In just 19 days, the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival begins. In its 37th year, I’m delighted to have enjoyed so many of these annual events with family and friends. (To read a bit about its inception and history click here.) This year is an historic one though, with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians being a sponsor for the show. Here’s what they had to say about it on the site.
As someone with pioneer roots in the PNW, this means a lot to me. My great-great grandparents arrived by covered wagon on the Oregon Trail in 1851 as small children with their families. I’ve long been an advocate for change in our national and regional narratives about our history here. Let’s grow a new future of community together, and a big thank you to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians for their support.
So why do I love this annual event so much? Well, let me explain…
My ex and I started to attend the show sometime between 2004-2007 and it was a sacrifice for us to pay for the trips. Nevertheless, it became an annual winter event. The effort was worth it though. We both returned home inspired. I by the gardens, and Pete learned from the chefs at the restaurants we visited.
One year, at The Harvest Vine, the chef came out to our table in order to meet the person who’d ordered more anchovies for dessert. My tween niece sat their proudly blushing as she was congratulated for her good taste. That’s still one of my favorite memories from those years.
Overall, there are Show Gardens, City Living Displays, vendors of all kinds, Container Wars, floral displays, and various other activities going on during the event.
So, if you read through this and are interested in going, please leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win 2 FREE electronic tickets. (I will announce the winners next week on February 6th.)
Show Gardens: Over the years there have been many, and with plenty of creative ideas. Honestly, I can’t think of a favorite, but as you can see from the collage above, there are amazing solutions that creative teams come up with in order to solve design constrictions given to them.
These installations always bring me back to my undergraduate years in the Art Department as an art history student. I loved the year of Basic Design, going through the motions as teams, and as individuals. I am always amazed at what designers and teams can do.
City Living Displays: These smaller displays on the Sky Bridge over Pike St. have been even more accessible to me as a home gardener. In them, designers showcase small space living, with fun products I can purchase to zhuzh up my own space. They often center on strong design features which attendees walking by can relate and connect to. I love how they’re centered on those recognizable themes. They’re very easy to digest.
Vendors: There have been scores of stalwarts over the years, regular vendors who’ve returned again and again, and those who’ve come and gone. Each year is not exactly the same, and that’s what makes shopping there fun.
The year my former employer Pat was there with the Cascade Nursery Trail was one of my favorites. I learned a lot about the process of selling there, and it was hilarious seeing the poster above with me standing in for the plant crazy shoppers we all know and love so much.
Container Wars: While I’ve not watched many of these events, I’ve seen a few, and they crack me up. This year, the matchups between many of the folks I know will be hilarious. Nothing like a timed contest creating a gorgeous container while an audience watches. Noooooo pressure.
Floral: There have always been different floral displays, seminars, and events. It’s wonderful seeing arrangements throughout the event, and spending time with others who enjoy the craftspersonship of making such incredible displays of beauty. In recent years, there’s been a lot more interest in Slow Flowers, and flower farming locally, so expect to see more of that represented.
Seminars: Oh wow. I just have so much to say about all of the incredible speakers I’ve seen and heard over the years, and the the ways they’ve tickled my heart and soul while carving paths in my mind.
Having been on the DIY Stage several times over the last few years, and giving a talk once about begonias, I know now what folks go through to get up there. (No, I am not speaking this year. I needed to take a year off to develop more topics, and work on my career.)
I appreciate everyone who presents seminars so much for their hard work and effort, and am proud to be one of the volunteers helping to introduce a few folks this year. Please be cognizant of the big name celebrities this year. Did you know that Doug Tallamy and Frances Tophill will be there? Along with many other incredible folks who’ve been gardening and designing often for decades? It’s speakers like these that brought me back to the show over and over again…
Another regional crowd favorite by the name of Dan Hinkley will be speaking again as well. If you plan to see him, be sure to come early.
NHS Special Evening Event: There will also be a separate admission event with Frances Tophill on Thursday evening put on by the Northwest Horticultural Society. It’s important to support events like this, and participate in groups like the NHS. They contribute to bringing speakers to us, connecting us internationally and nationally with people who inspire and inform us.
Seattle, Giving off Main Character Vibes: Of course there’s always walking around Seattle for fun. I love to look at the architecture, and I try to go to Pike Street market. We often stay near the Rainer Tower, and one year we were able to visit The Spheres. Last year my husband went to the Seattle Ferris Wheel at Pier 57, and many people find their way to the Chihuly Garden and Glass near the Space Needle. There’s also the air. I love to walk around and breathe in the cool marine Puget Sound air.
If you have a spouse who is not interested in the event, they can often be found spending time around town at a wide range of places.
The People, The Friendships: Last but not least are the people I’ve met up with, and the friendships forged. Most of the folks I met above first at other events, and in other places, but Ed Hume was a horticultural hero from my childhood that I crossed paths with at the show.
I think of the NWFGF as my adult summer camp that takes place in the winter, since the rest of the year I’m engaged in plant production, gardening, and other hort related activities. Part of what keeps me coming back to Seattle, is the people.
Ok, and with that in mind, I began to attend these shows years ago when I lived a different life. Nowadays, I return home and hit the ground running.
This means that I run off to work. I’m even deeper in that now. As anyone who knows me knows, I love the show because I get to be warm and dress up in clothing I don’t usually get to wear. So here I am last year returning to work the day after I returned home.
Workwear combined with a large dosage of energy from hearing great seminars, and from spending time with my plant community, while growing new friendships is not a terrible mixture to be powered by…
So… To be considered for a pair of FREE electronic tickets to the show to be used on ANY of the days, please comment below about what you hope to accomplish in your own garden in 2026, or anything else, maybe ask me a question about the show? What have you enjoyed there the most over the years? What would you like to see more of? This is not a test lol.
Winners will be announced next week and I hope to see you at the show. (February 18th-22nd, 2026)
Ann Loves Plants 
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