It’s easy to organize getting inspired and waking up your inner greenie by going to the spring home and garden shows. There are many summer garden tours but only one where every garden is professionally designed.

The biggest show in Seattle is the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.  Some of my clients and my garden obsessed  sister will be getting hotel rooms and making a weekend out of it as they do every year.  It’s hard to say what is the best feature of this show but for me it is the highly entertaining and informative seminars and hands on demonstrations.  Our green world has its share of rock stars and some of them are hilarious and in their best form.  It’s basically stand up comedy with a screen backdrop of fabulous “over the top” gardens and lush plants.  And yes you can learn a lot as well if you are interested in gardening no matter your level of experience.

Show Garden uses recycled wood as part of the hardscape brilliantly.

Back home in Portland, I won’t be setting up my own booth this year.  Come and see me at the Portland Home and Garden Show, February 19th through the 22nd. I will be in The Showcase Gardens in the ANLD display garden.  Last year out moonlight garden won first prize.  In addition to the usual dizzying array of trades folk, artists, and plant vendors, this show has the display garden competition which is my favorite.

I will be at the Yard, Garden and Patio show representing the Association of NW Landscape Designers.   I’d be delighted to meet you.   Portland Yard Garden and Patio Show- February 27th through March 1st.

This year the Association of NW Landscape Designers will  have their famous Designers Garden Tour tickets at the YGP show available for discounted early purchase.  If you (like many of my clients) tend to go to this garden tour every year anyway, come on down to the show and get your garden tour tickets at the early bird price. The tour is June 20, 2015.  It has become one of the hot west coast garden tours and typically sells out, so taking advantage of early bird discounts saves you money and ensures you will have a ticket.  Here is a link to photos of the 2014 ANLD Designers Garden tour which was our Silver Jubilee year.

It’s never to early to start planning and it’s always disappointing when time gets away with me and I miss attending at least one of the shows.