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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

In Some Vases at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show

The garden show season is upon us!  Portland's Yard, Garden, and Patio show happens next weekend and the following week is The Northwest Flower and Garden Show.  Each year, these shows signal the beginning of a new gardening season and have become for me as much an indication of the changing season  as are the Camellias, Snowdrops, and Hellebores.  Tacoma has a Home and Garden show in it's picturesque Tacoma Dome which, unfortunately, has become more home and less garden oriented over it's thirty-three years.  There are still landscape designers, firms, and so forth and a couple of well done gardens (more on that later) and it's a great place to find all sorts of resources for home projects big and small.  I personally found a local company that resurfaces old sinks and tubs, something that our upstairs claw-foot tub desperately needs.  (See Heather's post here about having this done to her tub.)  An area of the show which is spectacular is the vintage market.  This year, there seemed to be a lot of flowers incorporated into the displays.  I considered using these yesterday for In a Vase on Monday but thought better of it.

 More and more at these vintage markets, I find myself waxing nostalgic when spying objects that I once used like phones with dials, electric typewriters and dishes.   These canning jars in their rusting rack make a rather clever flower receptacles.

As are the bed springs with bottles. 


Unusual but interesting- Pussy Willows, Dried Banksias, and rope.

I found a silver plated tea pot, priced at less than a dollar as the finial had broken off the lid, at a thrift store the other day and brought it home with the idea of using it as a vase.  Great minds think alike!

Loved this one for some reason.

One of the great things about this vintage/ shabby chic movement is the ability to combine disparate items to create interesting still life scenes.
A full post about the vintage market and the rest of the show will come later.  
Happy gardening and arranging!

10 comments:

  1. Happy gardening to you too. Thanks for sharing these arrangements.

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  2. Wow, you make that show look like a winner with these images. Only 2 weeks until the NWFG Show...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Ooo, that gets me excited! I love the vintage market at the NWFG Show. Won't be long now.

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  4. I find myself noticing flower arrangements even more than usual ever since the 'In a Vase' thing got going...how about you? And I'm glad you doubled down on vases this week.

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  5. I've been anticipating your going to the garden shows. Thanks for these great shots of fun displays.

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  6. Let the garden show season commence!

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  7. Love the bed springs with bottles idea.

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  8. There are many days I kick myself for getting rid of my bright red rotary dial phone. Can't believe how packed full your greenhouse is.

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  9. Lovely ideas for arrangements. I like the canning jars.

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  10. Lovely ideas for arrangements. I like the canning jars.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.