Northwest Flower and Garden Show 2013
Over Two Decades of
Flower Show Memories
Debbie Teashon
SEATTLE — This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. This milestone made me remember the year I first attended it—sometime in the early 1990s.
What I remember most is walking into a huge hall where all my senses came alive. Bird sounds were coming through the loudspeakers, which blended harmoniously with the murmurs of people cooing over the display gardens. The fragrance of spring saturated the hall, and with all my senses engaged, I buzzed with excitement! The theatrically lit display gardens in the dim hall were magical. Like a little bee, I went from display to display, hovering here and there while taking in the sweet sights of each beautifully designed garden. I was so inspired, I couldn’t wait to get home and work on my own plot of land.
There were years when we could park at Northgate Shopping Mall and grab a special bus to the show. For only two dollars, the transit would take us right to the front door of the Washington State Convention Center. Coming home, the bus was filled to overflowing with content women and men holding armloads of plant material and garden-do-dahs. Unfortunately, that service was discontinued.
I remember the market filled with a plethora of gadgets for gardening, and plants—all kinds of plants! I bought my first Clematis there — a species Clematis alpina, which I took home and babied through the remaining cold months until I could plant it in my garden. I let the pot sit outside during the milder days and every night it would go into the garage. It was the beginning of a budding love affair with the genus!
The seminars wowed us as they spoke the language of gardening. Speakers like Ann Lovejoy filled our hearts up with even more love for our plants and gardens. We were taught about new plants and new ways of gardening.
Fast forward a couple of decades and the show still titillates our senses and inspires us to be better gardeners and stewards of our landscape. Just when I think they can’t improve the show anymore, we are dazzled again! Tomorrow (Tuesday) I head in for a preview of the display gardens and as I have done for over a decade. I will report on what you can expect when you enter the show that opens Wednesday, February 20. I am excited for this new year to kick off the garden season, and expect to be amazed, even after decades of attending this wonderful fling into spring! If you’ve never attended this event, now is the time—the show will amaze and inspire you!
More Northwest Flower and Garden Show.
For more information, visit the Northwest Flower and Garden Show web site.
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By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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