Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The 2013 Yard, Garden & Patio Show…


Another Portland YG&P Show is history. As you all know I look forward to this event for weeks…planning which seminars to attend, wondering if this is the year a show garden finally knocks my socks off, and dreaming about new plants I’ll discover. This year will stand out for me but not for any of those reasons. The night before the show opened, at a private party with plant explorer Dan Hinkley, my husband passed out cold, twice…it was terrifying. While we still hope to get some answers (a follow-up doctor’s appointment is scheduled) he seems to be fine now. If there can be a silver lining to this horrible experience it’s this amazing horticultural community that I am surrounded by. The night of the event, and in the days following, the outpouring of concern and offers of help and well wishes have been amazing. Plant people truly are the best.

Sitting in the ER on Thursday night I never dreamt I would be at the show on Friday afternoon, but indeed I was. After dropping Andrew off at work (yes that’s the kind of man I married) I walked the show floor for a couple of hours…eyeing a few plants, seeing familiar faces and trying to critique the displays. To be honest it all seemed so surreal. The very things that felt so significant to me the day before were no longer, or at least not nearly as much. Maybe it was my altered state of mind but I found myself breaking the show down and categorizing things into reoccurring elements…circles, walls (sometimes with circles), benches (one of which was a circle) and of course then there were the plants.

We start in the garden "Thrive Outside" by Red Bird Restorative Gardens, because they had all the elements, this big wall with a cut-out circle was the first thing I saw…

I love the idea of it, but I could hear my father saying, what a waste of good firewood. I also loved their swinging bench…

Although I wonder about the practicality of having a pond underneath. The dark circle on the ground? Water...

I’d curl up there on a summer’s day, drinking a glass of wine and reading a great book, only to stand up (forgetting about the water) and step right in it!

At the back of the garden was another firewood wall, this one with a circle of sempervivum and sedum in the center. Love it!

Unfortunately there was a model doing yoga in front of it so I couldn’t get a good photo. At least it was a working garden.

A big circle!…

Although wood isn't really a design element in my garden I liked this wooden circle detail.

A corrugated metal cocktail table!

And of course I liked the stock tank pond, although wouldn't have looked better with a few plants?

How about a Weber BBQ fountain?

Here’s a floating circle…(yes the black again is water)

And a, well, I’m not sure how to describe this circle. The garden was called "A Glimpse Back to the Fifties" but the boomerang table really didn't belong here…really, completely wrong scale.

This vendor even made a circle with agaves around a center agave...

Moving on to the walls…what a perfect color to highlight the golden foliage of a Chief Joseph Pine…

I've not really gotten on board with the pallet garden trend, but I did like how it was being used here, as a dividing wall.

I feel like I've seen this before. Still love it though…

In the fabulous Urban Edible Garden was this planted niche in a wall…

This cool reclaimed wood planter wall piece…

(love those chairs too)

And these simple rusted sections used to create a see-thru wall of sorts.

Still in the Urban Edible Garden, I also really liked this simple hanging piece and the metal screen it was hanging on.

In another display I was taken with the use of a gabion retaining wall planted on one side. I don’t know how practical it is but it’s a great look.

Although you might want to use stronger metal for the framework (and larger rocks), looks like they had some issues here.

In the benches category there was more rusted metal…

A fabulous swing, which could actually double as a bed.

And this display from the ProGrass people could be transferred right into my garden (minus the accessories thank you)…

Finally, the plants! Phormiums were back, big-time.

I noticed several in the display gardens. Although I can’t say I saw any vendors selling them.

This was confusing. The tag clearing identified these as “Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar”…

But really, do these look like they’re weeping?

Clearly they do not. I asked one of the guys working the garden and he just sort of smiled and laughed like I was making a joke.

The color! That green just says spring doesn't it?

If you have a dead tree I think painting it and leaving it in the landscape can be a great idea…I just hope this one was dead.

And who doesn't love seeing a blooming magnolia? At first I was sure this was fake but the closer I looked I decided I was wrong.

This little show-goer had a long day…

Things I thought about purchasing…all of these agaves when I thought they were only $4 each or 6 for $20…

Sadly they were not.

I also was really tempted by the masses of Abutilion ‘Red Tiger’ plants but decided to wait until later and see if I still “needed” one.

