If the circus is considered the “Greatest Show on Earth” then the NW Garden Show certainly comes in a close second place. The second largest garden show in the country concluded in Seattle on Sunday February 12 at the Washington State Convention 
Center. One of my favorite events of the year, the NW Garden Show is so much more than just a “home show” style trade show. It’s also an amazing exhibition of design work by landscape “artisans” on display in a highly competitive award contest. Just walking into the dimly lit main hall filled with 26 grand display gardens is awe-inspiring with their flowing water falls, impressive spot lighting and placement of trees, shrubs and flowers amongst 200,000 pounds of rocks and boulders.
This year there was a lot of garden ideas to absorb, on six acres to be exact, very inspirational, including a plethora of box and container gardens for the urban farmers and city dwellers. With over 100,000 plants and 80,000 visitors only the garden show in Philadelphia (which was founded in 1829) is larger.
Even the snack bar cafés located throughout the NW Garden Show provided some upscale grub such as a station offering freshly sliced hot turkey sandwiches and this year there
was even a Tuscany Wine Garden on the show floor.
It was just three years ago that the show’s organizer for over two decades, Duane Kelly, announced that 2009 would be the last show. But just a few months later, both the NW and SF Garden Shows were purchased by the family-owned O’Loughlin Trade Shows, the largest producer of consumer trade shows on the west coast.
For those that missed this year’s inspirational NW Garden Show there is always 2013 and be on the lookout for the early bird 20% discount that is only offered in advance of the show. For more info, visit www.gardenshow.com.
