a clay soil?  Before you decide to go into the pottery business, find out for sure using the “finger test.” This presentation will demonstrate an easy way to determine your soil’s texture class. Find out if you have silty clay, a sandy loam, or one of several other classifications. Handouts will be provided to allow you to do this test at home.

 

 

Colleen Miko – Blogger, designer & owner of Colleen’s
Colleen Miko has been active in west coast horticulture for 20 years. In addition to running her garden design business, Colleen’s, she is the Horticulture Educator for WSU Extension Kitsap where she coordinates the Master Gardener Program. Colleen is a Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH), garden writer and blogger. She has created popular gardens for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and won the Seattle Homes and Lifestyle “First in Home & Design Award” for her 2007 garden “Suburban Swank with A Twist”. In May 2007 her television debut as winning designer on HGTV’s ‘Landscaper’s Challenge’ aired nationwide. Hands-in-the-dirt experience reinforced by her role as educator makes Colleen a helpful garden consultant and designer. When not in the garden Colleen enjoys making mosaics and hitting antique malls.

 Rain Barrels of Fun
Build a Rain Barrel – Save on Your Water Bill
Sun, Feb 12 at 5 pm / DIY Stage
After this demonstration, you’ll come away understanding all the components and materials needed to take advantage of the free water flowing from your roof drain pipe.  Come learn about how to filter the water before and after it reaches your barrel, the best connections, and how to by-pass in winter when the barrel is full.  Learn the best locations for barrel placement and local sources for purchasing quality supplies.

 

 

Farmer John Muller – Owner, Daylight Gardens & Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farms
Don’t try to call John Muller a fancy name like “horticulturist.” John Muller is first and foremost a farmer, and he’s most at home on his tractor. He and his wife, Eda, own Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farm and Daylight Gardens in Half Moon Bay, California. They are both passionate about gardening, and looking at their pumpkin farm, it shows. They have created an aesthetically pleasing, nurturing environment for the many farm visitors that visit each year. He is also a regional expert on growing giant pumpkins. Farm John has received many awards for his service and environmental activism in California, including the US Presidential Volunteerism Award, the US EPA External Award for Stewardship, the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Sustainability Award, and the US EPA Extra Mile Award. He has served on the City Council for Half Moon Bay since 2006, and presently serves as the Mayor.  Follow Farmer John online at:

From Seed to Table
Farmer John Shares His Growing Secrets
Fri, Feb 10 at 11:15 am / DIY Stage
Farmer John, a 3^rd generation family farmer, will share his knowledge and family secrets on vegetable and flower growing to help you take your seed to the table.  As an urban farmer growing for farmers’ markets, select restaurants, and most importantly, his grandchildren, his approach works for first time gardeners and those who love to eat what they grow.  His practical experience will take gardeners from soil preparation, to seed germination, to planting, and finishing with how and when to harvest!

 

 

Nan Sterman – Gardening expert, TV host & author, CA Gardener’s Guide, Vol. II
Nan Sterman is a garden expert, designer, and award-winning garden communicator. She is author of California Gardener’s Guide Vol. II and Waterwise Plants for the Southwest., both books about drought tolerant gardening.  Nan contributes regularly to regional and national publications such as the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune, Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset, Burpee, and Organic Gardening, for whom she also tests new varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Nan is a regular guest on television and radio. She is both a biologist and botanist who has practiced sustainable gardening since the 1970s.

Sprout!
Start Your Garden From Seeds
Thurs, Feb 9 at 9:30 am / DIY Stage
Seeds are magical little things – pieces of dried out “wood” that, when watered, suddenly come alive to make tall redwoods, bright red poppies, even delicious tomatoes and eggplant. Starting from seed allows you to try varieties of plants you seldom see offered in the nursery – especially herbs and vegetables. If you’ve dreamed about starting a garden from seeds, this is a great opportunity to get started. This demonstration will introduce you to the basics of starting plants, particularly annual vegetables, from seed.

