My garden is on the road again and I am thrilled. Some thought I should never have come to Seattle and believe me at times I couldn’t agree more. But as I picked up my New York Times this morning and read a lead story about the closing of major Garden Shows across the country, I couldn’t help but think how lucky I am to have experienced this and how sad for our country if this great tradition goes the way of the local newspaper. I think the article missed the point as it quoted person after person stating that baby boomers was getting older and the younger homeowner think gardening is a dirty word as the reason for the closing. I’ve heard that, but I definitely didn’t experience it in Seattle or in Philadelphia this week as I visited that garden show. I saw plenty of strollers and young hipster with their lucky bamboo wrapped in brown paper tucked under their arm, wandering through the show gardens looking for inspiration.
I do think garden creators could hip it up a notch, embrace the new sustainable and outdoor living desire, but I don’t think garden design is done. Far from it. The green movement sweeping the country has left ‘30 somethings’ needing inspiration and info on how to live with nature and not destroy it. Now, more than ever we need Garden Shows to teach, inspire and lead the way away from the green grass putting lawn and into the drought tolerant, sedum strewn yards of our future. Every fifth person waiting in line to see my garden in Seattle asked for the plant list and instruction on how they could grow and maintain their own green wall or green roof. That is progress, and very hopeful for a true gardening revolution in the future. 
Perhaps the days of forcing flowers into early bloom, wasting lots of energy on the way, and growing precious, difficult tender nutrient feeding “show” flowers, has had it’s day, but that need not mean all gardening is old fashion. It’s a new day, a new time and if my sustainable rooftop garden and all it’s awards is any indication…the garden show judges and the people who attend seem to really appreciate the new direction.
Let’s support the Garden Shows….come see us in San Francisco March 18-22. And may someone please step forward and buy the show so it is not it’s last year. Or let’s write to Congress and have them bail it out….I can’t think of a better “green jobs” or “green educational” program.
If you love gardens but live in an apartment or condo without an inch of land to your name fear not. I have made it my mission to find the coolest stuff you don’t have to water, fertilize or take care of in any way. I have always been a big proponent of using garden accoutrement to indoors. My own living room has a life size cast stone statue of a goddess of the garden peaking over my modern olive green curved armless sofa. Not only is it beautiful and whimsical, it takes away some of my resentment that the only greens growing in my backyard are the weeds creeping throught the cracks in the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel.