I couldn't even look at the tag on this grevillea at the Xera booth to see which one it was/how much it was. I was afraid I wouldn't have put it down.

Love the polka-dot begonias…

And this nice tree fern at the Dancing Oaks booth would have loved to come home with me! For $85 it stayed behind.

I did buy this Bromeliad, Billbergia hallelujah…

And for the husband’s office a Euphorbia horrida, he’s been asking me to do a little plant shopping for him and this seemed like a good time to start.

I also attended a few fabulous seminars, although my note taking was a bit lax. Two of the best for true plant geeks were the ones by Sean Hogan and (yes) Dan Hinkley...if you're interested in the plants they spoke about Justin over at the blog 'Growing Steady' has a great plant list you might want to check out, here.

So that was my YG&P Show experience...the good, and the bad. Coming up in just a week it's time to do it all over again at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. Hopefully my attention will be completely focused on the show this time.

46 comments:

  1. Hi Loree, sorry to hear what happened to Andrew. It must have been scary indeed but glad to know he's fine now and hopefully it's nothing serious. Send him our regards and well wishes.

    As for the show, I was looking forward to your post about it, hearing your opinions as seeing photos of the event as there's always something nice to spot in photos of garden show. Lots of nice things especially the reclaimed wood planter wall!

    Would love to hear talks of Dan Hinkley and Sean Hogan, hopefully we'll get the chance someday soon :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will let him know guys, thank you!

      If you guys had been in the audience when pictures of the sexy Scheffleras were shown you'd have laughed the audience reaction. We're starving for them over here!

      Delete
  2. Hey DG, Great post! I enjoyed reading about your perspective of the show and things that stood out to you. I'm glad Justin at Growing Steady wrote about Dan's seminar. I loved it but knew I was not getting the spelling of the plants right! lol I hope you find some answers for your hubby. Having our loved ones experience medical trauma just throws everything else into sharp perspective. Cheers, Jenni

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was a magic man with those names eh? I got all caught up in looking at the pictures and forgot to write things down.

      We've since found out there is a bit of a family history with fainting, would have been nice to know before hand but at least we know now!

      Delete
  3. As expected, some great ideas here plus some bad ones. Some great execution and some poor attempts. Something about seeing trees and other plants under artificial lighting just makes me uncomfortable.

    (Hope Andrew is okay! That's an overdone way to get out of plant conversations at a party, isn't it?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And just think...I didn't photograph the really horrible things!

      One of the ER nurses chided Andrew for going to such extremes to not be asked back to plant-centric events. Ya just a little dramatic...

      Delete
  4. After reading about Andrew, I could barely pay attention to the rest of the post, just like you at the show! My brother is in town and reported something very similar, passing out twice for unknown reasons. Doc apparently not very worried, so Andrew might be experiencing something similar. Something to do with the vagus nerve...and was Andrew taking a large gulp of a drink at the time like my brother? The most dangerous thing is apparently the falling down part of it. I do spy my golden Monterey cypress -- mine are finally getting big and taking their privacy screen duties seriously. What a trouper you are to go on with the show!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No large gulps, but that's interesting to know about thank you! (sounds like your brother is doing okay?) Yes he was lucky to have had another person and a wall to help break his fall so that he didn't conk his noggin. I have a friend who wasn't so lucky recently when she passed out and fell backwards with a smack and a resulting concussion. Scary stuff.

      I don't think I was a trouper...just trying to keep myself occupied the best way I know how.

      Delete
  5. I'm sorry to hear about the scare with Andrew. Good to know he went back to work right away and hope you find the answer soon. That's a good plant choice to cheer up his office.

    Great tour of the show, so many ideas to pick up for our own gardens. The price of agaves is sometimes quite stunning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the way you think...a spiky plant for cheer!

      Delete
  6. Wow, all I could focus on while reading your post was Andrew passing out. I hope he's OK. Something like that would scare the living daylights out of me. (Something similar happened to my wife almost 20 years ago and it's been a one-time thing, at least so far.)

    I loved a lot of the smaller vignettes you captured, like the hanging piece of wood (driftwood?) with succulents in it. The porch swing made out of a culvert cross-section is oddly inviting. And I absolutely love the fence made out of "woven" lengths of metal.