 

For the entire seminar schedule go to our website. Tickets are now on sale in both the nursery outlets and on our website. ~ Janet

Seminar Spotlight – The Beauty of Gardening with Containers

Barbara Wise – Author of “Container Gardening for All Seasons”
Barbara Peake Wise is the author of the upcoming new book, Container Gardening for All Seasons: 101 Plant Recipes for Year-Round Color (Cool Springs Press, Feb, 2012). She works for Southern Land Company, LLC in Franklin, Tennessee as their Director of Floriculture, where her responsibilities include overseeing the design, installation. and maintenance of the 250+ annual beds and 400+ containers in Southern Land Company’s developments. She provides the homeowners with educational classes, container and window box planting services, and gardening consultation. Barbara has been on the Discovery Channel’s ‘Picture This’, is a writer for Tennessee Gardener and has a monthly gardening column, Garden Compositions, in Nashville House, Home, and Garden magazine. This year her blog featured “365 Days of Container Gardening” – a daily post of container planting ideas for every season. With the desire to “Cultivate a Culture of Gardening®”, Barbara is a Master Gardener, a member of OFA and GWA, and has learned in raising her four highly active sons that gardening was cheaper than therapy when it came to maintaining her sanity. 

 The WOW Factor
Principles of Creating Beautiful Container Gardens
Thurs, Feb 9 at 12 pm / Hood Room
The WOW factor is not just produced in what you see; it’s about following principles that produce excellence. Using container gardens and annual color beds we’ll look at how to transform a home or garden area from “walk on by” to “wow, oh my!”  This seminar will take you through design principles to keep in mind when combining plants in containers, great plants for season long or year round container gardens, some “trust me, they’ll look better once they are planted” annuals that you might be passing by in the garden shops, and choosing the right plant for the right place for the right kind of gardener.

Garden Compositions
Transform a Garden into a Symphony of Sensations
Fri, Feb 10 at 10 am / Rainier Room
Composing a container garden is not simply throwing random plants together in the same way that  composing a song is not about throwing a bunch of notes  together ; it’s about following principles that produce excellence, it’s about creating something that will stick with you like a good melody.  Using container gardens we’ll look at how to transform a home or garden area into a symphony of sensations and have others singing your tune. This seminar will take you through design principles to keep in mind when combining plants in containers, great plants for season long or year round container gardens, some “trust me, they’ll look better once they are planted” annuals that you might be passing by in the garden shops, and choosing the right plant for the right place for the right kind of gardener. 

Barry Hoffer – Owner, Maples for all Seasons
Barry’s passion is Japanese Maples.  He turned his passion into a business when he opened Maples for all Seasons, a Nursery specializing in Japanese Maples, based in Pleasanton, CA. His passion grew from when he acquired his first Japanese Maple, Acer japonicum, Acontifolium, 16 years ago, to a collection that now consists of almost ¾ of the worlds available cultivars. He is still adding. He serves as President of the Northern California Japanese Maple Society and regularly conducts classes as “The Maple Guy” teaching about gardening with Japanese Maples, the care and pruning of the Japanese maples as well as discussing the four seasons of the Japanese Maples. Being an expert on Japanese Maples as well as an Arborist, specializing in Japanese Maples, including the care, planting and pruning, Barry was a featured guest on Ciscoe Morris “Gardening with Ciscoe” on Seattle’s KIRO, 97.3FM. Barry owns Maples for all Seasons with his wife and fellow Japanese Maple expert, Sue Hoffer.  Visit his show booth # 2434.

Container Gardening with Japanese Maples
Create Long-lasting Gardens with Maples
Sat, Feb 11 at 9:30 am / DIY Stage
Japanese Maples thrive in the Pacific Northwest. That’s why it seems there is at least one in every garden. Barry Hoffer shares his passion for maples and discusses how to prep a tree and properly plant a Japanese maple in a container. He’ll also talk about root pruning, soil mixes and fertilizing, and which cultivars make the best specimens for container culture. Learn the many ways you can use Japanese Maples on patios or balconies or in small spaces, and the proper way to plant them to ensure years of beautiful growth.

