Episode 320: Northwest Flower and Garden Show

This Season Two episode was selected for a special encore presentation in Season Three.

Have you ever been to a flower and garden show? Each one has a distinct personality, its own program, and history. Many of them have competitive display gardens, speakers, and a shopping area. Some focus more on garden design, some on horticulture, some on garden art. But they’re all great for inspiration – even the most artistic display can provide real ideas for our own gardens at home!

David, Theresa, Joe and Carl in the Subaru Gardens

In this episode, Joe and Nathan travel to Seattle for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, as gardening enthusiasts from around the Northwest flock to this annual celebration. We go behind the scenes of what it takes to put together a show on this scale, see the eye-opening construction of the -display gardens, and meet the garden designers.

One of the designers this year is a 17-year old high school senior who created a display featuring repurposed material and architectural salvage, including a shipping container, French doors, and radiators. Right up our alley!

Chef Nathan Lyon meets Chef Graham Kerr, formerly the Galloping Gourmet (now the Galloping Gardener)

Something new in 2011, the Northwest Flower and Garden Show planners provided a theme to inspire the designers, “Once Upon a Time: Spectacular Gardens with Stories to Tell.” This storybook theme wove in and out through all of the display gardens and provided a wonderful backdrop to feature some truly magical moments.

You’ve been granted an all-access pass, so come with us as we peek behind the scenes, follow the designers, shop the marketplace, narrowly avoid getting run over by a backhoe, and even nibble off the edible garden displays (it was Nathan)!
For More Information:

• Northwest Flower and Garden Show
• The Show Gardens
• 2011 Award Winners
• Joe Lamp’l’s blog post for this episode
• Chef Nathan’s recipe for Greek Salad

About GGWTV

Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
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