Last weekend I went to the Northwest Home and Garden Show with a couple of girlfriends. As the sun comes out here in the northwest spring blast us with so much joy people flock to the garden show to get inspired to dig in the dirt. My husband who is an angel cares for my mom so I can get out with my friends to renew my spirit. This was one of those days. I forgot to take my camera so I will do my best with links to share this wonderful day.
What struck me this year is how things have changed..... natural, organic, recycled yard art and sustainability was the message everywhere. The display that won first prize was called "A Family's Little Farm in the City" It had chickens, goats, rain water catching system off a cabin roof to water the garden. It was designed by a mom and her 8 year old son. The design was by N.W. Bloom
Every display was about planting flowers in and with your eatables, making the most of your garden space in our smallish city gardens.
I was struck by the creative spirit that energized the huge convention center. I have to share with you some of the innovations......
Presented by Plantswoman Design,INC. Swimming a la Natural, this display was a swimming hole for your yard or neighborhood that is chemical free. They do it by creating a bog (just like nature does it) to filter the water and keeps it clean. The bog is full of beautiful plants adding to the beauty of the whole concept. The sound of the water running through the bog creating a place safe and healthy for all living creatures was as close as one could get to mother nature herself. This is their website which shows a picture of one of these swimming holes.
Another idea I loved were lighted plastic pots and sitting cubes. They are made from 100% recycled plastic. Check this out! Perfect for that modern urban look, made right here in Edmonds, Washington. Ten pounds of plastic waste equals one of these charming beautiful planters!! Talk about cool! The owner was so proud of his product he told us that they are going to be featured in the next Twilight movie. AWESOME!!!
There were 2 artist there as well that were over the top cool. One was from California, Paul Nzalamba. His paintings of African people in everyday life are colorful, joyful and spiritual all rolled into one. Each painting tells a story. Check them out. Spendy but it doesn't cost to look, they are eye candy. If I were Paul with his frame shop in SF I would get some of these prints and frame them in his awesome way, I bet they would sell like hot cakes. Paul are you out there?????
The other artist is Kate Larsson she puts her watercolor paintings on tiles. If I were building a new home some of these tiles would be installed somewhere, designing a kitchen or bath around her tiles. More eye candy! The prices on these are for the original watercolor the tiles I believe were $20 to $40 for say a 8 by 12 size. Just to think about what one of these tiles would add to a room makes me want to build again. She was selling the tiles as trivets, hotplates and coasters but I would install them right in to the wall.
I do not like to promote spending money but I love to promote artist that give so much beauty and inspiration to our world. I know what it takes for them to go to show after show presenting their work, I know they are not the ones who have made it, they are struggling.
I hope you enjoyed this little bit of our Northwest Garden show, it was a slice of heaven on a gray cold winter day.
Update:
A dear friend of mine is a broadcaster for our local news KIRO and she just sent me her news link on the Northwest Garden Show so here is her broadcast and my dear friend Penny LeGate.
Penny is a healer of the world and you will be hearing more about her, her travels and her work here on firefly so stay tuned.
16 comments:
How gorgeous Kathleen. All of it! :)
I've gotten a little ahead of myself here after Ria got my gardening bug going with her seedling pics. I've gotten everything I need and now have to sit here and wait at least a month, probably 6 weeks.
I have a bad back (Everything from scoliosis to a lateral lythesis(sp))and was just doing table top veggie gardens for my grandpigs, but then I figured out a layout in my old compost area that would work for me. I need large areas where I can kneel and rotate. It worked out pretty well last year so I'm happy I can have a normal garden again. I'll probably still grow their carrot tops in a container on the table though so the bunnies don't eat them all.
Alma, Awesome! Keep us posted on how it goes.
This tells me, we need to help people like you and/or people in wheel chairs designing spaces for easy access for gardening. I do not remember one place at the garden show that was designed for someone with disability. It takes a person who struggles to teach and remind us.
Thank you.
Good idea Kathleen.
I had never thought about it helping others before. Now I feel selfish, but I'm so glad you mentioned it, 'cause its never to late to help. :)
Alma you just did help by expressing the problem and how you solved it.
It is about coming together in this way to talk solutions to the problems we have.
I blogged recently at another blog about the miracle of diaper pins. How I use them to pin my mom's shirt to her pants to keep her from pulling her pants down and going potty in the wrong places. It has saved me so much heartache, I can't even begin to tell you what i went through before I thought of it.
It is all about sharing ideas to help others.
I love this blog. :)
Good idea about the pins Kathleen. Glad you thought of it.
I think there's a lot of tidbits we (All of us) have to share.
My Dad had alzheimers and bad rheumatoid arthritis. He even had the arthritis in his lungs and eyes. There were a lot of ideas my mom had and implemented. I'm going to have to start making a list as I think of them. Things like adding velcro closures to his pjs, having his address in his hat, etc.
