Wow, wow, wow.
The Northwest Flower & Garden Show has done it again.
Yes, I was among the lucky few to attend the annual press preview of the two dozen display gardens at the annual gardening extravaganza, which opens tomorrow, Feb. 23, for a five-day run at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle.
Every year I go into the press preview feeling a bit jaded, thinking I have seen it all before, but every year I am amazed at the incredible feats of design, assembly and unbelievable creativity put forth by the display garden creators.
And this year was no exception.
Last year was one of my favorite years ever with all the emphasis on edible landscaping and urban farming. This year, however, show visitors will see very little of the urban farmer.
Following a show theme of “Once Upon a Time … Spectacular Gardens with Stories to Tell,” this year’s gardens are all about fairy tales (“Run, Little Pigs, Run!”), whimsy (“Wind in the Willows”) and otherworldly spaces that invite you to immerse yourself (“Stepping Through a Timeless Tranquil Forest”), take a trip to a hotel in an exotic locale (“Next Stop: Hotel Babylon”) or just get lost all together (“Alice in Wonderland”).
It is just dreamy … and at times crazy. Take, for example, “Wish ‘Shoe’ Were Here,” a bizarre take on the rhyme about an old woman who lived in a shoe. Instead of a saggy old boot, we have a two-story tall stiletto with floating stair treads and a bed in the toe of the shoe.
Now, that is wild, even by flower show standards.
And did I mention the creatures? There is a Sasquatch in the forest, a caterpillar with the hookah and many other surprises, including a collection of handmade paper birds. Cool.
In one of my favorite gardens, by Christianson’s Nursery of Mount Vernon, there were live ladybugs, too.
But don’t take my word for it. Check out the pictures posted here or the full set of 112 photos I posted on Flickr here.
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