 

Bruce Bailey – Owner, Heavy Petal Nursery, Moses Lake, WA
Bruce Bailey is the owner of Heavy Petal Nursery, in Moses Lake, Washington, “Where plants rock.” He is a passionate horticulturist with a background in art history and design, and an accomplished interior designer. Heavy Petal Nursery provides an unconventional selection of gardening products for a unique shopping experience, with new varieties and surprising introductions of garden worthy plants, as well as old fashioned and unjustly forgotten favorites. They specialize in bringing hardy plants to Eastern Washington, expanding the plant palette for inter-mountain and high desert gardeners. The nursery offers a wide variety of inspiring plants hardy in the USDA zone 5a, as well as pushing zones up to USDA zone 7a.

A Container Named Desire
Making a Personal Statement with Bold Containers
Wed, Feb 8 at 5:45 pm / Hood Room
Join plant geek and nursery owner Bruce Bailey for his fun presentation, “A Container Named Desire.” It will get you primed for choosing the right containers. Bruce will discuss irrigation and drainage, and inspire you to experiment with plants. Go outside your comfort zone! Bruce will both entertain and educate you – and best of all, help you get the most bang for your plant buck.

 

Teresa O’Connor – Blogger, & co-author, “Grocery Gardening”
Teresa O’Connor is an author and speaker about gardening, food and folklore. Trained as a Master Gardener in California and Idaho, she has written for Fine Gardening, Coastal Home, Horticulture and Gardening How-To Magazine. Teresa co-authored Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food, (Cool Springs Press, 2010). She also co-hosted a popular podcast for Horticulture Magazine called “Nest in Style on Horticulture Radio.” (Find it on iTunes.) Thousands know Teresa as Seasonal Wisdom from Twitter, Facebook and her blog, which TV personality/tastemaker P. Allen Smith called one of “Ten Great Garden Blogs” for 2011.

Growing Food in Small Spaces
Tips & Techniques to Maximize Your Edible Garden Harvest
Fri, Feb 10 at 5:30 pm / Rainier Room
Don’t have much space, but want to grow food? No problem. By selecting the right plant varieties and growing spaces, you’ll be amazed at all the food you can grow in small spaces.  Along with lots of helpful tips, this practical presentation will teach how to …
**Select plants for small spaces, such as prolific patio tomatoes that grow two feet high or corn varieties that grow in pots
**Leverage trellises and other vertical support, plus illuminated, self-watering and other cool containers for growing food
**Learn from other small-space gardeners who are growing food everywhere from fire escapes to front porches
**Avoid the most common growing mistakes and enjoy a delicious harvest from your garden, regardless of the size

 

Charlie Nardozzi – Radio & TV host & author,“Vegetable Gardening for Dummies”
Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 20 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie is the former senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association. For 12 years he contributed articles to National Gardening Magazine. Presently he still writes the monthly Edible Landscaping e-newsletter for NGA. Charlie has written Vegetable Gardening for Dummies (IDG Books, 2009), The Ultimate Gardener (2009) and contributed the horticultural information to the new cookbook, Vegetables from an Italian Garden (Phaidon Press, 2011). Charlie is the former host of PBS’s Garden Smart, and he has also been a gardening expert on HGTV’s “Today at Home”, Discovery Channel’s “Home Matters”, Sirius Radio’s Martha Stewart Living, and Natural Eating with Elyssa. Charlie holds a B.S. in horticulture and a M.A. in adult education from the University of Vermont.

A Potted Edible Garden
Easy Tips to Grow Healthy Edibles in Small Spaces
Sun, Feb 12 at 11:15 am / DIY Stage
Everyone seems to be growing edibles these days! In this hands-on demonstration, Charlie will show some of the latest products and techniques on the market that help you grow vegetables, herbs, and fruits in various containers in small spaces. Some of the products will include new containers, fertilizers, soils, watering devices, and trellises. Hopefully, you’ll walk away inspired to try growing some edibles on your deck, balcony or patio this summer. This talk is sponsored by Gardener’s Supply Company.  