    But what's up with that sickly yellow lighting? It was my main beef at the SF Flower & Garden Show last year. Why can't they use a nice bright white light? I don't get it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like hearing about one time occurrences. I don't want to have to go through that ever again!

      Yep! It's the typical bad show lighting. I think they try to make the gardens look mysterious and inviting...hate it!

      Delete
  7. What a trooper you are! Your impressions and images of the show are, as always, fabulous. Hope Andrew is feeling better and you get some answers soon. At times like this our minds are always filled with questions - what could have caused something like this? Will he be o.k. at work without me there to help him? Did I remember to pay the last bill for that big life insurance policy? (Just me?) Sending you both positive and healing energy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luckily the life insurance bill comes right out as a payroll deduction so no worries there...but I was very hesitant to let him go to work. He reminded me he'd be surrounded by people who care and promised not to run up and down the stairs at all. (thanks for the energy)

      Delete
  8. Oh Loree, how very scary! I don't know if you like virtual hugs, but anyway, here's one. ((Loree)) I truly don't think I could have focused on the show in the same situation. I'm hoping it was just a simple case of being dehydrated.

    Thanks for taking the time to show us your pictures and tell us about the show. I am really thinking that next year I'd like to attend. Both of those swings are pretty cool. I have a large piece of extra culvert left over from my gravel garden, and I've been wondering what to do with it. Not sure about the pond underneath it, though, I would step in it too, just like you said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know Alison I think that's the first virtual hug I've gotten! Thank you. Dehydration was talked about a lot at first (in the ER) but then dismissed by the Sr doc on the scene, it certainly sounds like a possibility.

      I hope you will attend next year! It's really nice the way the two shows (PDX and SEA) have a week in between them this year, usually it seems they are back to back and that can get a bit hectic.

      Delete
  9. I'm so sorry about the scare with your husband--so glad to hear he's back in action now and I'm wishing him continued good health!

    I loved seeing the show through your eyes. I went Sunday--it was a lot of fun even though I missed all the great lectures. Next year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had planned to return on Sunday for a few lectures but instead stayed home...it was a good decision. Thank you for the wishes, we'll take everyone we can get!

      Delete
  10. I feel like most of the times, when I leave the YGP show, I have mixed feelings. Some things will strike me initially as being kind of cool...but then my brain kicks in and is like, "that's so never going to work in the real world!" Still, it's fun to go, if for nothing else than to bask in the shared enthusiasm of fellow gardeners :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You called it exactly Scott, it's the opportunity to soak up the excitement.

      Delete
  11. Sorry to hear about Mr. Danger - keep him healthy, Ms. Danger. Some of those items were nice to my eyes, since they are materials that just don't blend in here...maybe familiarity? Any thought I was at a home and garden show in Albuquerque - or Amarillo, Midland, etc. - was banished at the yoga model at that one garden. Pure OR!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you David, and yes...the yoga model wasn't too out of place here! I seriously considered asking her to move to the side and out of my way...

      Delete
  12. poor mr danger! I like the plant you bought him! You're right though, plant people rock!! I really am happy to see those phormiums back. keep em coming!!! oh, and those rusted wall panels ... they stole my heart!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You could so do those rusted panels Louis! And *sigh* the phormium...if the Home Depot brings in huge ones for $19.99 again (like they used to do) I am afraid I'll crack and pick up a couple...

      Delete
  13. Sometimes focusing on plants and gardens helps when you're facing issues you can't do anything about at the moment. Thanks for sharing your highlights from the show. I hope your husband gets a clean bill of health!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly Kris! And going through the motions of a familiar task (not the right word but I couldn't think of a better) are comforting.

      Delete
  14. I hope your husband is OK! It sounds good that he felt good enough to go to work again...

    Just like you, I really liked that one seating area, minus the accessories. Thanks for the pictures of inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He is very dedicated to his job! While I would have loved for him to stay home it was okay'd by the doc and an indication of how he was feeling so I guess in a way a good thing.

      The furniture in that seating area was fabulous!

      Delete
  15. Scary business with Andrew Loree ! I have only fainted once in my life; it was when I was a little girl at mass one Sunday when it was hot and the church was thick with incense.A strange event and I remember it to this day-the confusion and blankness.