I think you've started something Kathleen. :)
My mom is in late stages and I have hospice help anything you can think of that might help I will love you forever for!! :o)
Check out the update I just added to the garden post.
kathleen this is beautiful!
you & alma have my mind going a million miles an hour!!!
my m-i-l had rheumatoid arthritis, diverticulitis & undiagnosed alzheimers or dementia.
many things i came up with were by thinking of her as 'the oldest baby in the world'
i had got her sippy cups because they were easier to hold w/arthritis.
she didn't want to eat so we had little 'tea parties' 4 or 5 times a day.
i got protein powder like the weight lifters get, & put it in milkshakes, mashed potatoes, stews...anywhere i could sneak some in.
taking care of parents is another topic heading i'll put on the ever growing list!
i'm so excited that your home show had an emphasis on organics, natural & a better way to look at gardening.
there is a movement afoot nationwide to get rid of those green grass lawns & put in either native plants or food & flower gardens. i think it's a grand idea & when we did landscaping/gardening i often tried to talk clients into having herb borders or 'english' gardens that use native flowers (that are often used for teas &or medicinal purposes in addition to just looking pretty & arranging flowers on the table)
there is also 'guerrilla gardening' where people are taking unused spaces (between sidewalk & street; empty lots) and planting them with flowers &or food... often at night! (hence the 'guerrilla') often there will be a group of many people (i heard of one that has 50+members!)who get together & make forays at night planting flower bulbs & seed along streets, vegetable seed in vacant lots & then they leave, letting nature take its course.
the streets are beautified for residents & passerby, empty lots provide food to poor & homeless.
an example of doing what you can, where you can.
thanks for this kathleen!
simply awesome!
kathleen
would it be alright with you if i make your links clickable?
The late stages are hard. We didn't really make it that far. A stroke took Dad. Which we were all grateful for. And we were all with him at home except 2 of his grandchildren who were at work. I wrote about dad a few years ago at DD Dad
I think the most important thing to remember is that this is your last little bit with your mom, and that the repeat questions, and actions don't matter. It doesn't even matter if you answer the question or talk about something else instead. Changing the subject can open new doors to repeat questions. If you can see humor in some of the things, thats good.
The good memories will last and some that you think are bad memories now will seem okay, or even humorous in the future. I can tell you're a fighter Kathleen. You'll get through it.
We were lucky. We have a close family in both heart and distance. My brother would often (At least 3 times a week) go stay with my dad and I would take my mom out shopping and stopping for coffee. Whenever dad was in the hospital we would make sure one of us was there at all times. Even overnight.
If your mom is still mobile make sure the neighbors, friends, and your local police know about her condition so they will know what to do if they see her out. If she is mobile, don't feel bad if you put a hook and eye lock on the door. A few years ago here a man with alzheimers got out of his house, managed to walk a mile or so and ended up freezing to death in a ditch.
I found dad ate better if I could keep him talking and tell him stories while I fed him.
My hearts with you Kathleen.
Oh Ria thank you I just can't seem to get it to work!
Thank you to you and Alma for all the tips.
Your post sure did bring back a lot of memories Ria. We did the protein powder thing too. We didn't do the sippy cups but we made sure dads coffee cups had extra large holes in the handles so he could get his fingers through them.
Dad would often know that he knew someone but not their name. We would tell him the names before people got up to us and then dad would feel good that he could use their name when they approached.
Shoe stretchers are helpful for people with arthritis. The shoe shaped stretcher has holes and big button type things so you can stretch areas of the shoes where more room is needed.
Our community gardens here are called Pea Patches where empty lots have been turned into neighborhood gardens......
this is the website
http://www.seattle.gov/Neighborhoods/ppatch/
The website has a map showing 64 garden areas in the city that grow and feed the hungry.
It would be a great idea to support this effort across the country by having links to places were people can help or get help in major cities across the country.
WOW sorry 83 Pea Patch gardens and expanding.
Don't know what to say...
The garden show sounds like fun, and I think NYC & Detroit may have pioneered the guerrilla gardening thing: Detroit is still in an awful economic mess, but in NYC people just took over the vacant lots during the downswing.
Once the Disneyfication was in full swing, of course Rudy 9/11 wanted to reclaim all those green spaces so they could be sold to developers. I'm not sure Bloomie is that much better vis a vis the gardens, but he's SO much better than Rudy in so many ways.
Now, if only our First Lady can get the ball rolling on a truly national scale: not just Seattle but everywhere.
Oh: and Alma? Enjoy your garden. Where I am, the rule of thumb is, it's not reliably frost-free until about May 15 (although of course cold-loving plants can go in earlier than that).
Hey Youff :) My garden won't be going into the ground until May. Our last frost average is between May 1st to May 12th, depending on if you go by the weather channel or the govt charts. Rias post awhile ago spurred me into getting stuff to start some of the stuff inside this year. So that 4-6 weeks is before I can start it inside.
Last summer my rep, John Conyers had a townhall type meeting about starting city gardens. Unfortunatly I didn't get to go to it. :(
Its nice to see the pea patches growing so quickly Kathleen! :)
Growing one's own vegetables, etc. is a healthier way to do it. Even in urban areas, such as Boston, community gardens have been created in some of the various Boston neighborhoods, and, in some instances, people even have rooftop gardens going!
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