The long-awaited Northwest Flower and Garden Show (NWFGS) returned to Seattle last February, and I made my annual journey to enjoy the Show Gardens. In Part One, I shared some highlights from the artists and other vendors who captured my attention. In this post, we’ll tour an exceptional assortment of gardens and competitions. And someday, I’ll post pictures of the garden I designed for the 2011 show.
The NWFGS works hard at being a leading show in the United States. The elaborate indoor displays require months of planning and coordination between the show and the garden creators. Typically, horticultural participants include designers, nurseries, contractors, florists, artists, educators, professional associations, and non-profits. These participants then have the task of transforming the Seattle Convention Center into a tour of impressive gardens within the span of just a few days. Individual gardens can be over 1000 square feet, and some have water coursing through the display, tumbling over real boulders. Most gardens include fragrant plants and feature at least one dramatic focal point. Some designers use plants that have been forced to bloom early, and that is one of the big perks of attending the show. Outside it’s February. Inside it’s April.
Not sure if you want to purchase a ticket? I suggest you walk into the show’s lobby and take a deep breath. The NWFGS ticket purchasing area is conveniently located in a foyer where a large, fragrant vignette is situated. Floral and cake competitions are also found in this free-of-charge area. It is enticing. If you only have a few hours to spare, look for special pricing deals later in the day.
The Show owners come up with a yearly theme and designers are encouraged to pay homage to it. Embracing the theme is a good idea because it gives the show an overall sense of unity, a fundamental principle in designing any garden. This article highlights three of the large display gardens that exemplify the design principle of unity. I found noteworthy features in every single display, and I wish I could have written something on each one!
In keeping with the spirit of this year’s Garden Party theme, even the refreshment areas were flowered-up. This Creole-style wine bar reminded us that Mardi Gras was only days away. Since my mother was born and raised in New Orleans, I grew up appreciating wrought iron, especially in the garden. It is formal but airy enough to keep a garden from feeling stiff. And the generous open-work allows room for the passing of secret messages, perhaps while under the spell of jasmine and moonlight.
Fine Gardening Magazine made a fine choice when they bestowed their award on this bee paradise. I’ve always been fond of Susan Browne’s displays. She knows design and is not afraid to take risks, especially with color. So, I wasn’t surprised to see a garden that looked like a bumble bee — all yellow, black, and white! A lot is going on in this design titled Bee Simple!! However, by restricting the palette to only three colors (plus the green plants and grey stone), she pulled all the disparate elements together. In the gathering space were mismatched vintage tables and chairs, laden with all the food and accouterments you’d need for a Garden Party. There were many unrelated materials to take in: wood furniture, galvanized metal planters, a wrought iron gate, stone pillars and bench, and a cement-like patio with a crazy-paving pattern. But, she was able to make the garden feel unified by adhering to the palette and sprinkling those colors around the entire space.
This garden was flawlessly executed, and it’s likely that the cheerfully painted cottage helped secure a Gold Medal. In an asymmetrical garden like Bee Simple, it’s good to have a compelling focal point to provide a place for the eye to rest periodically. Any well placed, dominant object, such as a specimen tree, fountain or bench can anchor a scene. In Bee Simple, the eye is free to roam, knowing it can always land upon that bumble-bee yellow cottage with black shutters and white trim. Very crisp and classy.
Susan used opposites to her advantage. Her cottage is a loud color, but simple design. The garden is busy, but the building is plain. Susan also employed the use of scale to her advantage. The building is large in comparison to the predominantly low plantings. Going extra big or teeny-tiny always adds some “Alice In Wonderland” magic to a garden.
If the Father’s Day garden were a basketball shot, it would be a slam dunk: boulders, natural wood, a grill and outdoor kitchen, a bigger-is-better game board, and no fluffy flowers from the Land of Precious. At first glance, this looks like one big open space. It is. But Nature Perfect Landscape and Design made some deliberate choices to keep it from being ordinary, starting with the generous steps. This change in level signals a transition to a smaller “sub-space.” Anytime you can add topography, do so. Even a single step will make a small space more interesting. And if you can’t reshape the ground, consider marking transitions between areas with an arbor or matching pots on either side of the path.
Did you notice the perimeter of the garden is partially enclosed by wood “panels”? Some are board lumber and the rest a natural “live” edge. I appreciate the offset placement of the grill and panel behind it. They are spot on. Artful planning ensured that the position of each feature is balanced in the overall design. Could you imagine installing all that stone then realizing the space feels lopsided?
Although the Father’s Day planting beds are modest, they are filled with beautiful specimens of different textures in various shades of green. So, for such a small space, the plants alone provide high visual interest. Even the cracks between steps and the base of the water feature are softened with plants.
Lastly, afraid that it might get overlooked, I’m compelled to point out the chessboard! If you’re striving for a magical “Alice In Wonderland” appearance, go a little bigger than your comfort zone allows! Besides being an eye-grabbing feature, the chess pieces relate to the other wood elements and create a unified design.
