No Room for Miniature Gardening at the Big Northwest Flower & Garden Show?
~ Well, a fairy garden made it into one of the big display gardens at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this year – that’s something at least. There were a couple of booths where you could buy some fairy-wares, but there were were no miniatures for miniature gardening. Really? (What’s the difference between fairy gardens and miniature gardens? See here.)
Where are the Miniature Gardens?
We brought our miniature gardens to the second largest garden show in the country, held every February here in Seattle, for ten years straight. I think our last display was in 2014 that capped the 10-year run on our creative displays promoting the new hobby. There was always a crowd around our exhibits taking in the details and snapping photos – it was always well-received with the public reassuring me that they always looked for it each year.
So, when the Northwest Flower and Garden Show changed ownership in 2013 the place where we set up our miniature gardens changed too. The configuration of our usual exhibit space on the skybridge became a little too big for this miniature gardener. When I asked, and I’ve asked every year, if I could get a spot for a miniature garden display, the response was always, “We are booked, there is no more room.”
There was no room for miniature gardening at the second largest garden show in the country.
Lol!
Even Swanson’s Nursery, the place where I had my big “Aha Moment” when the universe blessed me with the idea, had only a few things for fairy gardening.
Oh, the joy! THE JOY of bringing something new to the marketplace! AWESOME! Lol!
Give them the benefit of the doubt? Maybe “what we have here failure to communicate?”
But, you see, I was hoping that if I backed-off, other people might come forward and display their miniature gardens, but that hasn’t happened yet either. So I guess I’m going to have to do something about this.
SO, WHADDAYA THINK:
Would YOU want to bring one of YOUR miniature gardens to show at this show? I can see it working like any other club where we all take turns looking after the display in exchange for a ticket to the show.
Even though it was a fairy garden in that big garden display this year, it still got a lot of attention and there was always a crowd around it taking pictures…
Let me know what you think in the comments below! If there is enough interest, we can make something fun happen but we’ll need to act early and see if we can “make” some room for the biggest and newest garden niche. :o)
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I got my start in miniature gardening after visiting your display (and booth) at the NW Flower and Garden Show. Love the workshops you do too, Janit. I’ve looked for you every year after, have commented about the lack of representation in any surveys I do at the show, and would defititely be interested in hearing more about your idea to get a foot in the door.
That’s awesome, Cindee!! Thank you! ??
I would volunteer my time even if I couldn’t bring a garden. I have been so inspired by you! Especially in my Flamework studio, creating little glass treasures for my gardens. Having the miniature gardens has given me a beautiful connection with a young girl in our neighborhood. She spends hours on my porch rearranging them. It has given her an interest in nature and hiking to see what we might find.
What a nice note, Von! You just made my day. What a great connection you made with your neighbor – I bet she will remember you and your gardens forever. Thank you for your feedback – it’s very encouraging!
I did follow your lead and found your website. I love your miniature glass bamboo stakes! I can see playing with a wall of those in the miniature garden and make a mini Chihuly glass garden. I’m keeping you on my radar too. Lol! <3
You are sweet. I kind of retired from doing glass for a couple of years to help a family member and have just recently thought about doing a few little things again when the weather gets warmer. I did do a bunch of Chihuly inspired spikes for my own garden. I will have to try some again. Now you are inspiring me once again to get busy.
Janit! I would 1000000% help you and/or bring a garden to display. I noticed that the only real kid-interaction with gardens at the show is the scavenger hunt and the fairy gardens. It would be super cool to get kids and kids-at-heart inspired and involved through the power of miniature. 🙂
Hi Jodi! That would be cool to have something for the kids but kids aren’t in my wheelhouse – I forgot to have one so my experience with them is almost nil. The NWFGS had a kids garden but I don’t recall seeing one this year. Did I miss it? Is that where the fairy gardens were?
Hi Janit,
I’m not sure who you’ve been in contact with at the show, but I think you’re getting the wrong information from someone.
1. The show switched ownership in 2010, not 2013.
2. We changed the Small Space Showcase in 2015, not 2013, to our City Living displays because there was a demand for balcony themed container gardens for our apartment/condo dwelling attendees.
3. I don’t see any applications from you/your company in our system in the past few years, so again, not sure who you talked to, but we would happily have you included in our Plant Market and even in our City Living displays. I know your booths were well-loved before you stopped participating.
I think it’s a big interest to the public and we’d absolutely appreciate your participation in bringing more miniature gardening to the show. But we can’t do it ourselves. I don’t know the whole story on why you haven’t been in the show, but I look forward to your applications for 2018. 🙂
Thanks!
Courtney
#nwfgs Social Media
Hi Courtney! Thanks for commenting! We seldom get any response so this is a nice surprise.
1.) I knew I had the dates mixed up – thank you for straightening me out.
2.) It was the City Living display change that became too big for us because we don’t have the resources that a “regular” garden center or landscaping company does.
3.) I haven’t applied for anything because there is no where for me to fit. I’ve always asked Linda about display space and she always says, “get a booth,” which we’ve tried (3 times), but it is simply just too much for us to handle with the online stores too. Again, it’s because we don’t have the resources of a regular garden center – so we don’t fit into the Plant Market either. You have probably found that a number of Ma & Pa nurseries that were anchors in the show are not longer able to participate anymore as well, unfortunately.
It was the Skybridge display that everyone loved and looked forward to seeing each year – not our booth. People would actually seek it out and apparently still do.
I’m gathering names in hopes that we can do something like the Ikebana club does – can you let me know if that is a possibility? If so, who do I speak with?
Thanks again for reaching out, I appreciate it. – J.