-

-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Look What Appeared in my Mailbox Today!

Shortly after talking with a persuasive  Northwest Perennial Alliance recuiter  at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show,  I went to www.N-P-A.org  and became a member of this group.  I had been meaning to do this for quite some time and had even filled in an application but never sent it.  Now this can all be done online in very short order.   I didn't know what the big deal was really and I'm not much of a joiner but thought that maybe this would be worth trying.  In a couple weeks after becoming a member, "The Perennial Post" the organization's (quarterly I'm guessing) newsletter  full of great information and a schedule of events came in the mail.

Today arrived the "yellow book" that I'd heard about that lists open gardens, over 75 of them.  They are conveniently grouped so that every weekend May through mid September there is a group  of 4 - 10  gardens in roughly the same area that will be open to NPA members and some that are open by appointment. There are even directions!  A tour of gardens every weekend, all summer long... Yowza!  Much as I've enjoyed knocking on the doors of strangers and asking to photograph their gardens, this seems like a much easier way to do things!  There is also a list of nurseries that offer discounts on plants (up to 25%) for members bearing their cards.

I'm now a card carrying member of the Northwest Perennial Alliance and already think that this was a great decision!  If you live in this area, are interested in gardening, and haven't become a member yet, I highly recommend it.  One can also bring out of town guests (non - members) to the open gardens.  How cool is that?   My only disappointment is that there are no open Gardens in Tacoma. There are some in nearby towns but not here.  Maybe I'll make it my mission to change that as there are some really interesting gardens here!

Are their groups like this in your area?  Have you joined?  If so, what was your experience like? 

20 comments:

  1. Sounds great! The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO) has the same thing...a directory of gardens that are open to members throughout the year. I've only gone to a few, but I'm hoping to visit as many as possible this year...it's always fascinating to see what other people's gardens look like :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm excited by the prospect of seeing so many gardens but will probably not dedicate every weekend of the summer garden hopping.

      Delete
  2. Cool! I really should join this too. Hey, are there any open gardens in my town?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No. The closest gardens to us are in Graham/Orting and Lakewood. There are some in SeaTac/Renton areas and Gig Harbor. You should join!

      Delete
  3. I enjoy your "door-knock" garden features. We have several very active garden groups and I know there are some open gardens among them. I'm not much for joining but that might be a way to find more gardens for the blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The "door-knock" gardens are lots of fun for me, too. I like the idea of visiting quite a few on a single day. What a fun way to store away summer treasures to post on those gray winter days.

      Delete
  4. The open gardens are my very favorite feature of HPSO. You are in for a real treat!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congrats on your new membership. For a few years, I was active in the Master Gardener organization. Now I have a small group of gardening friends. We plan gardening outings. I'm not much of a "joiner" either but have fun with my garden friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The outings with friends are my favorites. I'm thinking that this directory will give us even more ideas of places to visit.

      Delete
  6. Who knew there was such a thing as a Northwest Perennial Alliance recruiter! As Scott and Ricki report the HPSO open gardens are FABULOUS and a nice perk of membership. I look forward to seeing a few of these open gardens via your lens!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The gardens are in a wide range of settings from downtown Seattle to out in the country. Should be interesting to see the similarities and differnces in the gardens.

      Delete
  7. Congratulations! I've visited many gardens during these tours. They are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Tatyana, I'm looking forward to visiting more gardens this summer!

      Delete
  8. Congrats to the new member of Northwest Perennial Alliance!
    I hope you will visit many open gardens!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nadezda, it's always enjoyabe to visit other peoples' gardens!

      Delete
  9. Open gardens! How fun! I don't know of anything like this in my area. Maybe I need to research it more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It looks like fun! Are there times in the summer were you are when high temperatures make walking around outside less than enjoyable? We never have that problem here.

      Delete
  10. Can't wait to see your blog of the gardens you visit. Maybe I will join one day. So many gardens to see...so little time...cheers!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.