Northwest Flower and Garden Show 2010

Show Stoppers

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show bustled through the Seattle convention center from February 3-7th.  There were 23 display gardens, filled with potted plants buried in sawdust and mulch to keep them fresh.  It took one week to set up the show (taking 1,200 cubic yards of sawdust and mulch and 280,000 pounds of rock to do so).  There were also around 300 exhibitors selling merchandise for every gardener's need.  Still, new ideas and information are really the highlights of the show.  So here are a few of my favorites:

"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"

The recession has inspired a recycling revolution that was seen in many garden displays and throughout the flower display and garden marketplace.  I've highlighted some green ideas that are easy to use and incorporate into your garden.

1. Green Roofs
A low maintenance way to control temperature and prevent storm water runoff; there were several examples of green roofs this year but my favorites were the ones topping chicken coops--an eco-friendly way to help keep chickens comfortable.

2. Structures made from Recycled or Found Materials
I saw retaining walls and garden structures made from both stones found on site (dug up during garden projects) and from recycled materials (old concrete patio used as a table base).  The structure of the cages allowed the found rock or concrete to come in a variety of sizes since the cages held the pieces together.

3. Recycled glass adding warmth
This cold frame, which keeps fragile plants safe from the cold and is good place to start growing seeds outside, can be constructed easily--just make a lower bed box and attach an old window from your house (or from a local shop selling used ones).  Make sure the paint is lead-free and that there is an air vent that can be opened easily to prevent the plants from becoming overheated.  This is all you need to get a head start on your veggie growing!

Wine bottles held in place with cobb (clay, silt, straw, and water) also make a great heat inductor.  This structure will use heat from the sun to encourage growth and fruit production and keep plants warm in the fall and winter.  On a related note, a friend of mine had success with her veggies after creating a raised bed and lining the outside of it with pieces of slate to attract the warmth of the sun.

Living Walls

Hardy plants and dense ground cover filled the many living walls I saw this year.  Living walls can be used for decoration or function and construction and they are a great way to add green space to a small garden.

1. Living Fences

The display garden pictured above used hardy strawberries to break up the wooden fence that surrounded its garden, maximizing the space.  

 

2. Garden Soxx

Most impressive were the Garden Soxx; sold by Applied Organics and filled with Cedar Grove compost.   Each garden sock is three feet long and made of polypropylene. On the commercial level, they are used for large scale re-vegetation, erosion prevention and flood walls.  In your residential plot, they can be used for retaining walls, planters and natural structures.  The compost filled socks can be filled with seeds or plant starts and over time, the plants will spread and cover the structure.  The roots system that develops in the socks secures the foundation so even when the socks disintegrate (5 to 10 years, depending on sun exposure), the structure remains intact. 

Urban Farm Animals

Keeping animals has become a more accessible and realistic dream than ever before. Chicken and goat populations are scattered through urban neighborhoods, providing homeowners with fresh animal products and the joys and benefits of small urban farming.

1. Chickens
There were three active chicken coops on display this year. Chicken coops can greatly vary in shape and size so it is simple to find the right one for your yard. Two of the three had green roofs (the one pictured directly above is used for growing wheatgrass--with grinder on hand!), and one display featured the chicken tractor which is mobile and floorless. The mobility allows you to move the chickens to continually provide them with fresh vegetation and it will help spread the manure they deposit around your yard. In Seattle, an average plot is allowed three chickens.

2. Goats
Goats are another popular urban farm animal making their debut at the Flower and Garden Show. They provide milk and help clear out unwanted vegetation (or anything else that gets in their way!).  Three miniature goats are permitted per city plot in Seattle with a few restrictions--all must be dehorned and males must be neutered.

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show is an excellent place to gather ideas and get a good deal on gardening merchandise.  The entry price tag is high but early bird tickets can be purchased at a discounted price (up to one day before the event opens) and half day discounted prices are available every day.
 

See Northwest Flower and Garden Show for more details on the show.

Display Gardens and Merchants photographed:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: 1) Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association  2) Le Jardin Design and B. Bissel Contractor; 2-4) NW Bloom and Seattle Tilth

Living Walls: 1) Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association 2) Applied Organics, Inc.

Urban Farm Animals: 1) Seattle Urban Farm Co. 2) NW Bloom and Seattle Tilth

Final Photo: Seattle Urban Farm Co.