I have a funny thing to admit.. on the opening day of the show I had to get up at 4am to get ready for a live TV interview and while I was driving to the show I got all teary because I was so happy that the show was finally starting. I could not wait! It is such a huge highlight of my year, I tend to get overly emotional with happiness! I love it, seeing everyone – the people are fantastic, all the hard work put into the show, the garden family reunions and new discoveries and encounters. So much garden love.. I can hardly handle it! I’m looking forward to next year “Garden’s Go Hollywood” theme.. the question on my mind, is *will we* or *won’t we* build a garden?! Anyhoo, onto a photo album of some fun stuff:
- When I first saw this, I immediately wanted to lounge in this garden. Little did I know there would be fantastic entertainment later on… a beautiful belly dancer performed on the last day and we were lucky to catch her performance!
- A Bob Bowling custom shed… anything he makes is to die for… for reals.
Another cool structure -- the lighting and water in this garden were very soothing.
.. you know who you are..
Re-purposing pallets is all the rage these days, and for good reason - here one turned into a table!
The WALP Convergence Zone garden... one of my favorites!
I was so drawn to this garden display -- not only because I live in the Convergence Zone, but because the design was fantastic. Lush and full of interesting elements. A great garden!
Another shot from the Convergence Zone garden
On live TV - talking about chickens at the show -- weeee!
Me with Christie Johnson of King 5 News.. she LOVED the chickies...
- A great little container garden for my beer drinking friends! Planters made of kegs, PBR cans and little BBQs! Fun
- My favorite display on the skybridge. These guys have great taste… so many fantastic details!
- One of the small details from their display.
- The only time I saw my book on a shelf it was Wed the first day. They sold out on Friday and had to get crafty in finding copies for my book signings throughout the weekend!
- Honeybees!! I was so glad to see this demonstration at the garden show. My good friend Robin Haglund was checking out this colony… we both have the “bug” and love our pollinator friends.
- whoa… how exciting is this!? Talking to people and signing books is WAY easier than building a display garden!
- Some of the small details are what make these gardens so fabulous. This musical note detail is in Zsofia Pastor’s garden.
- Chickens!! Only one display garden had a flock and these were living out of the back a of VW bus.
- The best chicken coop included a roost over the loo… hilarious! … but hard to clean up after? In the ReStore booth made of all re-purposed materials.
- Portland radio live — woot!!
The drums in the Sublime garden were amazing, not only were they beautiful but the water droplets were timed perfectly to make music.
Here is Kevin from Portage Bay Grange helping to provide chickens for the TV spot - he also helped me with getting chickens to and from my seminars! And Berg Danielson of Saltbox Coop designs had this darling coop on hand! (one of his coops is featured in the book)
One of my favorite artists is at the show every year with her glass creations - Barbara Sanderson of Glass Gardens NW. Here her work is paired up with a great container put together by Christina Salwitz. The photo doesn't begin to do this colorful container justice!
I was happy to see a rainwater catchment system in Zsofia's garden. She said this puppy costs about $600 and holds about 400 gallons.
The WSNLA garden designed by Gregory Smaus was great! Loved all the bird related art and gates!
This screen was in the APLD garden - as I was doing my design consults here, everyone stopped, oohed and aahed. The border had a nice winter plant combo to boot!
This garden had some creative hardscaping, and the decking... inspired by Van Halen 
and lastly, a ginormous beautiful rootwad in the Elandan garden who always has impressive specimens! They won Best in Show
Great post Jessi! I am officially starting the petition drive to recruit you to do a show garden for our 2013 show. How about “One Flew Over the Chicken’s Nest”? ~ Janet
Thanks Janet! Hmm… that idea might work!
Thank you for the wonderful shares of the North West Flower and Garden Show
Thanks Annie! and thank you for the moopoo tea! I can’t wait to use it on my seedlings
Excellent photos!!
Thanks Fran!
Great post and photos! I would love to see you design a garden next year. Please, please do! Janet has an awesome idea!
Thanks Alison — I might… we’ll see. Luckily I have until June or so to decide
Excellent recap of the show Jessi. I love the photos of you and the chickens on TV! I am sure the chickens appreciated the publicity…but you know, they can get a big head about it. My chicken Charlotte is such a DIVA now. So, let Kevin know to keep his eye on them or they might start making demands.
It was wonderful to spend time with you at the show and OH so fun to see your smiling face and your book all over the show. Whoot! You go girl!!
Thank you TLoe! It was so so so great to spend time with you– and yes I will let Kevin know about the “diva hen syndrome”!
Jessi- I’m so honored to have a pic of my container on your blog review of the NWFGS! Thank you so much. That was a really sweet surprise today.
Great job on the review too!
Great photos, thank you for sharing! I just picked up a copy of your book, and I am so inspired! I am a horticulture student at OSU, and thanks to your book, I’ve started on my own free-range chicken garden in my (sadly neglected!) backyard. I just hope I can be as creative! Coming to Portland anytime soon? Thanks again!
HI Erika~
Interesting coincidence.. I am a student currently at OSU also! I’m taking the PDC and Permaculture Design Theory with Andrew Millison and Marisha! Fun stuff 
Thanks for commenting! I will probably be in Portland sometime this spring and I will be updating my speaking calendar so keep an eye out– Powells has been mentioned a few times
Cheers,
j e s s i
Amazing and interesting show, and very good photographs. An Insight into what happens around the world with Garden lovers!
Thanks.
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