There are two types of gardens at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, the small “city living” gardens and the big expensive display gardens. The city living gardens have historically been my favorite. They’re usually much more creative and representative of real spaces. That said, the creativity factor has definitely fallen over the last few years. In past years I always found several to rave about, this year there’s only one, and a couple others with bits to mention. My fav was “Entomophiles Studio”, by , there was so much detail to discover and soak up…
The duo of Deborah and Richard Bloom were back (their city living garden was a favorite last year) with a great (if slightly pared down) display, “The Library Garden of Curiosities”.
They also had a booth selling their windchime creations, that’s where I took these next two photos…
This final city living garden (“Magical Victory Garden”, from West Seattle Native Garden) was full of color and pattern, but what had my wheels turning was the simple hanging rack for the disco ball planters. I’m thinking on something similar (but with galvanized or rusty metal bits) for some of my hanging pots. Hmmm…
Okay, onto the big display gardens that stood out for me, first up is “Worlds Within Worlds” from Emerald City Orchids. Actually I’m just focusing on a very small part of their garden, the terrariums, which were magical.
There was so much detail! Of course the whole garden was full of stunning plants, but impossible to get a good photo of (and really more of a plant display than a garden anyway).
The greenhouse in “The Garden of Vows” by NW Bloom was off the charts fabulous.
The bug snugs were a fun idea…
But OMG…. give me that greenhouse! (turns out it’s from Portland’s Versailles Gardens)
Inside is decked out for a gathering and I believe a couple was actually married here during the show.
Next up, “Finding Sanctuary in Evergreen Oaks” from HomeGrown Organics. The plants in this garden were fabulous (many from Portland’s Cistus Nursery), but I have to admit it was the shower structure that really caught my attention…
Of course inside it needed about 200 more plants!
Also, I would have sworn that’s an Agave ovatifolia not an Agave parryi.
Before we get to my final (and favorite) display garden I wanted to share this orphaned photo. I loved the structure and the planted up top… but neglected to get the name of the garden or the designer. Oh well.
Okay, the best garden of the show was (in my opinion) “Zone 9” by Relish Gardens (with plants from Little Prince). Curious about the name? Most of the Seattle area is now in Zone 9 with the USDA re-worked map released in 2023. Although many of the gardeners I know there think the change is ludicrous—as do many of us Portlanders now in Zone 9. It only takes that one winter storm to kill off those Zone 9 plants, averages mean nothing when the extremes are, well, extreme. That said most of the plants in this garden should do just fine with adequate drainage.
Here’s the garden’s description: “Combining inspiration from Seattle’s dynamic environment, and Northern California’s vibrant sunkissed landscapes, Relish Gardens blends creative inspiration, a passion for art, and horticultural innovation in their stunning garden. A vivid collection of 20+ year-old agaves alongside various edibles, drought-tolerant plants, murals by local artists, and decorations made from repurposed materials are visually striking yet create an inviting atmosphere intended for relaxation. The space is designed to be inclusive of gardeners and plant lovers at all levels of passion and expertise. Low-maintenance plants and DIY are at the center of this project and its design.” FWIW Relish Gardens also worked with Little Prince for their garden in last year’s show which was another favorite of mine (in this post).
In addition to the overall design and plant palette of this garden I also really appreciated that we could walk through it. Many of the gardens at the NWFG Fest are only to be viewed from the outside. On the other hand, it’s much easier to photograph a garden from the outside looking in, rather than standing in it with several other people.
In the description they mentioned 20+ year-old agaves and you’re seeing a couple of them below.
These agave senior citizens came from the private collection of Bryon Jones (horticulturist/arborist at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, in Tacoma). I’ve written several times about Bryon’s work at the Zoo (in my book and on the blog).
I love the use of recycled terra cotta roof tiles!
The center island…
And the other side of the garden…
How much do I love the metal crates used as a retaining wall? SO VERY MUCH! They turn the whole idea of gabions into something fresh with upcycled possibilities.
The agaves are pretty sweet too…I loved eavesdropping on people’s conversations as they talked about them.
I’d happily transfer this vignette to my garden (minus the red crochet business).
There was also a fantastic table and chairs with a planted up center.
The pink panels which gave the garden a nice backdrop (page up and you’ll see them) were painted plant images on the opposite side. What a fun concept! (they were for sale as well).
I’ll wrap up with a shot of the garden’s potting area, they thought of everything!
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