All seminars are FREE with your Festival ticket unless otherwise indicated!
Plan your Festival experience around your favorite speakers, special events, and activities!
Check back closer to your visit for the latest schedule updates and new additions.
Friday, February 19, 2027
Book Signing Add to Calendar
Adams Room
Seminar Level (3rd floor, Tahoma Level)
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10:30am |
Birds: The Gateway Drug to Gardening (Panel) Jennifer Jewell (Moderator) - NPR and Public Television Host Nick Bayard - BirdNote Executive Director David Mizejewsi - Author, Naturalist, TV Host, Urban Ecologist Amy Stewart - NY Times Bestselling Author First you put up a bird feeder. Then you plant something with berries. Suddenly you’re researching native plants, leaving seedheads standing, adding water, and wondering what else you can grow to bring more birds into your garden. Sound familiar? NPR’s Cultivating Place host Jennifer Jewell brings together bestselling author Amy Stewart, National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski, and BirdNote Executive Director Nick Bayard for a lively conversation about the powerful connection between birds and gardening. Why do birds inspire us to see our gardens differently? How can the desire to welcome and support them lead to richer, more diverse landscapes? And what happens when bird lovers become gardeners, and gardeners become bird lovers?
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Birds: The Gateway Drug to Gardening (Panel)
First you put up a bird feeder. Then you plant something with berries. Suddenly you’re researching native plants, leaving seedheads standing, adding water, and wondering what else you can grow to bring more birds into your garden. Sound familiar? NPR’s Cultivating Place host Jennifer Jewell brings together bestselling author Amy Stewart, National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski, and BirdNote Executive Director Nick Bayard for a lively conversation about the powerful connection between birds and gardening. Why do birds inspire us to see our gardens differently? How can the desire to welcome and support them lead to richer, more diverse landscapes? And what happens when bird lovers become gardeners, and gardeners become bird lovers?
Friday, February 19, 2027 10:30am
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12:00pm |
The Wheel of the Year for Gardeners Lindsey Teuteberg - Author, Green Witch, Music Therapist
View More
The Wheel of the Year is a concept most often found in pagan circles, where holidays and magical workings are aligned with where one is in the calendar year. Rooted in the changing seasons, it offers a framework for living in connection with the land throughout the year. Explore how the Wheel of the Year can be adapted to the gardening year, offering a different way to observe seasonal rhythms and maintain a close relationship with the garden and the earth, whatever the weather or time of year. |
The Wheel of the Year for Gardeners
The Wheel of the Year is a concept most often found in pagan circles, where holidays and magical workings are aligned with where one is in the calendar year. Rooted in the changing seasons, it offers a framework for living in connection with the land throughout the year. Explore how the Wheel of the Year can be adapted to the gardening year, offering a different way to observe seasonal rhythms and maintain a close relationship with the garden and the earth, whatever the weather or time of year. Friday, February 19, 2027 12:00pm
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1:30pm |
Design Before You Dig Chia-Ming Ro - Content Creator, Educator, Garden Designer
View More
The biggest garden mistakes can happen before a single plant goes in the ground. Discover how to approach your garden like a professional designer by reading the space, assessing sun and water, planning for flow and function, and making intentional decisions before spending a dollar. Then turn that plan into something you can realistically accomplish. Find out how to break a larger garden vision into manageable stages, decide what makes sense to DIY and what may be worth hiring out, and keep each phase working toward the garden you ultimately want. You’ll leave with a practical framework for designing with purpose and bringing your garden to life on your own timeline.
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Design Before You Dig
The biggest garden mistakes can happen before a single plant goes in the ground. Discover how to approach your garden like a professional designer by reading the space, assessing sun and water, planning for flow and function, and making intentional decisions before spending a dollar. Then turn that plan into something you can realistically accomplish. Find out how to break a larger garden vision into manageable stages, decide what makes sense to DIY and what may be worth hiring out, and keep each phase working toward the garden you ultimately want. You’ll leave with a practical framework for designing with purpose and bringing your garden to life on your own timeline.
