Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts

Tulips are starting to bloom in the Skagit Valley

Friday, April 12, 2024

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

The tulip fields are starting to bloom in the Skagit Valley. More fields should be in bloom next week.


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Learning to press leaves & flowers

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Garden Exploration with Kathy Anderson: Flower Pressing

A fun class for anyone who loves art and the environment! Extend the beauty of every season by learning to press leaves & flowers! 

Find and preserve the beautiful treasures in your yard and use these unique elements in card-making and other crafting. Includes a hands-on activity! (children 10 or older welcome with an adult)

Supplies all included to take home flowers and botanicals for gifts and cards.
This is a Continuing Education program of Shoreline Community College


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Beauty in Bloom

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Would someone like to identify this pretty creature?



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Spring blossoms

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Photo by Lee Lageschulte
Trees are bursting with blossoms. I'm not sure what kind of tree this is but it looks like my pear trees. It seems like there will be a lot of fruit this year.

At my house the raccoons, birds, worms, and compost bins will be very well fed.

--Diane Hettrick



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Flowers and budding trees everywhere

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

 

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

What happened to winter?

And why is my Christmas (actually Halloween) cactus blooming again?


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Tulip time

Sunday, March 31, 2024

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

The tulip fields are blooming Skagit County, but we have our own displays close to home.


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First spring flower

Monday, March 25, 2024

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

Visited the community garden for the first time since Fall; few flowers, and even fewer bees. Can't wait for May...

--Gloria Z. Nagler



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Meet the osoberries of Hamlin Park and become a forest steward

Friday, March 1, 2024

Osoberry twigs in winter have prominent buds
ready to be the first to bloom at the Hamlin Park
restoration site - photo by Oliver Moffat
By Oliver Moffat

If you took a walk in Hamlin Park in February, you may have been surprised to see little white flowers blooming.

Although the climate has changed, osoberries have been blooming in early February in the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.

The Lushootseed name is c’əx̌ʷədac, and is one of the earliest native plants to bloom flowers in our region - providing a vital source of nectar to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators after a long winter.

Also sometimes called indian-plum, osoberries can be identified by their red bark and prominent buds ready to bloom in the winter.

Osoberry shrubs (Oemleria cerasiformis) are remarkably hardy and form dense thickets that make it one of our native plants that can compete with noxious weeds at the Hamlin Park restoration site. It likes disturbed, dry areas with sunlight which makes it particularly good for habitat restoration.

Osoberries fruiting in June in the Hamlin Park Forest Restoration Site are technically edible but not particularly palatable to humans - photo by Oliver Moffat

Although mammals such as foxes, coyotes, deer, and bear eat the berries, the berries have large pits and are not widely regarded as particularly palatable for humans.

Stewards with the Green Shoreline Partnership host work parties in parks across the city where volunteers can help expand and protect our public forests. Work parties are a great way to meet your human neighbors while also getting to know the flora who live in your neighborhood.

The Green Shoreline Partnership is training new stewards now. Neighbors can attend a training on Friday, March 29, 2024 from 3pm to 6:30pm at Shoreline Community College. More information and details are available at the Green Shoreline Partnership website.

The Hamlin Park stewardship team hosts work parties most Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.


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Spring flowers

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Photos by Lee Lageschulte
It's Spring in the west side of Shoreline. There's always a time lag before flowers start blooming for the rest of us and if we're lucky it doesn't snow first!


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Final weekend of the Flower & Garden Festival

Saturday, February 17, 2024

 
A sampling of the gardens. Photos by Lee Lageschulte

It's the final weekend of the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival!
The show runs through Sunday, February 18 at the Seattle Convention Center. 

There are 20 gardens this year. The event has come back with a flourish after the COVID years.


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Orchids at the Flower & Garden Show

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Orchids at the Flower & Garden Show
Photos by Lee Lageschulte

Photographer Lee Lageschulte was delighted by the variety of orchids she found at the Northwest Flower & Garden show, now running at the Seattle Convention Center, 705 Pike St, Seattle WA on the corner of 7th and Pine.

February 15 - 18, 2024
  • Thursday - Saturday 9am - 8pm
  • Sunday - 9am - 6pm

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You know Spring is almost here when ….. the Flower & Garden Show arrives

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

You know Spring is almost here when …..

By Bruce Bennett
Photos by Steven H. Robinson

Well, ….. when the country’s best garden show again rises from the concrete floors of the Seattle Convention Center Summit (900 Pine Street) beginning Wednesday, February 14, and running through Sunday, February 18, 2024.

February 14-18, 2024
  • Wednesday - Saturday: 9am - 8pm
  • Sunday:  9am - 6pm
Half a dozen varieties of fern
Whether you are a horticulturalist, a home gardener or an apartment dweller with a couple of containers on your deck, the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival will provide you with information and ideas about all aspects of ornamental and edible gardening.

The sheer size and diversity of the show can take your breath away. It not only offers an opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the natural and cultured worlds in a spectacular setting, the show is also designed to teach gardeners how to develop their ideas and turn them into practical landscapes.


