Last week's Flower and Garden Show

My friend Judy and I arrived about 10:30am on Wednesday at the Flower and Garden Show in Seattle and walked into an alternate universe. The theme this year is "Hollywood," and the amazing flower display as we walked in the front door had a little flower Toto, and this very modern Tin Man, complete with shades and a flower pot in his hand. (My Toto picture wasn't very good.)

There were exceptionally beautiful floral displays inside the front door that won several prizes. Although I tried to get some good pictures of the different displays, this picture showing several different ones in a row is the best I could do. I tried so hard to find a way to get each one, but to no avail. This picture evokes the feeling of abundance: flowers galore.

About a half hour after we arrived, Linda and her husband Tom found me! She wrote about it on her blog on Thursday while I was out hiking. Her pictures are simply incredible, and I'm linking them here so you can appreciate them. You will see what I mean. She also posted another blog yesterday about the flower show market, and I have to say she saw things I didn't even notice! Of course, she and Tom got there first thing in the morning and stayed until the end. We were with a group and were limited to just a bit more than four hours, which was enough for me.

The first flowers we saw after we entered the main display room were orchids of every size and shape. This one looks like an alien, I think. It was so perfect that it doesn't even look real to me, but it is. We walked through admiring many different varieties, and I saw this one, with a sign that says, "Orchademy Award for Best Production."

Like I said, the theme for this year's show is "Hollywood," and this fits right in with tomorrow's Academy Award show. These orchids are one of my favorite colors, a pinkish magenta delight. Then we proceeded to the show gardens. These are displays that have a theme and are judged. I'm providing a link to the show gardens, but the photo galleries are from previous years, as this show will not be over until tomorrow. (Hint: Linda's post above has many really good pictures of them.) Here's the best one I was able to get of Frodo's house.

I love the walkway leading up to the round door. We couldn't actually do more than admire from a distance; Frodo was away for the day, I guess. Too many visitors for a simple Hobbit to entertain. This next one has a bunch of chairs and popcorn for people to watch the movies. I loved the feeling of this sunny spot, filled with summer flowers.

In the foreground, there is a short description of the lighting display, how it was made to look so bright and cheerful. I believe this garden is called "Backyard Box Office." However, I could be wrong, as there were some others that could have fit the description.

After perusing the gardens, we went to the other side where plants and vendors display their wares in a market setting. I was especially taken by these rocks, which have been covered with lots of bling. If they had not cost an arm and a leg (not to mention being a bit on the heavy side), I would have bought one. Pretty expensive doorstops. Linda has covered much of this side of things in her post here.

I spent a fair amount of money and didn't buy a single flower! I bought goat cheese, a lavender-filled teddy bear, honey, and something called "water beads." When I get them properly plump, I'll post a picture. All in all, we had a great day! I've attended every year since I arrived in this part of the country, and I expect to be there next year, too. You never know what fine people you might find there.
:-)