Report from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show

From Alice in Wonderland

What do piggy banks, big bad wolves, two-story tall stilletos and a couple of nervous garden writers have in common?  All could be found at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle last weekend.

Despite the popularity of the show, second in size only to Philadelphia’s, this was my first year to attend.  With the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show in my own backyard, I’ve never mustered up the time and energy to hop a plane, but I’m so happy I did!  Here’s a recap of what I saw:

Show Gardens

Paradise (to be) Regained

These are always my favorite part of any show, and the theme of Once Upon a Time was interpreted both literally and figuratively.  Seventeen-year-old Courtney Goetz was undoubtedly the darling of the show with her Paradise (to be) Regained garden.  She brilliantly tackled the idea of re-interpreting clutter, and created a garden built from recycled materials that featured low water plants, a charming contrast to the masses of tulips and daffodils or black/chartreuse foliage combos that dominated many of the other gardens.  The thoughtfulness of her approach is reflected in this quote from the description of her garden: "So when Father Industry comes to battle with Mother Nature, who wins?"

Run, Little Pig, Run!

 

 Less of a statement, and more just plain fun was “Run, Little Pig, Run” a witty take on the Three Little Pigs.  I loved the attention to detail, including a landscape for each pig’s home that seemed to match their personalities (because even in fairy tale gardens, a sense of place is important).  While the foolish pig who built his home from straw planted his garden with simple bulbs and shrubs, there’s no mistaking the prosperity of the third pig’s classic brick home, with its money-making water wheel, wrought iron railings and formally laid-out plants.

In contrast, the downscale Big Bad Wolf’s abode sported drying laundry, lazily abandoned gear and a decidedly untidy bedroom for those who took the time to bend to and look inside his tree trunk home.

 

Wish 'Shoe' Were Here

Photo by Rebecca Sweet

As a long-time APLD member, I was thrilled to see the Washington Chapter represented at the show.  Wish 'Shoe' Were Here, took some liberties with the original fairy tale (at least, I’m pretty sure the old woman and her brood weren’t residing in a stiletto) and gave their garden a more contemporary spin.  The Sex and the City girls would have been proud.

 

The Devil's in the Details

Hidden details were woven into many of the gardens, like Big Foot hiding in Stepping through a Timeless Tranquil Forest.  To make the show more fun for the under-ten crowd, each display garden hid a pig somewhere in the landscape, turning the show floor into a treasure hunt for kids.  OK, I confess – I enjoyed hunting for the pigs, too.

The show had an expansive container garden display – some were sleek and minimalist, 

while others sported an array of detail, like the miniature scenes and one-of-a-kind accessories in Eat, Pray, Love by designer Christina Salwitz and miniature expert Janit Calvo.

Photo by Rebecca Sweet.

 

Garden Up! Debuts

Photo by Rebecca Sweet

Most exciting for me was that the show marked the debut of our book, Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces.  Hot off the presses, Rebecca and I saw our book for the first time when we arrived at the hotel.  We were so excited to see the package waiting for us when we checked in (read: acting like a bunch of pre-teens at a Justin Beiber concert) that the front desk actually sent a bottle of champagne up to the room to help us celebrate.

I’m happy to report that our presentations were well attended with many positive comments from the audience members who took time to have their books signed and chat with us afterwards.  We were a little nervous to hear that our publisher convinced the show’s bookseller into tripling their original book order, but by Saturday afternoon we had sold out!  The book hasn’t made its way through traditional distribution yet, but should be available by March 14.

Hope to see you all back here then when we launch our Cyber Book Party!

 

Comments

[Christina Salwitz]

Great review of the show Susan. You picked some really fun things to highlight! Your new book comes out on my daughter big 18the birthday- must be a good omen. :-)

I'll take all the good omens I can get! Any chance she'll spend her birthday wish hoping our book is a success? :-)

[Katie]

So proud of you! And, thank you for posting show pictures so we could live vicariously through you!

Katie, thank you! The support and kind words mean a lot.

[Sue Goetz]

(Proud mom alert!) Thank you for the compliments and photos on Courtney's garden. It was a real treat to watch my daughter blossom at her show debut and a joy to design through the mind of a 17th year old (18 today!)

Should I edit her age in the post, lol? You have every right to be proud. No one would ever have guessed this was her first display garden, let alone done by someone so young. I had a chance to take some photographs before the show opened on Friday and everyone in the know insisted I start with Courtney's. If there's a link she'd like me to add to the post, just shoot me an email (the link is under My Websites in the left hand column).