Friday, February 19, 2027 1:30pm
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3:00pm |
Hydrangeas Through the Seasons Skye Hamilton - Content Creator, Hydrangea Queen, Interior Designer
View More
A beautiful hydrangea garden is a year-round affair. Follow the hydrangea calendar from spring planting and summer feeding through fall flower drying and winter pruning, with practical guidance for giving these much-loved shrubs what they need in every season. Whether you’re planting your first hydrangea or caring for an established collection, you’ll come away with a season-by-season approach to keeping your plants thriving and enjoying them throughout the year, from fresh summer blooms to dried flowers in fall and winter.
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Hydrangeas Through the Seasons
A beautiful hydrangea garden is a year-round affair. Follow the hydrangea calendar from spring planting and summer feeding through fall flower drying and winter pruning, with practical guidance for giving these much-loved shrubs what they need in every season. Whether you’re planting your first hydrangea or caring for an established collection, you’ll come away with a season-by-season approach to keeping your plants thriving and enjoying them throughout the year, from fresh summer blooms to dried flowers in fall and winter.
Friday, February 19, 2027 3:00pm
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4:30pm |
Garden Optional: Grow Where You Are Pamela Wilkins - Creator Garden Optional, Librarian, Zine Maker What if becoming a gardener had nothing to do with owning land? Rethink what it means to be a gardener and discover how gardening can become a practice that fits your life, whether you grow in a backyard, on a balcony, across a windowsill, or somewhere entirely your own. Through personal stories, practical ideas, and plenty of encouragement, explore the idea that gardeners are made by mindset, not land ownership. Whether you’ve gardened for years or aren’t quite sure you’re “the gardening type,” you’ll leave inspired to grow where you are, with what you have, and on your own terms. |
Garden Optional: Grow Where You Are
What if becoming a gardener had nothing to do with owning land? Rethink what it means to be a gardener and discover how gardening can become a practice that fits your life, whether you grow in a backyard, on a balcony, across a windowsill, or somewhere entirely your own. Through personal stories, practical ideas, and plenty of encouragement, explore the idea that gardeners are made by mindset, not land ownership. Whether you’ve gardened for years or aren’t quite sure you’re “the gardening type,” you’ll leave inspired to grow where you are, with what you have, and on your own terms. Friday, February 19, 2027 4:30pm
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Hood Room
Seminar Level (3rd floor, Tahoma Level)
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9:30am |
Meadow Makeover: Lessons from Bloedel Reserve for Your Garden Haley Wiggins - Botanist, Bloedel Reserve Natural Area Conservation Manager What can eight years of habitat restoration at Bloedel Reserve teach us about our own gardens? At the Reserve’s Buxton Bird Marsh and Meadow, a variety of methods have been tested to transform areas with low plant diversity into thriving habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Discover what Bloedel has learned from experimenting with different approaches to preparing, planting, and restoring these landscapes, and how those lessons can translate to gardens of all sizes. You’ll leave with practical ideas for increasing plant diversity and creating better habitat for the wildlife that shares your garden.   |
Meadow Makeover: Lessons from Bloedel Reserve for Your Garden
What can eight years of habitat restoration at Bloedel Reserve teach us about our own gardens? At the Reserve’s Buxton Bird Marsh and Meadow, a variety of methods have been tested to transform areas with low plant diversity into thriving habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Discover what Bloedel has learned from experimenting with different approaches to preparing, planting, and restoring these landscapes, and how those lessons can translate to gardens of all sizes. You’ll leave with practical ideas for increasing plant diversity and creating better habitat for the wildlife that shares your garden. Friday, February 19, 2027 9:30am
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10:45am |
Edimentals: Edible Ornamentals Brandon Dean - Founder of Healthy Homestead Design, Permaculture Professional
View More