 

Amy Ockerlander – Garden Educator at Seattle Tilth
Amy Ockerlander is a Garden Educator at Seattle Tilth.  She teaches classes on a variety of topics including organic vegetable gardening, integrated pest management, perennial food gardening, rain water harvesting and permaculture design. Her professional background includes public education in the arts, five years as a staff horticulturalist on the Garden Hotline and nearly 10 years in the nursery trade. She is also an active member of her community garden and an apprentice beekeeper. Seattle Tilth is a nationally recognized non-profit educational organization dedicated to inspiring and educating people to garden organically and conserve natural resources.

Sustainable Container Gardening
Big Harvests with Low Resources the Sustainable Way
Sun, Feb 12 at 3:30 pm / DIY Stage
Container Gardens are essential for city folks interested in growing a little food of their own.  Whether you’re growing a micro-salad garden or patio fruit trees, this demonstration will offer ideas on how to keep your garden big on harvests but low on resources.  Learn to create your own rich compost from food scraps to revitalize your potting soil, instead of buying new soil every year.  See how easy it is to start your own veggies with seeds you saved from last year’s crop.  Discover some homemade bug busters for keeping slugs and other critters away from your greens.

 

So if you’ve only got a small patio or balcony for your garden space, and think you can’t grow edibles or beautiful flowers – think again! You will be inspired by these container designers’ seminars and ready to get your small space growing after the show. Be sure to check out the entire seminar schedule! ~ Janet

Make Connections at the Garden Resource Center

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show has long dedicated space in the show to nonprofit organizations that support and strengthen the gardening community around us. Our 2012 show will feature 34 such exhibitor booths in our Garden Resource Center. It’s the place to meet fellow gardeners who share the same interests as you – whether it’s roses, Iris, ferns, daylilies, garden clubs, supporting regional botanical gardens, or even learning stone sculpting.

 

Look for the Garden Resource Center in Rows 2300, 2400 and 2500 and 2800 in the North Hall (or, after you meander through the show gardens and cross the sky bridge into the North Hall, turn to your left). It’s a wonderful way to check out the many benefits of joining a location organization, see what they each have to offer, and discover which organizations share your interests and passions.

 

If you’re a novice gardener looking for camaraderie as well as horticulture information from certified plant geeks, look no further than the many organizations that provide a wealth of great gardening knowledge in fun and friendly style. Many will be at the show, ready to answer your questions about membership. The Hardy Plant Society of Washington, North American Rock Garden Society, Northwest Horticultural Society, Northwest Perennial Alliance, Pacific Horticulture Society, Plant Amnesty, Washington Native Plant Society, and the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs will all be hanging their banners at the show.

 

Many of these organizations offer lectures as well as workshops, newsletters, magazines, garden tours, websites and symposiums with renowned speakers. And of course fundraisers, but supporting these organizations is a big part of the reward, and besides, most of them fundraise with plant sales. What could be better than a good excuse to buy plants?

 

The Pacific Northwest is blessed with having many historic botanical gardens, and there will be exhibit booths in the Garden Resource Center in support of these regional treasures. Look for booths sponsored by the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, Chase Garden, Soos Creek Botanical Garden, Friends of the Conservatory, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, Dunn Gardens, Kubota Garden Foundation, Lake Wilderness Arboretum, Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, The Bloedel Reserve, and the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. When you become a member of these nonprofit organizations supporting these historic gardens, you are helping to secure their future for generations to come.

 

If you are an aficionado of certain kinds of plants, there is sure to be an association you can join – American Bamboo Society, Hardy Fern Foundation, King County Iris Society, Northwest Orchid Society, Puget Sound Dahlia Association, Puget Sound Daylily Club, Seattle Rose Society, Seattle Fruit Tree Society, Sequim Lavender Growers Association and Western Washington Fruit Association will all have enthusiastic volunteers at the show. Talk to their knowledgeable members and find out what they have to offer, so you can learn more about growing your favorite plants. Joining a group where members share a common focus (some might say addiction) is always very rewarding.