[Kathy Juracek]

I love love love your book! Can't wait to show and tell my Garden Club next week!

Kathy, how fun was it that you came! AND helped us sell out by buying extra for your garden club. I'll have your commission check in the mail by the end of the day.

[Loree/danger garden]

I could just scream at the numb-skulls who organized the seminars!! What were they thinking putting you and Rebecca opposite Ivette? I mean really....make me choose!? I wish I could have heard your talk and got the sneak peek at your book.

I felt the same way, although I was able to catch the last 20 minutes of Ivette's. I missed Andrea Bellamy's just because I was nervous and spent the morning practicing for my own. But look at it this way - it's an excuse to plan a trip to the Bay Area and hear us speak locally!

[Saxon Holt]

Thanks for the report. Couldn't attend this year and appreciate your show garden highlights.

You missed a good show, Saxon. My first time to attend and I really wish I could have spent more time on the floor. I feel like I only scratched the surface. Hope to see you at Rebecca's SFGS pre-party in a few weeks!

[Ivette Soler]

SuMo, now I don't HAVE to do a post because you picked out MY favorite gardens of the show, too! I'm just going to do a blog entry that posts a link directly here.

MWAH!!!

I'm all for teamwork!

[Catherine]

I was so hoping I'd get to hear your presentation. Because of the weather and our front yard project we went on Weds. I didn't get to hear any speakers again this year because I had the whole family with me. We all loved it, but next year I'm doing a day with the family and a day by myself (or a gardening friend). I'm looking forward to buying your book!

Catherine I was hoping to finally meet you in person, too! But the weather was crazy and you weren't the only one who planned on attending but it just didn't happen. I've been following the progress on your project - of course I understand picking a garden project over a lecture!

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Great report Susan. It was so great to finally catch up with you while we were filming. And we ended up filming some of the same gardens you wrote about. I guess we were on the same page - AGAIN. Can't wait for the next garden show when I can chat without having to run out the door to film something!

Weren't the pigs the best? I loved that garden. I think dinner Saturday night is the longest uninterrupted conversation we've had since the first time we met! (Despite the camera-happy clowns sitting across the table from us).

[Kristin]

Wishing you all the best with the new book. Your presentation was wonderful! It was so nice meeting both of you.

Delta Gardener, I loved meeting you too and was sorry we didn't get to chat much. Meeting twitter/FB friends in the flesh is definitely a highlight of attending shows and conferences!

[Debra Lee Baldwin]

I'm so glad you included a photo of Courtney's garden. Do you know her remarkable story? Here's an excerpt from her mother's blog:

For those of you who know Courtney, you also know what she has been through for the past two years. In April 2009, this vibrant, normal healthy teenager doubled over in pain. A pain radiating from her stomach that she would describe as swallowing nails or someone cutting her open. We could only control it with IV pain medication in the hospital for a week. So the mystery began and continues today. Courtney lives in pain every day; it surrounds her and has become her. Our battle is not to let it define her. Three hospital stays, multiple trips to the ER and every test to poke, prod, scan, scope, inject , swallow, radiate; she’s been there and still no answer. She has become a child who never could swallow pills to young woman who manages multiple medications to help control her chronic pain (and ones control the side effects of the meds that control the pain). Our new family motto? “Redefining Normal” Because normal is not what it was two years ago, nor is it for a teenager.

Sue goes on to tell about Courtney's remarkable involvement in the NWFGS. (More at http://creativegardener.wordpress.com/ Scroll down to "Choose Joy.")

OMG, you two were on opposite Ivette? Two debuts of my beloved peeps happening simultaneously? If I'd been there, I would have been dashing back and forth between the two rooms.

I'm also very glad you included photos of the two of you signing books, and of Christina and Janit's display. I love the idea of hiding something to hunt for in each exhibit. But why pigs? Why not Waldo, or a Goodnight-Moon mouse? Just askin' ;+)

No, I had no idea about Courtney's illness. Her achievement is that much more inspiring. Thanks for sharing more of her story.

And hey, don't be hatin' on the pigs! They were cute as the dickens!

[Annie Haven]

Congratulations again on your Garden Up book and for the wonderful shares from the North West Flower and Garden Show you and Rebecca are tops : ) Annie

Thanks Annie!

[Pam/Digging]

Congratulations on your success! I am sure your talk went well. Any chance you filmed it for YouTube viewing?

[Tamara]

Congratulations on the book! Thanks for sharing photos of the show. We were out of town when it was open.