What if your garden could be just as beautiful as it is delicious? Discover “edimentals,” edible ornamental plants that pull double duty as striking landscape features and nutritious food sources. From flowering perennials to shrubs, explore plants you may never have known you could eat and learn how to weave them into existing beds and borders. You’ll leave with fresh ideas for creating a garden that offers both beauty and abundance, and a new perspective on what an edible landscape can look like. |
Edimentals: Edible Ornamentals
What if your garden could be just as beautiful as it is delicious? Discover “edimentals,” edible ornamental plants that pull double duty as striking landscape features and nutritious food sources. From flowering perennials to shrubs, explore plants you may never have known you could eat and learn how to weave them into existing beds and borders. You’ll leave with fresh ideas for creating a garden that offers both beauty and abundance, and a new perspective on what an edible landscape can look like. Friday, February 19, 2027 10:45am
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12:00pm |
Let’s Talk Trash: Gardening Beyond the Bin Nan Sterman - Author, Botanist, Garden Designer, Journalist, Television Host
View More
Gardeners are renowned for their dedication to reuse, repurpose, and recycle. Take those three “R’s” to a whole new level with creative, and sometimes quirky, examples of garden reuse from around the world. Rethink “trash” and not-so-trash as resources for creating beauty and function in the garden. From retaining walls and walkways to fences, sheds, and even wildlife habitats, discover how imaginative reuse can solve garden challenges, save money, and keep useful materials out of the waste stream. |
Let’s Talk Trash: Gardening Beyond the Bin
Gardeners are renowned for their dedication to reuse, repurpose, and recycle. Take those three “R’s” to a whole new level with creative, and sometimes quirky, examples of garden reuse from around the world. Rethink “trash” and not-so-trash as resources for creating beauty and function in the garden. From retaining walls and walkways to fences, sheds, and even wildlife habitats, discover how imaginative reuse can solve garden challenges, save money, and keep useful materials out of the waste stream. Friday, February 19, 2027 12:00pm
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1:15pm |
Greenhouse Dreamhouse: A Year of Extraordinary Plants Matt Mattus - Author, AHS Horticulture Director
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What could you grow if you had a greenhouse? The possibilities extend far beyond starting seeds and overwintering tender plants. Inspired by his new book, Greenhouse Dreamhouse, Matt Mattus takes gardeners on a year-round journey through the extraordinary plants, flowers, and collections that thrive in cold, cool, and warm greenhouses. Drawing inspiration from 19th-century greenhouse traditions, he explores the seasonal rhythms of greenhouse gardening and the fascinating possibilities each month brings. Discover South African bulbs, exhibition and Japanese chrysanthemums, flowering acacias, cyclamen species, and other botanical treasures. Some are centuries-old favorites, while others are being rediscovered by today's adventurous gardeners and flower farmers. Matt's presentation offers fresh inspiration for anyone who dreams of growing something a little out of the ordinary. |
Greenhouse Dreamhouse: A Year of Extraordinary Plants
What could you grow if you had a greenhouse? The possibilities extend far beyond starting seeds and overwintering tender plants. Inspired by his new book, Greenhouse Dreamhouse, Matt Mattus takes gardeners on a year-round journey through the extraordinary plants, flowers, and collections that thrive in cold, cool, and warm greenhouses. Drawing inspiration from 19th-century greenhouse traditions, he explores the seasonal rhythms of greenhouse gardening and the fascinating possibilities each month brings. Discover South African bulbs, exhibition and Japanese chrysanthemums, flowering acacias, cyclamen species, and other botanical treasures. Some are centuries-old favorites, while others are being rediscovered by today's adventurous gardeners and flower farmers. Matt's presentation offers fresh inspiration for anyone who dreams of growing something a little out of the ordinary. Friday, February 19, 2027 1:15pm
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2:30pm |
Grow Your Soil, Heal Your Soul Briana Bosch - Author, Owner of Blossom & Branch Farm
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Discover how caring for the life beneath your feet can deepen your connection to the garden and bring a little more peace and purpose to the time you spend there. By bringing the principles of regenerative agriculture home, you can also build healthier, more productive garden soil. Learn how practices such as cover cropping and inoculation can reduce reliance on fertilizers and amendments while supporting pollinators and the larger garden ecosystem. Healthier soil can mean healthier plants, fewer disease problems, better produce, and lower costs, all while creating a more resilient garden from the ground up. |