Some 120 seminars, held in three lecture halls, allow you to listen to local, national and international experts in the horticultural world discuss design and growing issues from civilizing the back five acres of your land to developing an indoor herb garden. 

Also, look for talks dealing with climate issues, pollinator gardens, drought-resistant design and plants, etc. These programs blend excellent visual images showcasing cutting-edge advice as well as practical demonstrations of tools and pruning, creating garden art, tips for successful gardening and planting, and floral arranging from the garden — there’s something for everyone. See one seminar or see dozens! 


They’re all included in the cost of a ticket. Drop in every day and discover something new. Check out the seminars being presented over five days 

After all those seminars, see much of the advice used in the various display gardens. This year will have twenty gardens, covering some three acres of floor space. 


Each garden was developed with a different theme ranging from very wild and woodsy to life around a manicured backyard lawn (as well as lawns that are drought-tolerant where nary a blade of grass can be found). Think of the water savings on your utility bills! 

Reimagined uses for repurposed trees
Some of the noted trends in the display gardens include many reimagined uses for repurposed trees, a reuse of metal I-beams and cortan (weathered) steel and slow moving water features (versus traditional stream and fountains).

Slow-moving stream

With these types of events, you can’t forget the marketplaces and Seattle has the largest Marketplace in the country! With over fifty nurseries, garden centers and growers, this year’s plant market will be the largest one ever and will offer more trees, shrubs and perennials than ever before. 


Whether you are looking for indoor plants or outdoors, you’ll find something to tickle your fantasy and provide a color spot for you. After all, there will be thousands of and thousands of plants from which to choose. 

New and unusual plant offerings

Save some time to look at new plant offerings. If you have questions concerning growing conditions, plant sizes, etc., not only are the growers’ representatives able to answer many questions, Washington State University will be staffing a double-sized booth filled with Master Gardeners to discuss immediate-need questions as well as general horticultural education.


Then, you can expect to traverse the marketplace aisles to view another 300 gardening-related vendors, including diverse items such as jewelry, art, tools, seed/bulbs/tubers, equipment and the ever-present and much loved ‘tchotchke.’ If you can’t find the right gardening item, it probably doesn’t exist.

Plants, windows, and a round fountain

Whether gardener or not, most find the Flower Show to be quite the stimulating experience, with fragrant and colorful blooms in every direction. Walk through the main entrances to the show and you're bound to pull out your iPhone or camera to record the colors and designs that appeal to you. 


Take home a new plant, learn about rain gardens, or chat with experts on how to grow the perfect orchid. 

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting to dig in the dirt, there’s something for everyone at the 2024 NW Flower and Garden Show. Make the commitment to make the time to look and listen. 

ADMISSION

Two Day Pass (valid any two days of the show, one per person): $40
Adult:  $27
Student (ages 13-23 or with valid student ID): $13
Children (ages 12 & under): FREE
Five Day Pass (valid every day of the show, one per person): $80
Half Day Pass (entry after 3pm on Wed. - Sat. and 2pm on Sun.): $14
Group (minimum purchase quantity of 20): $18 each


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Lee always finds the flowers

Monday, February 12, 2024

February flowers

It doesn't seem to matter where she is or what the season, Lee Lageschulte always finds the beautiful blooms.



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In the Garden Now: It's Witch Hazel Time

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Hamamelis Arnold Promise
Photo by Victoria Gilleland
By Victoria Gilleland

In fact it's been that time for many weeks. Before the end of December witch hazel shrubs in our area were full of plump flower buds and even open flowers. The deep freeze we experienced in January did not faze these winter blooming beauties.

The 'Diane' variety is red
Photo by Victoria Gilleland
Flowers that had already opened held their own during the freeze and unopened buds began to unfurl when temperatures climbed. This is one resilient shrub!

Not only are the bright yellow flowers of 'Arnold Promise' and the copper red flowers of 'Diane' a colorful addition to the winter garden, but they're fragrant and attractive to pollinators. 

Grown next to each other the flowers of the two plants compliment each other color wise. Growing Diane next to Arnold's yellow flowers makes Diane's red flowers show up much more in the winter landscape.

I'll have to admit that one of the reasons I love witch hazels is because of their flowers. I can't help but see each blossom as a colorful crinkly spider. 

They're so much fun! Ready to add a little Witch Hazel mischief to your garden?


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Travels with Charlie

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Photo by Gordon Snyder

Wandering around the warmth this afternoon with Charlie, my dog. We stopped by Pfingst Animal Acres Park to walk the path and check out the raised bed gardens.

On the other side of the path I spotted this little bundle green Almost Spring… The Daffodils will be a bouquet in a day or so with the warmth and sunshine. I count 8 buds but more could be coming.

Seems too early for spring. I hope we don’t have another deep freeze. That would be hard on all the new buds.

--Gordon Snyder


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Tickets now available for the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival: A Spectacular Celebration of Spring and Gardening

Monday, January 22, 2024

Tickets for the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival at the Seattle Convention Center, running from February 14 - 18, 2024, are officially on sale.

