Gardening experts ready to do battle in Seattle

Time to take a trip around the world – just by making a trip to Seattle.

This year the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival show runs Feb. 20-24 at the Washington State Convention Center, and the theme is “Gardens of the World.” Get a ticket to see acres of show gardens, plant vendors and outdoor-design inspiration. You can use public transportation or park at the convention center with plenty of nearby parking on the weekend or after 3 p.m.

You can also watch as I host “Container Wars” every day at 11:30 a.m. in the North Hall Stage.

What is Container Wars?

Container Wars is a reality show, live competition and container garden “how-to” all in one. Two gardening experts (on Friday we pit Ciscoe Morris against Richie Steffen) are given a plethora of plants and three different sized containers to design. The clock starts ticking and dirt will fly. As the experts plant, I will be asking questions, sharing tips and adding unexpected challenges to the design process.

What do you learn while being entertained by Container Wars?

The country’s top designers, some flying in from the east coast, will be combining plants we can all purchase at local nurseries to come up with unique and eye catching combinations. You see winter/early spring color combos created from locally grown plants available at local nurseries. You’ll also be inspired by a jolt of creativity as the design professionals bring in branches, art glass and even bobblehead dolls to dress up their container gardens.

Tips to get the most out of the Container Wars show:

▪ Charge up your phone as you will want photos of not just finished product to imitate for your own patio but also the “how-to” steps and planting techniques.

▪ The start time of the show (11:30 a.m.) and location near the food court means you can plan to take a break from touring the show gardens and vendors and recharge while being entertained as you eat. The seating is arranged around tables.

▪ After watching the contestants you will also be invited to sit in on one of their seminars, as all will be speaking at the show as well as competing for the blue ribbon container garden against a rival. As an example, Jenny Rose Carey, a competitor on Wednesday’s opening day of Container Wars, will also be speaking that same afternoon at 3 p.m. on “Gardening without Sprinklers? Dry Gardens and Rain Gardens” so you can expect her container creation to be a winner for anyone that forgets to water their pots.

This story was originally published February 15, 2019 at 12:00 AM.