Islander's Nature Photography a Draw at Northwest Flower & Garden Show

Mid-winter blues getting you down?

Fine art photograpaher David Fishman and hundreds of other exhibitors offer acres of color and life as inspiration at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this weekend at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle open Feb 8-12.

Fishman, a Mercer Island resident for many years, has won several local and state prizes over the past 5 years with his stunning botanical photography. He has shown some work at the Community Center and at the MIVAL Gallery in recent years. At the Flower & Garden show, his original photographs from his studio Unique Botanical Portraits can be found in Booth #1103.

"We've got portraits large and small, some are made into tiles, and some are cards," he said.

Fishman is reportedly a Finalist in the "Washington State Juried Art Competition" and will hold a solo exhibition of his work in the University of Washington's Elisabeth C. Miller Library this coming June and July. Hosting visitors at this booth on Thusday, he said he received an unexpected visit by noted photographer and PBS television host Art Wolfe (of TV show "Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge"), who complimented his work and suggested submitting them to the UW's Burke Museum.

"That's been my highlight so far, he said. "What an honor!"

His portraits of both common and rare flowers and plants contrasted against a dark background offer extraordinary detail found in nature.

"(He) incorporates eye-catching color and intriguing shapes and patterns in his close-up botanical portraits," an event press release states. "His extraordinary perspective of flowers and plants will make even the most serious gardener look twice.

Lara Vyas's Northwest Flower & Garden Show Top Picks 

After spending three days helping build a couple of the gardens, it is such a delight to see them all in their full glory. The artistry and the ingenuity of the designers is reflected in the various elements of the garden. The theme – A Floral Symphony is visible in both subtle and bold forms in all gardens at this year's show.

Gardens like ‘April in Paris’ (Wights Home & Garden) and ‘Tales of Wonder’ (Fancy Fronds) transport me to a romantic fantasyland, while ‘A Force of Nature’ (Elandan Gardens) reminds me of the resilience of the natural world. The grandeur of the 600-year old tree trunk (a combination of cedar, hemlock and silver fir) is simply breathtaking!

As you navigate through the show, take notes and photographs of the elements you like. Refer back to them when you build your own dream garden.

Contemporary design ideas

Permeable paving, garden sculpture made out of recycled materials and the beautiful repurposed pallet box are some of the elements that stand out in 'Winter’s Come and Gone’ by WSNLA andNative Root Designs. The secret behind the disappearing pondless water feature is the permeable patio with a small underground catchment system. Not only is it cost-effective, it is clearly low maintenance and works well in small spaces.

A garden with a purpose is ‘Dinner Bell Rings’ by Cascadian Edible Landscapes. A rustic farm table under a beautiful musical trellis is surrounded by fruits and vegetables growing in raised beds, that are built using compost socks and tree rounds. Seems very sensible and down-to-earth to me!

Planters made out of tree rounds and logs catch my fancy in ‘Twistin’ the Night Away’ by Dakara Landscape Design. I love the red colors of Nandina ‘Sienna Sunrise’ that can brighten up any winter landscape. And how can I not mention the beauty of Contorted Filbert’s twisted stems and late-winter catkins?

A bird-lover’s paradise is ‘BirdSong’ by The Arboretum Foundation and Seattle Audubon Society. The tech geek in me loves the QR codes on the signage. When scanned by your smart phone, it lets you listen to bird songs and sounds. Note the snag (a standing dead tree) in the garden – a critical bird habitat for many bird species. Use of native plants like red huckleberry, red osier dogwood, evergreen huckleberry, bunchberry, etc in the garden is something that we can all do to make our gardens wildlife friendly.

On a side note- the recent snowstorm has brought down several trees, especially in Woodinville. Keep them in the garden! Choosing to let the standing snags stay, recycling the tree rounds for a garden bed, and placing the logs around your garden, can help attract birds into the yard.

Something for everyone

The container gardens are on display at the Skybridge. It’s a great place to get ideas on gardening in small spaces, especially on apartment balconies. I love the shocking orange containers in Cultivar LLC and Aw Pottery’s design – such a superb focal point in the garden. What a fun way to add the 2012 color of the year ‘Tangerine Tango’ into the landscape!

The Marketplace is brimming with plants for sale. Gardening books, botanical art, garden boots and tools – all so enticing. There is impressive line-up of seminars as well.

Don’t forget to stop by the Great Plant Picks booth – a wonderful resource for plant lovers of the maritime Pacific Northwest. They are handing out their new “Made in the Shade” posters free to all attendees.

Families with young children will especially love the PlayGarden. It offers hands-on garden activities around-the-clock and features well-know musicians like Casper Babypants and Nancy Stewart on their Sprout stage. Kids under 12 get a free entry to the show, which makes this event just the thing to do on a cloudy winter day.