For over three decades, this spectacular showcase has been a source of inspiration for both seasoned gardeners and eager novices, a place where ideas bloom, knowledge flourishes, and the quest for beautiful living spaces begins, marking the start of Spring in the PNW.

This year’s show, themed “I Heart Spring” will feature a sensory feast with 20+ full garden displays, overflowing with vibrant colors and interactive experiences like never before, 96+ seminars featuring a plethora of garden luminaries from around the globe, an expanded Market Place including the hit Vintage Market, a new “Plant People Panels” series for beginners and houseplant lovers and thousands of treasures in the marketplace – with shopping recommendations from gardening stars so your beloved botanicals can thrive as theirs do.

Photo courtesy Marketplace Events

The Plant Market is set to outshine last year's record-breaking offering, with both new and returning vendors ready to cater to the surging demand in plant sales and tap into the burgeoning enthusiasm of new generations’ growing interest in greenery.

Offering visitors an exclusive first look, First Editions® Shrubs & Trees is debuting a new Hydrangea to the world! Visitors will explore the beauty of the elusive new Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea and immerse themselves in a selection of 500 Hydrangeas including the Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea, Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Hydrangea, Endless Summer® Summer Crush® Hydrangea and Endless Summer® Pop Star® Hydrangea.

Photo courtesy Marketplace Events

Adding to the excitement, a series of brand-new special events, both during and leading up to the Festival, provide a unique opportunity for fans to get closer than ever to renowned flower and garden experts and tastemakers, including the illustrious Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht and Jo Thompson. Outside events require additional tickets.

Located outside the City Living entrance, the inaugural Plant Academy series will provide deep dives into your favorite plants - or the plants you want to be your favorite. Show admission is not required, granting anyone access to the best in the industry, the chance to ask questions, and the opportunity to learn how to excel in their gardening endeavors in 2024 and beyond.

The stellar lineup at the festival also includes stars of the gardening world, ready to engage with visitors, offer expert advice and share exclusive tips. Notable speakers and judges include:

Tickets are now available at early bird rates at www.gardenshow.com. Visitors are encouraged to explore exclusive hotel rates and packages with our lodging partners, available here.

Photo courtesy Marketplace Events
Festival Dates & Hours


February 14 - 18, 2024
Wednesday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Festival Location

Seattle Convention Center
705 Pike Street - on the corner of 7th and Pike Street
Seattle, Washington 98101

About the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival

The Northwest Flower & Garden Festival is one of the world’s leading garden shows, ranked the second largest in the U.S. 

The show is renowned for its size and quality of display gardens, seminars, and commercial exhibits, drawing visitors and participants from across the globe. 

The Northwest Flower & Garden Festival is owned and produced by Marketplace Events, the largest producer of home shows in North America. Learn more at www.gardenshow.com.

About Marketplace Events

MARKETPLACE EVENTS creates vibrant expositions connecting enthusiasts with experts, products and services in dynamic face-to-face environments. 


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Yuletide Camellia is right on time

Friday, January 5, 2024

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'
Photo by Lee Lageschulte
In the January 4th edition I published Lee Lageschulte's photo of a camellia and wondered if it was supposed to be blooming now.

Gardening experts checked in and the answer is "Yes."

Sara Camaresi, who tends Shoreline Park, said it is the Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' and "as the name indicates, it's right on time."

Garden Guy Bruce Bennett agreed and added "It is a very nice plant and self-cleans its spent flowers unlike the larger S. japonica which lets the old flowers just rot on the shrub."

We need more of this variety to brighten overcast January days.

--Diane Hettrick


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Aren't these spring flowers?

Thursday, January 4, 2024

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Lee Lageschulte photographed this beauty on New Year's Day January 1, 2024, in Edmonds. I think they look like camellias and that they are either blooming way too early or way too late.

Have you ever noticed that when the Seattle TV stations show photos of downtown, it looks like the cameras are broadcasting in black & white?

It's nice to have a bright spot of color whether it's out of season or not.

--Diane Hettrick


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What's wrong with this picture?

Monday, December 11, 2023

 
Photo by PDH

What's wrong with the photo?

This rhody has not bloomed for a decade. I forgot what color it was.

It always was the last of my rhodys to bloom but for a long time it either did not bloom at all or it produced a couple of blooms that quickly shriveled up, turned brown, and dropped.

This year, with our extended dry period, my lawn didn't grow (yea! no mowing!) but come October, this rhody started to bloom. It kept its blossoms until the weather changed on December 1, 2023.

The blossoms are still there and look good from a distance, but they have shriveled ever so slightly.

It's my youngest rhody, having the distinction of being the only thing we have deliberately planted that lived.

It has managed to maintain during a couple of rain storms so I hope it will keep going for a while.

--Diane Hettrick

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The last rose of summer

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Two heavy frosts, and several chilly days were not enough to stop this one last rose from seeking the sunshine and reminding us that it won’t be cold forever. 

--Photo and comment by Lis Johnson


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