The rest of today's post is a preview of the Display Gardens at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival while the gardens were still being put together. I'd planned on putting this together earlier but had to pick up one of the furry kids at the vet where she had to spend the night. She's fine but gave us a little scare. There will be lots more to come from the show, this is just an appetizer.
This is the thirtieth year of the show so the theme was a celebratory one: "Cake and Cheers for Thirty Years."
Flower Growers of Puget Sound "Cavalcade of Color"
Northwest flower & Garden Festival and Terra Firma Hardscapes 2018 Theme Garden.
Washington Park Arboretum: "Arboretum Carnavale: Wonders of the Winter Garden."
West Seattle Nursery/Devonshire Landscaping "Wabi-Sabi, Embrace Flawed Beauty."
Treeline Designz "Soiree of Reflections"
Hope he doesn't fall in! Issaquah Landscaping/ Designs by deLeuw "Contained Excitement."
Because the garden shed is made of a container.
Choice Landscapes LLC "Celebrate and Reflect."
Northwest Orchid Society "Vanilla Farm."
Avid Landscape Design & Development LLC "For the Apple of My Eye."
Redwood Builders LLC, Landscaping "Pot Party."
Fancy Fronds/ALBE Rustics "Celebrate Form: Art Imitates Nature." Do these plant stands crafted from stainless steel bowls and sewer pipe look familiar? Similar planters can be found in Potted; Make Your Own Stylish garden Containers.The planters were inspired by the dish planters of my pal Loree Bohl. It's cool to see how different people interpret an idea. My own dish planter is made of concrete pipe and a Webber Grill lid.
The preview is a great time to see the gardeners working and while there are no crowds with which to contend, one does need to watch out for other kinds of traffic.
Giant chess board from Nature Perfect Landscape & Design's "Father's Day."
Marenakos Rock Company "A Stone Forest"
Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association "Kache Un Bijou: A Hidden Jewel."
Richie Steffen and Ciscoe Morris having a good time talking about their impending Container Wars competition. They're pitted against each other.
A sweet surprise was seeing blogging pals Linda and Tom Reeder at the preview! Tom was just here somewhere...
Susan Browne Landscape Design/Perennial Lawn & Garden "Bee Simple."
There's so much more to come!
How fun with a preview - especially since I won't make it up there this year. It coincided with another trip out east, to visit family and friends. Awesome to see that Loree's planters made it into the show! Very cool!!
ReplyDeleteEverything here in Ohio is covered in snow, but plant folks here are no less excited for spring than those in the West. I got to say, though, that the white snow with silhouetted shrubs adorned with the red Cardinals is a sight to see... :)
You are SOOOOO lucky to have something like this. Our local Garden Expo has devolved into usually only one rather boring landscape and too many garden tchotchkes. I went last year to see if it had changed and it really had not. Lots of nurseries and seed companies but you really need competition for those kind of living displays. Plus doing it in Feb. here is a nightmare weather wise! I can't wait for more pix of your event. So many great ideas and plants!
ReplyDeleteThe Seattle Times featured one of those Bohl bowls in their Preview roundup today as well That girl gets around. Of course, they don't credit her. You got some great action shots of people frantically finishing up their work. Dare I say it? They're more interesting than the garden shots. Although photographers do say that's true of all photos. Thanks for featuring that book at the Ravenna display, I have to get one, I know just who to give it to as a gift.
ReplyDeleteBohl bowls...LOVE THAT! Thanks Alison.
DeleteShould we call it a Bohl movement?
DeleteOh how fun to get to go to the preview! Lots of promising displays there and looking forward to your future posts.
ReplyDeleteIt's not often that I am a "feature" in someone else's blog. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was great fun to be there, and more fun because you were there too. I have been busy "cleaning up" my photos, so it is good to see you have shown all the "dirt", the setting up, and the tractors.
Okay I caved and peeked and your peek. Ho hum. About what I was expecting...although there are a couple of fun vignettes. Also fun to see the process shots so thank you. Fingers crossed for your furry kid!
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful gardens! I love the red pipe planters! It's so great to see some blooms after a long winter. The flower show here in Boston is still a month away, and sadly there seem to be fewer displays every year. Hoping your fur baby is okay!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting. From your vignette to the displays. I can't wait to see more.
ReplyDeleteAppetite duly whetted! I also laughed aloud at that book title - and promptly ordered a copy for myself.
ReplyDeleteI loved the West Seattle nursery's display garden (they skipped last year). The garden shed container was petty cool and bold. I wasn't a fan of a couple of gardens that used pink spot lights; it distorted the natural appearance of the plants. Other then that, it was a delight and total sensory overload.
ReplyDeleteThe food was always great, I think they just updated their menu and it's off the hook. Who would expect delicious pizza at such big events. Not me, but you can get some of the best pizza there. The best venue NYC in this area.
ReplyDelete