Northwest Flower & Garden Show Opens This Week!

I’ve been anxiously waiting for the start of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show (NWFGS) since the first day of winter. For me, this is the beginning of the gardening season. It gets me out of my winter slump and inspires me to spend time outside in my jungle.

The show runs from February 20-24th. It opens at 9 am and closes at 8 pm on all days but Sunday when it closes at 6 pm. I’ll be attending multiple days of the show because I can’t possible get it all done in one day.

My  show to-do list:

• Look into drip irrigation systems 
• More glass icicles and pond floats from Glass Gardens NW (booth 1106)
• White currant and hardy kiwi (and more) from NW Bloom Ecological Landscapes nursery (booth 2626)
• New dahlia tubers I can’t live without
• Listen in on many of the seminars (and purchase some new books)
• New plant and design ideas from the display gardens
• Meet up with online friends from around the US

I’ll admit that I just recently (last couple of years) started attending the seminars. It may help that I’ve met and admire a lot of the folks speaking so that makes these talks even more enjoyable. I’ve shared my wish list below. You’ll see I have a mix of interests from vegetables, chickens, design, bees, alcoholic drinks, and succulents.

Wednesday

• Eating Local in the Depth of Winter by Erica Strauss @ 1:30 at DIY Stage
• Introducing Harmony into Your Garden by Rebecca Sweet @ 3:15 in Hood
• Design Solutions for Small Spaces by Susan Morrison @ 4:30 in Hood
• Winning Garden Performances by Mary Ann Newcomer @ 5:45 in Hood

Thursday

• Easy Peasy Edibles by Jessi Bloom @ 9:30 am in Hood
• Get Out: The importance of visiting great gardens by Susan Cohan @1:30 in Rainier
• Why Grow That When You Can Grow This by Andrew Keys @ 3:15 in Hood
• The Backyard Bartender by Amy Steward @ 3:15 at DIY Stage
• Quick Fixes with Color by Rebecca Sweet @ 4:15 in Hood
• Grasses for Impact by Saxon Holt @ 5:30 in Hood

Friday

• Why Grow Divas When You can Grow Pros by Andrew Keys @ 9:30 in Hood
• What Do You Really Want in a Garden by Amanda Thomsen @ 10:45 in Hood
• Gardening 101: Design Solutions Panel @ 11:30 in Rainier
• Turn Your Garden into a Wildlife Sanctuary by Ciscoe Morris @ 1:30 in Rainier
• The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart @ 4:30 in Rainier

Saturday

• Landscaping Questions You Forgot to Ask by Amanda Thomsen @11 am in Hood
• Demystifying the Beehive by Corky Luster @ 11:15 at DIY Stage
• Gardening 101: Perfect your Pruning Panel @11:30 am in Rainier
• What the Cluck?! by Jessi Bloom @ 12:15 in Hood
• Succulent Survival: Pacific Northwest by Robin Stockwell @ 1:45 in Hood
• Reinventing the Chicken Coop by Kevin McElroy & Matthew Wolpe @ 4:45 in Hood

Sunday

• Reinventing the Chicken Coop by Kevin McElroy & Matthew Wolpe @ 9:30 in Hood
• Spotlight on Foliage by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz @ 10:45 in Hood
• Gardening 101: Sustainable Solutions Panel @ 11:30 in Rainier
• Four Season Eats by Bill Thorness @ 12:15 in Hood
• Bee Harmonious by Corky Luster & Robin Haglund @ 3:15 in Hood

You may have noticed the conflicts between some seminars I want to attend – I may resort to flipping a coin. I don’t plan on being at the show all five days from opening to close so I’ll attend the seminars that best fit my schedule. I will be blogging and tweeting via @MyRubberBoots while I’m at the show and attending the seminars. I did get complementary tickets to the show this year but would’ve purchased tickets and blogged/tweeted with just as much gusto (don’t tell anyone from the show).