    And on to that boomerang table, not just the wrong scale, but no integrity to the design at all.. big fail if you ask me. Your photo turned out really good..does PDX eschew the orangey darkness seen at other garden shows ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My chest gets tight just reading the words "mass one Sunday when it was hot and the church was thick with incense"...glad it was a one time thing for you!

      Big fail indeed! And no...the lighting is bad just like at the other shows, at least in the display garden area. A few of the ones that turned out okay there probably benefited from being near the other parts of the show and got a little extra light "carry-over"

      Delete
  16. Knowing that Andrew is properly and safely sorted out now, I'll say that I enjoyed many of the same features you did at this year's show. We both like the culvert swing chair - do you believe I didn't even see the water beneath it?! I also loved the cordwood dividers. I thought you could stack them in fall, enjoy them through the summer, replace them with new wood in fall again, then you'd have seasoned firewood to burn in winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The water was so dark I can see that it would be missed...and there were probably people blocking your view too!

      Delete
  17. I saw those agaves and read just the top of that sign and thought exactly the same thing. If they were 6 for $20, I would buy all of them and set up a stand outside the show charging at least twice as much :)

    Hopefully we'll see each other if you're coming up to Seattle for the big show. I'll be a docent at Riz Reyes' garden on Sat & Sun so I should be easy to find.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You could have paid for a shopping trip to Cistus with the money you made on the agaves!

      Once several years ago I went to the NWFGS on a weekend day. I swore never again...too many people! So I'll be there during the week and unfortunately miss you. I am looking forward to seeing what Riz puts together, all the plants and plans he's been showing look fabulous!

      Delete
  18. How scary! I'm so glad Andrew is okay. And I totally fell for that confusing sign on the agaves too. I thought I was finally going to get a Jaws when I realized they were $12. Keep us updated on Andrew!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I felt like my generally fuzzy/worried state of mind made conversations a little "off" I feared people I talked with who didn't know (like you) might have thought I was being spacey or rude.

      I am glad to know I wasn't the only one confused by that sign! (and really you should have gotten a Jaws anyway!)

      Delete
  19. Andrew & I are kindred spirits.

    I didn't realize there'd be plants for sale. Duh. But it was too much for the rattled brain. Wish I'd seen you because I know you'd have given me a friendly nudge in the right direction. Especially on the volume discounts.

    Also got a new lead on Ranchville. I might need suggestions on which plants move with me--should it come to that...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Damn! A missed plant buying opportunity? You'll just have to make up for it at the HPSO sale.

      Delete
  20. How frightening ...poor Andrew ,poor you . I missed the show...again. Got all the seminars days muddled . In the end I stayed home and ...gardened a bit. Next year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you can't be at a garden show (or choose not to be) then gardening is the best "other" thing to be doing!

      Delete
  21. I had never heard of a virtual hug before Alison gave you one, but I think it's a great idea and I think you both need them, so: (Loree) (Andrew). You both had the right idea going about your business rather than dwelling on the "what if's". Please let us know if there are further developments, but I'm pulling for the isolated incident theory.
    No, you did not give off any strange vibes, and your reportage did not suffer either. The years that I have missed going myself, I have felt that I was there after reading your posts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will let Andrew know he was virtually hugged and I'm sure he will appreciate it. Doc appt today and lots of tests scheduled so we will get to the bottom of this! It was a pleasure to bump into you at the show, I wanted to say something but was kind of enjoying talking to a friendly face that didn't know...if that makes sense?

      Delete
  22. Hope Mr. Danger is all better now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hoov...he certainly seems to be his "old" self!

      Delete
  23. I probably would have passed out too, it's been that long that I have been to a real flower and garden show. I spoke at one last Friday that was more like the granite counter top and new bath fixture show.

    I am glad your husband is OK.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks @Danger & all for your comments, particularly the Red Bird garden (near to my heart :) ). Even after a year, still intriguing to take in reactions. You're welcome to come on over & share the swing anytime (wine provided) and dangle your toes off the edge into the reflecting pool. Quite fun... Best to you and for your husb's health. And may be we'll finally meet @ one of 2014 shows... May delight be in the garden heart.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!