You know Spring is almost here when ….. the Flower & Garden Show arrives

You know Spring is almost here when …..

By Bruce Bennett
Photos by Steven H. Robinson

Well, ….. when the country’s best garden show again rises from the concrete floors of the Seattle Convention Center Summit (900 Pine Street) beginning Wednesday, February 14, and running through Sunday, February 18, 2024.

February 14-18, 2024

• Wednesday - Saturday: 9am - 8pm
• Sunday:  9am - 6pm

Half a dozen varieties of fern

Whether you are a horticulturalist, a home gardener or an apartment dweller with a couple of containers on your deck, the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival will provide you with information and ideas about all aspects of ornamental and edible gardening.

The sheer size and diversity of the show can take your breath away. It not only offers an opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the natural and cultured worlds in a spectacular setting, the show is also designed to teach gardeners how to develop their ideas and turn them into practical landscapes.

Some 120 seminars, held in three lecture halls, allow you to listen to local, national and international experts in the horticultural world discuss design and growing issues from civilizing the back five acres of your land to developing an indoor herb garden. 

Also, look for talks dealing with climate issues, pollinator gardens, drought-resistant design and plants, etc. These programs blend excellent visual images showcasing cutting-edge advice as well as practical demonstrations of tools and pruning, creating garden art, tips for successful gardening and planting, and floral arranging from the garden — there’s something for everyone. See one seminar or see dozens! 

They’re all included in the cost of a ticket. Drop in every day and discover something new. Check out the seminars being presented over five days 

After all those seminars, see much of the advice used in the various display gardens. This year will have twenty gardens, covering some three acres of floor space. 

Each garden was developed with a different theme ranging from very wild and woodsy to life around a manicured backyard lawn (as well as lawns that are drought-tolerant where nary a blade of grass can be found). Think of the water savings on your utility bills! 

Reimagined uses for repurposed trees

Some of the noted trends in the display gardens include many reimagined uses for repurposed trees, a reuse of metal I-beams and cortan (weathered) steel and slow moving water features (versus traditional stream and fountains).

Slow-moving stream

With these types of events, you can’t forget the marketplaces and Seattle has the largest Marketplace in the country! With over fifty nurseries, garden centers and growers, this year’s plant market will be the largest one ever and will offer more trees, shrubs and perennials than ever before. 

Whether you are looking for indoor plants or outdoors, you’ll find something to tickle your fantasy and provide a color spot for you. After all, there will be thousands of and thousands of plants from which to choose. 

New and unusual plant offerings

Save some time to look at new plant offerings. If you have questions concerning growing conditions, plant sizes, etc., not only are the growers’ representatives able to answer many questions, Washington State University will be staffing a double-sized booth filled with Master Gardeners to discuss immediate-need questions as well as general horticultural education.

Then, you can expect to traverse the marketplace aisles to view another 300 gardening-related vendors, including diverse items such as jewelry, art, tools, seed/bulbs/tubers, equipment and the ever-present and much loved ‘tchotchke.’ If you can’t find the right gardening item, it probably doesn’t exist.

Plants, windows, and a round fountain

Whether gardener or not, most find the Flower Show to be quite the stimulating experience, with fragrant and colorful blooms in every direction. Walk through the main entrances to the show and you're bound to pull out your iPhone or camera to record the colors and designs that appeal to you. 

Take home a new plant, learn about rain gardens, or chat with experts on how to grow the perfect orchid. 

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting to dig in the dirt, there’s something for everyone at the 2024 NW Flower and Garden Show. Make the commitment to make the time to look and listen. 

ADMISSION

Two Day Pass (valid any two days of the show, one per person): $40

Adult:  $27

Student (ages 13-23 or with valid student ID): $13

Children (ages 12 & under): FREE

Five Day Pass (valid every day of the show, one per person): $80

Half Day Pass (entry after 3pm on Wed. - Sat. and 2pm on Sun.): $14

Group (minimum purchase quantity of 20): $18 each