Grow Your Soil, Heal Your Soul
Discover how caring for the life beneath your feet can deepen your connection to the garden and bring a little more peace and purpose to the time you spend there. By bringing the principles of regenerative agriculture home, you can also build healthier, more productive garden soil. Learn how practices such as cover cropping and inoculation can reduce reliance on fertilizers and amendments while supporting pollinators and the larger garden ecosystem. Healthier soil can mean healthier plants, fewer disease problems, better produce, and lower costs, all while creating a more resilient garden from the ground up. Friday, February 19, 2027 2:30pm
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3:45pm |
Make Every Drop Count: Garden Irrigation Basics Nan Sterman - Author, Botanist, Garden Designer, Journalist, Television Host
View More
How much water does your garden really need, and how do you make sure it gets to the right place? Start with the basics of how plants use water, why some need more than others, and how their adaptations to different growing conditions can help you determine when and how long to water. Then learn about efficient irrigation methods and technologies that can help you conserve water while keeping plants healthy. From choosing the right watering approach to managing water, capturing rainwater, and using graywater, you’ll come away with a better understanding of how to make every drop count in your garden. |
Make Every Drop Count: Garden Irrigation Basics
How much water does your garden really need, and how do you make sure it gets to the right place? Start with the basics of how plants use water, why some need more than others, and how their adaptations to different growing conditions can help you determine when and how long to water. Then learn about efficient irrigation methods and technologies that can help you conserve water while keeping plants healthy. From choosing the right watering approach to managing water, capturing rainwater, and using graywater, you’ll come away with a better understanding of how to make every drop count in your garden. Friday, February 19, 2027 3:45pm
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Rainier Room
Seminar Level (3rd floor, Tahoma Level)
Sponsored by:
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10:00am |
The Return of the Species: Growing for Diversity Lee Buttala - Author, Emmy Award-Winning Producer, Seed Preservationist
View More
Modern horticulture has given gardeners an extraordinary range of hybrids and cultivars, but it can also narrow the genetic diversity that helps plants adapt and evolve. Learn why maintaining that diversity matters and how growing plants from open-pollinated seed can help preserve it. Drawing on lessons from heirloom vegetable preservation and seed saving, discover a simple approach to supporting biodiversity in your own backyard, whether you grow native plants, vegetables, or ornamentals. See how the plants we choose to grow and propagate can help maintain greater genetic breadth while creating gardens that are economical, environmentally sound, and satisfying to grow.
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The Return of the Species: Growing for Diversity
Modern horticulture has given gardeners an extraordinary range of hybrids and cultivars, but it can also narrow the genetic diversity that helps plants adapt and evolve. Learn why maintaining that diversity matters and how growing plants from open-pollinated seed can help preserve it. Drawing on lessons from heirloom vegetable preservation and seed saving, discover a simple approach to supporting biodiversity in your own backyard, whether you grow native plants, vegetables, or ornamentals. See how the plants we choose to grow and propagate can help maintain greater genetic breadth while creating gardens that are economical, environmentally sound, and satisfying to grow.
Friday, February 19, 2027 10:00am
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11:15am |
For the Love of Hummingbirds John Shewey - Author, Birding Authority, Photographer
View More
Hummingbirds amaze and intrigue us. Their high-speed lifestyles are a blur, while their startling colors and fascinating behaviors are a delight. They can also be tiny ambassadors, inspiring a deeper interest in and appreciation for the natural world. Find out what makes these frenetic little birds so fascinating, along with how to attract them, support them, and become a great hummingbird host in your own yard. Drawing from The Hummingbird Handbook, this fun-filled program celebrates the birds that have inspired something close to a national obsession.
