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.
I was elated to be able to make the short trip from Vancouver to Seattle to attend the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this year. I was excited for the opportunity to meet some of my favourite garden authors, buy some fabulous goodies, and just get inspired.
Gardening in a small space sometimes leaves me feeling envy for the the expansive veggie gardens and fruit orchards that I seem to see on endless magazine pages and websites. My new home doesn’t have much room for a backyard garden and not a lick of room for one in the front. I have to pick and choose what I want to grow very carefully, be it things I love that are hard to find at the market, or veggies that just taste a whole lot better when picked fresh. I was just thinking about this today as I get ready to start my vegetable seeds and then I read an article in Martha Stewart Living’s March 2013 issue about professional forager, Tama Matsuoka Wong. Fascinating!
Photo: colinclarkphoto.com
I’ve often been interested in foraging, and have certainly gone on my fair share of mushroom hunts, but this is a great way to augment my limited garden production. I love that Tama not only collects a variety of wild edibles for restaurants, but also teaches school children this skill. Tama has a new book out, Foraged Flavor: Finding Fabulous Ingredients in Your Backyard or Farmer’s Market (Clarkson Potter, 2012), that I’ll be rushing to pick up. Particularly when I can see the range of edibles she describes.
