As a new girl in the Pacific Northwest, the garden learning
curve is steep. It’s exciting to move to a more temperate zone (from 6a to 8b) but my new-construction house and square lawn means my garden is truly a blank slate.
Where did I start learning about my new climate? The NorthwestFlower & Garden Festival in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center February 20-24, 2019. My experience with the show began in the press room with incredibly kind members of the GWA: Association of Garden Writers (now known as GardenComm).
As a blogger, I was thrilled to cover this famous show. I
have self-published 3 books that highlight my love of flower arranging,
gardening, edible flowers and floral portraits.
My mission as a writer and photographer is to dissolve the barrier
between busy American women, who get their information and inspiration through
their phones, and the “you-need-to-know-a-lot” world of horticulture.
In addition to blogging, I am an artist/photographer and I was carrying one of my DELIGHT magazine bags (the "Loving Roses" issue). It caught the eye of GWA members Marianne Binetti and Mary-Kate Mackey. We all
started talking and the next thing I knew, they were introducing me to everyone
in the press room and encouraging me to come
to the GWA Connect Meeting the next night. I met a whirl of members who echoed
a message of “I’m so glad you joined!” They were supportive of my work and how
I fit into the new definition of garden communicating.
It’s two years later now and I feel like I’ve found
long-lost cousins. We speak the same language and love the same things. I walk
into the Washington Convention Center every February and I am back at a botanical family reunion,
hugging those I’ve gotten to know better through Facebook and introducing
myself to names I only know on-screen. It is fantastic. I am also a new Regional Director for GWA/GardenComm and I am honored to help enrich this dynamic group.
My personal mission is to get more people to attend and love the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. I want you to buy two tickets (early bird pricing is still
available) and make plans with a friend to attend the show. You will be inspired and
delighted. I promise. Continue reading this post to see just what the show is like.
From my perspective, the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival
covers the intersections of all the things I love. Cakes that look like birch
trees; air plants arranged like wallpaper and blown glass vegetables that add
visual vitamins to any kitchen. It is impossible not to be inspired.
At the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, I start my
week with the media tour. Trying to absorb and photograph each of 16 grand show gardens in a manner of
minutes is difficult. We all appreciate Marianne Binetti’s insight and coaching to keep
our lenses focused on the important elements and story-telling details. Last
year’s theme was “Garden Party,” a celebration in honor of the Northwest Flower
& Garden Show’s 30th year. Built by some of the region’s best designers and
landscape professionals, these show gardens are a breath of fresh air. The outside is brought indoors. Green grass,
blooming trees, water flowing, camellias flowering and a carpet of bulbs in
bloom – it is the reassurance of spring that we all need in February.
The first full day of the show (this year: Weds Feb 20), I usually walk the floor with my
mom. We admire the show gardens, search for seeds, investigate a vertical
aero-growing system and buy beeswax candles. When we stop for lunch, we
always end up sharing a table with other plant lovers and these local gardeners give great advice.
Another fun part of the show is the Vintage Garden Market—booths crammed with up-cycled and vintage
items, often planted with primulas or violets. Charming and fresh, this section
of the show inspires us all to work with what we have, to create meaningful and
storied displays in our home. I am weak and I usually buy vintage Pyrex,
antique tins and charming garden ephemera.
For Writers & Influencers, Thursday begins early with an
informal Tweet-Up, linking social
media with garden blogging, networking, and swag. The house lights are up and
the phones are out. After leaving our mark online (#NWFGS and #springinfeb), I
concentrate on the vendors in the Marketplace,
where French linens, Victorian greenhouses, and glass garden art prove that the
show had something for everyone.
(Secrets in the Attic booth)
Last year I spent an hour at Debra Lee Baldwin’s seminar about caring for succulents in
the Pacific Northwest. The breadth of content covered in the seminars is
staggering and more than half of the speakers are GWA (now known as GardenComm)
members. I think it’s wonderful that attendees can learn as much about design
and the use of color in the garden, as they can about shade, drainage, and soil
pH. Pick a class, any class, they are all free to attendees.
That same afternoon, I sat in on a session of Floral Wars. Gina Thresher, AIFD took
on Jon Robert Throne, AIFD in a healthy floral design competition. Presented by
American Grown Flowers, Floral Wars was hosted by Debra Prinzing of
SlowFlowers.com. Debra answered questions and encouraged the designers to share
tips and tricks during their speed rounds creating a bridal bouquet, grand
foyer arrangement and trendy floral crown. The crowd loved this event and we
all left with a greater appreciation for texture and scale used in floral
design.
May you all find time to attend the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival this year; I know that you will love it and you must share what inspired you. I hope you have a wonderful growing season ahead of you and
may the internet connect us like far-flung cousins until we meet again,
hopefully at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival.
I always carry one of
my ANA Delight totes, so you’ll know its me. Please say Hi!
#NWFGS #springinfeb #momentsofdelight #gardencomm #gwa #gardenlife #gardenlover #gardencommunicators #gardenphotography #gardenwriter
