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May
30
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
How to Grow Veggies
The Issaquah Grange Supply has a special visitor Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 1:00 PM, the popular, fun and informative Ciscoe Morris. The Grange is at 145 NE Gilman Blvd. Issaquah, WA 98027. 425-392-6469.
Ciscoe to be at the Grange
COME OUT and enjoy and learn at the same time. For more info go to http://issaquahgrangesupply.neighborhoodsundressed.com/.
TO THE GRANGE, HAPPY 75TH ANNIVERSARY!
Happy Anniversary
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Feb
18
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
We have been told that this will be the LAST Northwest Flower and Garden Show unless a buyer is found by March 31. This Flower and Garden show has been annual event since 1988. It has a world wide reputation of one of the best, but Duane and Alice Kelly, founders, who have been putting on the show want to bring down the curtain to go on to other interests. SOMEONE OUT THERE, PLEASE come forward and continue the show.
I had the pleasure of going to a MEDIA ONLY SNEAK PREVIEW of 26 full scale display gardens of the show today. We were allowed in at 10am and had 2 hours to get an up close and personal look at the 2009 Display Gardens. Landscapers and designers and their crews were still putting the finishing touches on many of the displays. A tour was led by Steve Lorton, former editor of Sunset Magazine and also involved Duane Kelly. Every one, including the landscapers had to be done and out by noon.
If this year is the last, it may also be the best. If they go out, they want to go out on top. You won’t want to miss it. The show opens Feb 18 and runs through Feb 22. Wed-Sat 9am to 8pm, Sunday 9am-6pm, at The Seattle Convention Center. 7th & Pike.
This years theme is “Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places” - Here are some sneak previews of the gardens: Photos by Ashley Kyser of Irresistible Photography.
Duane Kelly, the shows founder and producer answers a few questions.
This is one of the 4 Seasons (Summer) in the Patchwork Garden. Botanicals are the inspiration for the quilts and the quilts are the inspiration for the gardens. Quilts by Susan Webster, Gathering Place Quilt Shop in Woodinville and the Gardens, designed by Tom Quigley of Olympic Nursery.
Creative glass sculpture combined with Plants. A element of one of three Gardens designed for urban dwellers who may just have a patio or deck. The picture below shows another of these urban gardens. Skyline Sanctuary, Octavia Chambliss and Elliot Bay Landscape.
One of many inspiring views at the Gardens
New Leaf Creations, Steve Haizlip of Issaquah was the creator of Nature’s Classroom (above). The focus here is in fact a classroom with black board illustrations in a shed complete with a roof teaming with plants. Steve talked about how much the horticulture students at Lake Washington Voc Tech helped him and many other exhibitors at the show. Below is a sculpture in the same garden named “Sprout”.
This is just a very small sample of the Display Gardens. There is so much more than the gardens, like 110 FREE Seminars and workshops, and all in all, 350 exhibitors in the show. There is even a scavenger hunt for children in the gardens, with prizes! The website can tell you more. www.gardenshow.com
It is astounding how much work and effort go into this event. The Garden creators have only 3 1/2 Days to turn a flat, cement space into a garden paradise. Would you believe: The weight of rocks and boulders placed by Marenako’s Rock Center is 415,000 lbs. It took 60 dump trucks of dirt and mulch. 300 people work night and day to set up the show. 60,000-80,000 visitors come to see the show. There are an estimated 3,951 hotel rooms booked as a result of the 2008 show. There are $6,600,000 total purchases made from exhibitors. Thousands of dollars are donated to the Washington Park Arboretum from the Preview Party.
This is not something Seattle and the Greater Northwest can afford to lose.
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May
14
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Can we go from 50 degrees to 80? I’ll have to see it to believe it. With record lows ad nauseam I am ready.
Above is Lance’s yard, and my favorite dogwood, not far from Issaquah.
If it is nice maybe the garden will get planted, then again it may not.
If not, the Wiz may get impatient and do it himself. We WISH!
Pick up some flowers from Floral Outlet on Front Street. They have lots of them.
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Apr
01
Posted by Kathleen Cragun
Suspicious looking substance on a deck in Issaquah Highlands on the morning of April 1.
On closer examination it was found to be ICE. I shouldn’t be suprised really. Was I expecting some miraculous transformation from March 27, 28, 29. 30, 31?
On March 27 I had a bad case of Spring Fever. It was getting warmer and sunnier. I just had to get my pots on the deck planted with colorful, joyful spring flowers. It was cool but sunny. I couldn’t wait. That very evening SNOW began to fall. Yes, this is the Puget Sound area that hardly ever gets snow, this year we have had some, but surely not the end of March.
Alas, my freshly planted pots were covered with snow each night. It melted off in the day time, almost, just to be assaulted with fresh snow at any moment and each night.
The flowers look pretty pathetic. I guess this is good news for nurseries. I’m sure I am not the only one who has to start over!
Long ago I resolved never to plant before mid April. I’m going to take my own advice.
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Feb
28
Posted by Larry Cragun
Weekend Adventure…………
Click the button to view a charming exhibit from the NW Flower and Garden show. Issaquah’s Steve Haizlip was the creator. His website is www.newleafcreations.com and the phone number is 425-766-2277. email steve@newleafcreations.com.
This is a very natural inspiring design that makes me want to go camping, almost! If I could just find a place like that, and had one of those teardrop trailers.
I guess places like that have to be created not found. Steve can do that.
Tags: new+leaf+creations
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Jul
20
Posted by Larry Cragun
I have a lot of Lavender in my yard. So do my neighbors, but their’s bloom a lot earlier than mine. This is not all bad as I get to enjoy looking at their Lavender until mine blooms, but mine last at least a month after the other blooms have faded. A negative is that our community gardener wants to cut mine off at the same time while the Lavender in my yard is still looking great. Bummer! They did that just once!
Also, I have heard that you should cut them back almost to the ground in the fall. Is that true?
Squak Mt Nursery is having a class where you can learn about the different varieties of Lavender, how to care for and prune, even how to use these fragrant and beautiful plants. 10:30 am Saturday July 21 in Issaquah. For more info go to www.squakmtnursery.com. I’m hoping to learn something there. 7600 Renton-Issaquah Rd SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
Posted by Kathleen
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Mar
19
Posted by Larry Cragun
Small container gardening is a great way to make your yard look great. It is about the only kind of gardening I do any more. It takes less time and less money than making your whole yard a botanical garden, yet can add pizzaz and sophisication to your home. See if these photos don’t inspire you to try something a little different this year. These are not my ideas, I took pictures at the NW Flower & Garden show that was last month at the Seattle Convention Center. It is SPRING. Enjoy it! For a list of all the Artist/Gardeners that participated in this small container exhibit click http://www.gardenshow.com/seattle/highlights/containers.asp If you are not into “do it yourself” they can help you.
Notice a lot of these don’t have many flowers, but have used different textures, foliage and unique containers, even garbage cans.
If you are really creative, you might come up with something like making a fish out of CD disks!
Try combining sculpture or perhaps a old garden bench. Use a variety of sizes of containers and plants. Experiment.
