In the garden: Get ready for inspiration at the garden show

Sue Goetz

guest columnist

The fourth annual Point Defiance Flower and Garden show will be back in grand fashion June 6-8.

Encompassing more than 12 acres of Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, the show is considered one of the largest outdoor flower shows in the Northwest.

The wow factor begins at the entry with a garden created by landscape rock giant Marenakos. They’re not just little rocks, mind you, but they’re large boulders filled with pockets of plantings.

Be sure to stop at the entry and make reservations for afternoon tea among antiques and finery in the historic park lodge.

As you journey farther through the gates, expect the who’s who and the what’s what of all things gardening.

Garden lectures include local favorites Marianne Binetti and Marty Wingate. New this year, a panel of Certified Professional Horticulturists will be on hand at the Franciscan garden stage at 4 p.m. Friday to give advice, from veggies to garden design. They’ll take questions for all your garden dilemmas.

The educational booths along the main walk will connect you with local plant societies, groups and public garden information.

More than 100 vendors will showcase and tempt your checkbook with plants, garden art and tools. Check out the glass and metal sculpture artists for something new to dress up the garden.

I can’t wait to see what Blue Frog Nursery and Jade Mountain Bamboo have to tempt plant additions to my garden.

Journey to the end of the walk and enter the Grand Display tent. This is one of the most popular parts of the show.

The designers take all week prior to the show to build, including tons of stone, 200 yards of compost and thousands of plants, to create full-size garden inspiration.

Stop by to say “hi” to the volunteers of the Gig Harbor Garden tour as they show off their garden display “A Reader’s Garden … stepping stones to literacy.”

Local nursery Peninsula Gardens will also create a garden called “A Child’s Paradise for the Young at Heart.”

Don’t get famished with all this extreme garden inspiration. Stop at the many food pavilions throughout the park.

Then, after a day of garden shopping (the Boy Scouts and plant porters will hold your purchases until you are ready to go), finish it off with a stop in the beer and wine jazz garden.

In the midst of the rose garden at the park, this weekend only, the garden will transform into an elegant outdoor jazz club with live music for a great place to meet up with friends.

Good food, wine, plants, gardens — I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend.

Point Defiance Flower and Garden Show

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 6-7.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8

Tickets: $10, ($7 for groups of 10 or more)

More information: www.ptdefianceflowershow.com.

Join “In the Garden” columnist, Sue Goetz at her lecture on the Franciscan Garden stage at 2:15 p.m. June 8 featuring Theme Herb Gardens in Pots.

From culinary to aromatherapy, learn how-tos for planting design and get the recipes to create your own, plus favorite tips on how to use the herbs you grow.

Sue Goetz, CPH, is a garden consultant, designer, speaker and writer from Gig Harbor. Visit www.thecreativegardener.com or e-mail questions to be answered in this column to info@thecreativegardener.com.