Let’s be fair, I had absolutely no interest in the “home” part of the show. I came for “garden” and it was a bit of a tough sell considering I was just at the greatest garden show on earth! That being said, there were a few things that I loved at the BC Home and Garden Show that I didn’t get to see at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.

Hits

Western Independent Greenhouses

If you haven’t been to W.I.G., GO! Well, you will have to wait for them to open for the year, but when they do…GO! They have the most amazing succulents and their container displays are second to none. 

Clean Line Garden Design

There was some beautiful landscaping on display like this design inspired by a recent trip to Bali.

And these fabulous concrete and wood benches. I love the look of them but for my own home I definitely prefer the comfort of a hammock!

Harmony with the Hardscaping

There were a number of displays that showcased a strong focus on planting unique parts of the hardscape. I thought the balance of softening up various structures–like these stone steps–added interest and harmony.

Fire & Water

There were fire features galore at the show but none got the official “awesome” rating from Mr. Garden Therapy except this one. A gas fire line coming up through an outdoor pond. Yeah, that’s pretty cool.

Misses

Fake Snow

Ugh. I saw this for the first time at the nurseries this winter. Someone is smothering live plants with fake snow! It must be stopped people. Talk about Crimes Against Horticulture.

Fake Lawn

I have a friend who had this horrible plastic fake lawn installed a few houses down from her. She moved. OK, so it wasn’t the only factor in the decision, but talk about a neighbourhood on the decline. You don’t want to deal with high maintenance grass? No problem…there is a miriad of alternative lawn replacement options that don’t involve sheets of hairy green plastic. Friends don’t let friends install fake lawns.

Crap Vendors

The biggest miss of the show was the abhorrent winding pathway through crap vendors to get to the show floor. I mean this cattle herding experience took me by seemingly endless booths with microphone-wearing sales people trying to draw you in to buy the latest junk. Sure, some people love that stuff, but I felt like I was living a late night infomercial nightmare and couldn’t escape. I feel bad for the legitimate vendors selling quality products who had to get lumped in with the crap. Without a headset or a “special show offer” they just may not have been able to break through the masses of clutter of chip bag clips, nail art, and jewelry cleaners.

So what do you think? Did you go to the show and find what you were looking for?