I Found Her!

At the Northwest Flower and Garden Show!

DJan had told us on her blog DJan-ity that she would be attending the garden show on Wednesday.   In a comment I let her know that Tom and I would be there too, on the same day.

The NWF&G Show is huge, filling much of the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.  Finding each other was about like looking for a needle in a haystack.  But about 11:00, when I was ready for a brief sit down rest, having arrived at 9:00, I looked up and saw her!  I would know that smile anywhere! She had not been there long, having arrived by tour bus from Bellingham, 80 miles north of Seattle.

We have "known" each other for several years, only through blogging.  And yet seeing her felt so familiar, just another visit like we have two or three times a week.

We went our separate way, knowing her time was limited and there is so much to see.  But we did actually bump into each other two more times during the day.  I know she is hiking today, since it's Thursday. You'll be hearing from her later, I'm sure.

DJan mentioned that I post so many photos, and she tries to limit hers.  I told her that when you take 300, it's hard to limit yourself to ten!  Again, I will be posting a bunch, but without much comment.

The garden show has lovely display gardens showing off plants, hardscapes, and the skills of designers and artists.  They are the stars of the show.  Then there are the markets, with garden art, clothing, tools, furniture, plants, and anything related to gardening.  There are also ongoing seminars presented by garden "experts".  We spent all day there, opening the show at 9::AM and closing it at 8:00 PM.  We saw everything, attended three seminars, and did a little shopping.  It was a fun day.

I love the view from the sky bridge looking toward the Market and the bay.  There were small displays there.

 In the large display garden section it was hard to get away for the orchids.

The huge room was dimly lit, with spotlights trained on featured parts of the gardens, so my little Canon camera had some trouble knowing where to focus and capture enough light without a flash, which just washed out everything.

 I especially liked the color and texture achieved by shrubs in this sunny garden above, and again the sunny colors in the one below.

 The gardens had a movie theme this year.  Below is "A River Runs Through It".

 The Hobbit House was such fun!

 Here I was attracted to the fragile little early bloomers nested in the stones.

I hope this brightens your day for those of you stuck in winter.  It sure helps us get through the gray days.  

Tomorrow I'll post some of the market photos.