Premier garden show keeps its bloom under new owner

By this time last year, Duane Kelley, owner and producer of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, had already announced that the 2009 show would be the last one.

The NWFGS had been on the sales block for some time, but no one had stepped forward to take on the task of keeping afloat the second largest flower and garden show in the United States.

In other words, once the 2009 show came to an end, it appeared to be kaput -- defunct -- finished -- dead as the proverbial dormouse. As February, March, April and May came and went, hope was fading fast that some knight in shining armor might still rescue the show.

Finally, in early June, Kelley made a long-hoped for announcement: "Gardeners in the Northwest are now assured that their flower show will continue to bloom." O'Loughlin Trade Show, headquartered in Portland, had sealed the deal to purchase the Northwest Flower & Garden Show.

Being somewhat skeptical, I wondered: Would this year's show, Feb. 3-7 in Seattle, turn out to be just a faint imitation of the flower show we have enjoyed over the past 21 years under the capable hands of its originator? To put it succinctly: Is O'Loughlin up to the task of reviving the Northwest Flower and Garden Show?

After checking out the history of O'Loughlin Trade Shows, I found that this family-owned corporation has been in business for 60 years. It is among the largest operators of consumer trade shows in the West. Among the shows it owns are the home and garden shows in Portland and Tacoma.

Upon further investigation, I learned that three key people have been retained in the same positions they held previously with the NWFGS: Linda Knudsen as exhibits manager, Cyle Eldred as the garden and features manager and Janet Endsley as seminar manager. To top it off, Duane Kelley has been retained as a consultant. It appears that O'Loughlin Trade Shows are following the tried-and-true maxim: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it."

The success of the NWFGS has always rested on the triad that has set it apart from other flower and garden shows: the display gardens, the free seminars and the Market Place. This year's attendees should see little or no difference from the great shows that Kelley produced year after year.

Upon arrival at the show, almost everyone makes a beeline to see the 24 display and landscape gardens. The 2010 edition will include gardens with such intriguing theme title as these:

* "Bloom's Ecstasy -- A Fantasy Garden to Share the Passion of Orchids." Who among us isn't drawn to the mystic of these fabulous flowers?

* "Swimming Al La Natural." Now that's a title that will draw attention of showgoers like bees to nectar!

* "There's No Place Like Home." This will certainly excite everybody with a little of Dorothy within them.

But don't try to make the rounds of the display gardens one after the other. View a few and then head for the Market Place with its 300-plus booths where you will be enticed to buy just about anything a gardener might desire: seeds, plants, tubers and bulbs, garden tools, garden art, gardening books and even greenhouses. Switch back and forth several times.

After your pilgrimage through the display gardens and the Market Place, your feet will be begging for a reprieve. Give those tired puppies a rest by picking up free tickets and attending a seminar.

Just as teasers, here is a small sampling of the 124 seminars that are on tap over the five days of the show:

* "Bodacious Borders." Lucy Hardiman's presentation will be chock-full of ideas you can use in your own flower borders.

* "Simplify Your Gardening Life." Val Easton, longtime Seattle Times garden columnist will show you how to grow a great garden and still have time to enjoy it.

* "How to Eat Your Front Yard." This sounds like a presentation meant for goats. But Marianne Binetti, gardening book author and former columnist for the defunct Seattle Post-Intelligencer, will show you how you can grow bodacious berries, fruits and veggies in your front yard -- still keeping it beautiful.

If you are planning to drive to the show, you may want to go on line before the show opens and save a few dollars on your tickets. Be aware that space in parking garages near the Washington State Convention Center will be at a premium.

You may choose to relax and take a chartered bus, instead. The Harman Center (509-575-6166) will be taking a bus, as will Accent Tours (509-575-3949). But call Monday -- buses for this event fill fast. I will again be going on the Accent Tours bus and will be answering gardening questions, plus giving tips on how to enjoy the show.

* Freelance gardening columnist Jim McLain can be reached at 509-697-6112 or ongardening@compwrx.com.