In Spite of Challenges, the 2014 Northwest Flower and Garden Show Was a Treat

You have to feel a bit sorry for the organizers of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show which opened at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle on Wednesday and runs until 6 p.m. tonight. This show, the second largest gardening show in the US, has been described as a "Disneyland for gardeners." Every February it draws people from all over the region, busloads in fact, offering a break from winter weather and a welcome bit of inspiration, reminding us that spring is on the way.

But unlike years past, the opening day of the show was hardly mentioned on the local news. That day's BIG story was the Seahawks Super Bowl celebration and parade that brought 750,000 people to the streets of Seattle. I can't imagine how people working and/or attending the show on Wednesday were able to get in or out of the Convention Center.

After that, it seemed like things would go back to normal. But then weather forecasters started talking about snow. A lot of us (myself included) didn't think too much about that. Snow is uncommon in Seattle in February.

I was scheduled to work at the show yesterday afternoon, in the South Seattle Community College Landscape Horticulture booth. When I left my house for the Convention Center, the sun was out and I hardly felt like I needed a coat. My friends and I joked about the snow predictions. I worked my shift, and toured the show, delighted that it wasn't very crowded. Maybe people were scared off by the weather forecasts? If so, that was good for attendees, but not so good for show organizers.

Whatever the reason, it was nice to be able to move around without encountering human traffic jams. There were some delightful display gardens this year and being able to get up close was a treat. 

I came home at dinnertime, the prospect of snow pretty much forgotten. But then, around 6:30, it started to snow. We got about 3 inches last night. In spite of above freezing temps during the day, a lot of snow is still on the ground. And in a couple of hours, exhibitors will start the process of breaking down the show and moving all those trees, shrubs, gardening products, structures, yards of topsoil and mulch, and gigantic granite boulders out of the Convention Center. Having been part of that process in the past, I know it isn't fun under the best of conditions. My sympathies all around.

The parade and the snow storm aside, it was a great show. I hope you got a chance to attend. 

Kitchen Garden Inspiration from Chateau Villandry

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the gardens at the Chateau Villandry in the Loire Valley of France. The gardens there are gorgeous. Of all of them, though, the kitchen garden is the one that made the biggest impression on me. My memory of that visit has forever changed what comes to mind when I hear the phrase, "kitchen garden."

I've grown vegetables and I know that "working" gardens, the ones that produce our food, aren't always picture perfect. They start out in spring looking orderly, but as the season progresses and gardeners get bored or busy with other things, the garden begins to go a bit wild. Vines wander, weeds creep in, lettuce bolts, and yellow leaves tattle on gardeners who water too much or too little.

Before my visit to Villandry, I thought of gardens as being either ornamental, planted and arranged to bring beauty into a space, or edible, planted for the purpose of food production. Never the twain to meet. But leave it to the French, with their love of all things beautiful and delicious, to combine the two.

I was there in September, the time of year when vegetable gardens often look their worst. But here, with beds edged with boxwood, flowers and espalliered apple trees, the garden looks tidy and thriving. 

Villandry's kitchen garden is all organic. Gardeners use non-chemical techniques both old and new to maintain the health of the soil and plant material. 

It's all here: cabbages, kale, beans, various greens, leeks, berries, dwarf fruit trees and more. I saw pumpkins and squash being harvested when I was there. Rose standards mark the corners of beds. Annuals and perennials provide cutting flowers and seasonal color.

Where does all this bounty go? The chateau restaurant, La Doulce Terrasse, offers a seasonal menu featuring produce from the garden and the local area.

If you would like to visit Villandry and enjoy its gardens, information is available on their official website. Even if you can't visit in person, you'll want to take a look to find inspiration for your own kitchen garden. Bon appetit!