 

If you are interested in a future career in horticulture, there will be some folks on hand who can answer your questions about the horticulture programs at local community colleges. Look for Edmonds Community College and Lake Washington Technical College, two outstanding programs in our vicinity.

 

Other organizations that will be represented include the Cascade Harvest Coalition, an organization devoted to local foods and farms; the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, which promotes natural yard care and native plants; the Northwest Stone Sculptors Association, demonstrating the art of sculpting on stone; the Specialty Nursery Association, which offers a guide to ninety Western Washington specialty nurseries; and the Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association (WSNLA), an organization for landscaping professionals. While there are many organizations representing the flora, we can’t forget the fauna – Bats Northwest, the Woodland Park Zoo and the National Wildlife Federation will also be at the show. – Janet

 

 

Portlandians Can Leave the Driving to us

The region surrounding Portland, Oregon is a Mecca for gardening, and boasts some of the most beautiful gardens – and top gardening talent. That’s why so many avid gardeners consider the Northwest Flower & Garden Show to be the must-see annual event, and many are making plans to travel to Seattle February 8 – 12, 2012. The Garden Show has a travel deal that will make the getting to the show a breeze and is a terrific low-price too – saving you money so there’s more to go around in our incredible Marketplace of over 300 exhibitors.   

 

This holiday season, why not give the gift of a memorable two-day experience at the show? Our Portland bus and train tours are the perfect gift for all your plantaholic family and friends.

 

We can accommodate groups as small as 10 all the way up to 100.  Simply call 1-805-496-1251, or toll free 1-800-821-0339 to talk to the friendly folks at Group Travel Associates to make your reservations. They will customize the perfect package for you and your group, and arrange a luxury bus for your group of 40 or more – leaving plenty of room in the holding area for your plants, of course.

 

For groups of less than 40 people, our Amtrak Train Package is the way to go! We’re hearing from many Master Gardener groups and Garden Clubs wanting to travel in a group. With the train, you can customize the days you want to depart and return, and the number of days you want to spend the night. You leave from the Portland Union Station, and the ride to Seattle takes just under four hours. For more information, call Group Travel at 1-805-496-1251 or toll free at 1-800-821-0339.

 

These are great packages for all your gardening friends! Just think – enjoy conversation and laughs the entire drive, with no driving stress or parking hassle. Receive discounts to fine dining in downtown Seattle, spend two nights in a fine 4-star hotel, and have plenty of room on the bus to store all the garden art, accessories, tools and plants that you purchase at the show. Garden show tickets are included in the package price.

 

“A Floral Symphony” awaits you at the beautiful Northwest Flower & Garden Show, the second largest garden show in the U.S. In 2012 our 26 show gardens are based on musical themes or the sounds of nature, for a truly memorable display. Browse over 300 exhibitors – all related to the joy of gardening and outdoor living. And revel in the wit and wisdom of our renowned speakers.

 

With 116 seminars to choose from, including seminars from Oregon’s leading garden writers, like Lucy Hardiman, Mary-Kate Mackey, Willi Evans Galloway and Jayme Jenkins, you are sure to find plenty of seminars for your entertainment and education, including 30 seminars on edible gardening. Then after your whirlwind of garden show activity you don’t have to face an exhausting drive home. Simply relax as you are transported home to Portland, filled with inspiration and ready to enjoy all your new garden treasures.

 

We also have bus tours from Vancouver, B.C., so contact Group Travel Associates if you would like transportation heading south from across the border.

 

Be sure to check out the seminar schedule, so you can catch all your favorite speakers and also check out the exhibitor list, to streamline your shopping at our 300+ exhibitors. They are all listed on our website. Hope to see you at the show! - Janet