Each February the Northwest Flower & Garden Show delivers an inspirational burst of color to an otherwise gray Seattle landscape. And while that won’t change in 2009, one color will stand out from all the others: green.
Themed “Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places.”, the 2009 show will present a wide range of educational activities that promote environmentally-friendly gardening in the Pacific Northwest. Among the attractions at this year’s show, attendees will find: 26 full-scale display gardens and 16 container gardens focusing on elements of the sustainable lifestyle including native plants, organic vegetable gardens and creative recycling; seminars that focus on low-water garden designs, natural lawn and garden care and drip irrigation for orchards; and products and services including native plants, eco-friendly gardening tools and organic lawn care products, to name just a few.
“In an area of the country that is famous for the green movement and their concern for the environment, sustainability is a natural theme for our show,” said Duane Kelly, the event’s founder and chairman of Salmon Bay Events, the Seattle-based company that produces the show. “One of our goals as a community event is to help preserve the beauty and vibrancy of the Pacific Northwest. With that in-mind, we hope to attract a new generation of eco-savvy gardeners and provide them with the tools and techniques to create sustainable gardens.”
The show will run Feb. 18-22 at the Washington State Convention Center and feature: a wide range of full-scale display gardens; more than 110 instructive seminars and hands-on demonstrations; and thousands of the industry’s leading gardening products and services. The event annually draws between 60,000-70,000 attendees.
The 26 display gardens, that are the focal point of each show, will range in size from 100 to 1800 square feet and include three urban designs ideal for a terrace, deck or patio. Each winter, the show invites attendees to begin preparations for spring gardening with its magnificent, full-sized gardens created by a select group of nurseries and landscape designers from around the Pacific Northwest. This year, featured gardens will offer ideas for a greener future amid themes including “Nature’s Classroom,” “Collaborating with Nature” and “Reclaim, Recreate, Rejuvenate.”
And although the majority of these gardens are larger in scale, located in the South Lobby, ‘Living It Up’ will showcase designs that combine the elements of nature and urban living. Attendees are invited to explore ideas ideal for city dwellers with distinctive designs by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Green Stone Design and Octavia Chamblis Design. Each of these attractions will demonstrate the use of outdoor décor, planters, containers and more.
To also benefit the region’s growing number of condominium owners, the show will feature sixteen lavish container gardens that provide ideas for gardeners working with small, and often indoor, spaces. Container gardening experts from the area will share inspirational and achievable designs perfect for balconies, patios and decks.
And while many displays will focus on the aesthetic value of gardening, others will also highlight more practical benefits such as the growing of fresh fruits and vegetables. Prime examples of this can be seen in displays entitled “A Palate of Pots” by Lacewing Garden Designs and “Let’s Eat!” by Emery’s Garden. Both displays will feature veggies, flowers and herbs in arrangements that are both beautiful and edible.
The show will provide a one-stop shopping experience for garden-lovers and do-it-yourselfers from all over the Pacific Northwest. In the Marketplace area of the show, attendees can browse and shop for thousands of upscale garden-related products and services from over 300 specially selected nurseries and other exhibitors. This year’s show will highlight gardening materials and techniques that are good for the environment in a new area of the commercial exhibit floor titled ‘Green Living’. Products and services displayed in this section will consist of those that directly benefit the environment including soil, water and tree aspects.
With its free seminar series sponsored by Sunset magazine, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show offers more than 110 seminars and hands-on presentations by gardening and design experts cater to both veteran and aspiring gardeners. New this year, all seminars after 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 will focus on green living. Seminar topics will include “The Natural Garden – Sustainable & Beautiful Garden Design,” “Natural Lawn Care – Essential Tips to a Healthy Organic Lawn,” “Sustainable Containers – Best Practices for ‘Greening’ Your Containers” and “Eco-Friendly Garden Tools – Care for Your Garden the ‘Green Way’.” Speakers for 2009 will include all three judges – Ulf Nordfjell, Nori Pope and Joe Eck – as well as other stars of the gardening world.
For families with young children, show planners devote an entire area of the show floor to young gardeners called “Sproutopia: A Place for Kids!” The show offers an extensive list of activities to excite blossoming gardeners each day of the show including hands-on demonstrations, miniature gardens prepared by local elementary school students, a treasure hunt and the opportunity to have a picnic with their family at the Dream Turf Park. On the weekend, the Sprout Stage will also offer a variety of singing and story time activities with seven half-hour presentations taking place every hour, on the hour, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free childcare will also be provided at the show.
The cost of admission, which includes entrance to gardening seminars, is: $20 for adults; $9 for students 25 and under with valid student I.D.; $4 for kids ages 6–17; and free for children under 5. Show hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Advance tickets are also available at a discounted price of $16 for adults. Tickets can be purchased via the show’s website with a special print at home option and through a number of local gardening retailers throughout the Pacific Northwest