I spent way too much time trying to capture this picture (above) in the show’s low light conditions, but the tulips and stone bathed in this pink-infused light were captivating. I was told the stone is fossilized chrysanthemum petals—a good topic for an eco-discussion on another day. I suspect that a talented artist could make a convincing faux fossil.
The NWFGS is large. Even the skybridge is transformed with smaller displays that are well suited for an urban balcony. These designs are always fun and fluffed out with theme-specific details. This year the tea party displays drew me in. But maybe I could be talked into trying out this retro-style chair!
This next large display garden, an outside spa, takes the Garden Party theme to a whole new level: sipping sparkling soda, gazing at the Spanish moss cascading from the chandelier, sighing deeply while someone special rubs your feet—I’ll go with Dwayne Johnson “The Rock.”
Getting back to design, this Wabi-Sabi garden by West Seattle Nursery and Devonshire Landscaping has some outstanding examples to emulate, especially with accessorizing for a specific theme. It’s quirky but feels authentic and lived-in. So many people just want a place for relaxation that has low maintenance plants and a small, affordable water feature.
The folks at Garden Design Magazine gave their award to this spa garden, so we know that it was created upon sound principles. Unless we are able to be physically in the garden, it’s hard to fully evaluate. From the outside, my eye was continually drawn to a stunning combination of containers and water feature. It didn’t wander around as much as it usually does, which could signal a need for a design modification. But, this is a Wabi-Sabi garden, and the designers were making the point that nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. So, I’m open to experiencing the garden as it is rather than judging it based solely on design principles. In my final analysis, this garden entices us to have fun, embrace our flaws, and not take ourselves too seriously!
Honorable Mention
Some show contributors have designed or collaborated on gardens almost every year. In the case of Fancy Fronds Nursery (and friends), I’m pretty sure they have not missed a single show in over twenty years. I acknowledge them because they are the sweetest people and have contributed so much ‘joie de vivre’ to the show over the years. The best word to describe their fanciful designs is: theatrical! From oversized, snail-pulling carriages to milky-green swamp water, they always create a vibrant feast for the eyes. Their displays are one part garden and one part stage set, and in a Fancy Frond garden, you’ll likely encounter costumed actors. Their garden this year, which I did not get a good photograph of due to technical issues, had a striking poppy-red arbor-like focal point. I encourage you to follow the links at the end of this article so you can see much better photographs of this most unusual structure, as well as past display gardens.
Final Thoughts
You’ve probably figured out by now that some of the ideas in these gardens were implausible or technically inadvisable. They were created for dramatic effect and not to educate you on horticultural practicalities. For instance, we saw plantings that were spaced too closely or ignored the rule of “right plant, right place” design. We saw objects that would rot, rust or die if left outside. Even in my own NWFGS 2011 design, I used salt lamps that would melt if left out in wet weather! We designers let our imaginations run free at this show. So, please try to forgive us! Even in the gardens that were impractical, unrealistic, or perhaps a little wacky, I hope you discovered a few good takeaway lessons. The more you study the work of seasoned designers, the more you’ll see the underlying principles that translate into unity—the perception of harmonious and cohesive design.
Most places turn the lights off at closing, but the NWFGS turns them on! During the show, the ambient lights are intentionally dimmed over the display gardens. Doing this allows the designers to highlight their skill at garden lighting and create a unique ambiance. The low light is likely not a huge hindrance for skilled photographers, but for me, well, I stayed until the last minute so I could snap a few more pictures as the lights came up and the hoses came out.
On my way out, I once again passed the floral and cake displays in the foyer. These little raccoon critters caught my eye and made me smile. They also reminded me to look closely and deeply whenever possible. Just when you think the show is over… it isn’t!
Thanks for spending time with me and hope y’all enjoyed the NWFGS Garden Party!
SD
Links (and more pictures) below:
To see the official 2018 NWFGS pictures on their website https://www.gardenshow.com/the-gardens/ On Instagram see @NWFGS and #NWFGS and #NWFGS2018
There are many other worthwhile activities at the show, such as free seminars, educational booths, lots of plants for sale, and a Vintage Market. Follow the link to learn more https://www.gardenshow.com/
Nature Perfect Landscape and Design, in Olympia, WA.
http://www.natureperfectlandscaping.com
Instagram @natureperfectlandscaping
Fancy Fronds Nursery, Gold Bar, WA
http://www.fancyfrondsnursery.com/
http://www.fancyfrondsnursery.com/2018-northwest-flower-garden-show/
West Seattle Nursery, Seattle, WA.
http://www.westseattlenursery.com
Devonshire Landscaping, Seattle, WA.
http://www.devonshirelandscapes.com
Susan Browne Landscape Design
https://www.facebook.com/Susan-Browne-Landscape-Design-141229616238654/
Perennial Lawn and Garden
http://perenniallawngarden.com
