My very most favorite Display Garden at the Show–West Seattle Nursery’s south west desert. It literally stopped me in my tracks–I love it!!
Opening day for the renowned Northwest Flower & Garden Show was today, and I was there! This Seattle show is the 2nd largest flower show in the US and 3rd in the world (after the Philadelphia and Chelsea Flower Shows)! I wandered around all day in bliss, soaking up the sights, sounds, and smells of blooming gardens, visiting with gardening friends, and listening to three delightful talks!
The Big Winner among Display Gardens–The Grant Tetons
TWEET-UP
Since seeing everything in one day is completely impossible, I will return tomorrow to make sure I don’t miss anything. I will start at 7:30am at the Flower Show’s Tweet-Up for Twitter users who sign up ahead of time. We get treated to coffee, pastries, and a great swag bag. THEN we get to photograph the Display Gardens for nearly 1 1/2 before the public arrives and with all the lights still on. Can’t wait!
I’M SPEAKING ON FRIDAY, 6:45PM!
Then I come again on Friday! If you are in the Greater Seattle area and have the time and inclination, come hear me speak on Friday, 2/19, at 6:45pm in the Hood Room. I will be talking about Growing Clematis in Small Spaces and showing inspiring photos of small clematis. I’d love to see you there!
CLEMATIS AT THE SHOW
Monrovia Booth
I have much exploring yet to do, but I have already spied clematis! Clematis REBECCA is blooming away in the Monrovia Booth (and they have plants for sale, too). Click link to get more details about this clematis.
The delightful and delectable Clematis REBECCA at the Monrovia Booth.
Sundquist Nursery in the Plant Market
Sundquist Nursery has nine (count ’em, nine!!) different clematis for sale at their booth! I don’t even have four of them. Funny thing, I found those four clematis in my backpack when I got home. I’ve NO IDEA how that happened!
A big note of caution, though. These plants are very young rooted cuttings, packed bare root. If you purchase one (I think they are about $12), please plant it in a smallish pot ASAP, keep it watered very well, maybe even once a day until you see new growth, then water normally (i.e., when the top inch or so of soil dries up a bit). Because they are so young, grow them on in pots, potting up to a larger size once or twice, for at least a year. Very young clematis planted directly in the ground often just melt away, never to be seen again.
Starting from top left, the Sundquist clematis are:
C. durandii
C. ‘Ruutel’ *
C. integrifolia ‘Alba’ (white)
C. ‘Rosalyn’ *
C. ‘Astra Nova’ *
C. ‘Alionushka’
C. ‘Westerplatte’ *
C. ‘Etoile de Malicorne’
C. ‘Princess Diana’
*These clematis showed up at my house somehow.
Clicking on a clematis above will take you to great information and a photo of that clematis on Clematis on the Web.
So come on down to the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and see the display gardens, shop at the three large market places (including the plant market and the Vintage Market), and listen to one or two of the 100 speakers at the show! Maybe I’ll see you there.
Clematis in Seattle 