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For the Love of Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds amaze and intrigue us. Their high-speed lifestyles are a blur, while their startling colors and fascinating behaviors are a delight. They can also be tiny ambassadors, inspiring a deeper interest in and appreciation for the natural world. Find out what makes these frenetic little birds so fascinating, along with how to attract them, support them, and become a great hummingbird host in your own yard. Drawing from The Hummingbird Handbook, this fun-filled program celebrates the birds that have inspired something close to a national obsession.
Friday, February 19, 2027 11:15am
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12:30pm |
State Bird: A Nation Elects Its Feathered Representatives Amy Stewart - NY Times Bestselling Author
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What were we thinking a century ago when we elected the cardinal, mockingbird, and other familiar favorites as our official state birds? New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart went looking for answers and uncovered a wonderfully American story of early conservationists, schoolchildren casting their first ballots, determined women’s clubs, lawmakers, and some brilliant, and occasionally baffling, choices. Travel the country with Amy as she reveals how our state birds were chosen, from Minnesota’s beloved loon to Hawaii’s imperiled nene, and why these feathered representatives still matter today. Along the way, discover a surprising chapter in the history of bird conservation and our enduring fascination with the birds that represent us.
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State Bird: A Nation Elects Its Feathered Representatives
What were we thinking a century ago when we elected the cardinal, mockingbird, and other familiar favorites as our official state birds? New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart went looking for answers and uncovered a wonderfully American story of early conservationists, schoolchildren casting their first ballots, determined women’s clubs, lawmakers, and some brilliant, and occasionally baffling, choices. Travel the country with Amy as she reveals how our state birds were chosen, from Minnesota’s beloved loon to Hawaii’s imperiled nene, and why these feathered representatives still matter today. Along the way, discover a surprising chapter in the history of bird conservation and our enduring fascination with the birds that represent us.
Friday, February 19, 2027 12:30pm
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1:45pm |
Helping Birds One Garden at a Time David Mizejewsi - Author, Naturalist, TV Host, Urban Ecologist
View More
Birds are all around us, whether we garden in the country, the city, or somewhere in between. And while North American bird populations face serious challenges, our own gardens can be part of the solution. Discover how native plants and natural gardening practices can create the food, water, cover, and places birds need to thrive. You’ll also learn what it takes to have your garden recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, turning even a small patch of home into meaningful habitat for our avian neighbors.
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Helping Birds One Garden at a Time
Birds are all around us, whether we garden in the country, the city, or somewhere in between. And while North American bird populations face serious challenges, our own gardens can be part of the solution. Discover how native plants and natural gardening practices can create the food, water, cover, and places birds need to thrive. You’ll also learn what it takes to have your garden recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, turning even a small patch of home into meaningful habitat for our avian neighbors.
Friday, February 19, 2027 1:45pm
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3:00pm |
Designing a Habitat Hedgerow Daryl Beyers - Author, Garden Designer, Horticulture Educator
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Create privacy for people and habitat for birds and pollinators with a hardworking hedgerow. Learn how to combine trees and shrubs into a living screen that defines your outdoor space while providing food, shelter, and protection for wildlife. Explore which types of plants work best and how to bring them together in a thoughtful planting plan that serves both people and wildlife. You’ll leave with practical ideas for replacing a conventional hedge or screen with a diverse, beautiful habitat that works harder in your garden.
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Designing a Habitat Hedgerow
Create privacy for people and habitat for birds and pollinators with a hardworking hedgerow. Learn how to combine trees and shrubs into a living screen that defines your outdoor space while providing food, shelter, and protection for wildlife. Explore which types of plants work best and how to bring them together in a thoughtful planting plan that serves both people and wildlife. You’ll leave with practical ideas for replacing a conventional hedge or screen with a diverse, beautiful habitat that works harder in your garden.
Friday, February 19, 2027 3:00pm
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4:15pm |
Right Plant, Right Bird Donald Norman - Ornithologist, Native Plant Nurseryman, Puget Sound Bird Observatory Founder Ingela Wanerstrand - Garden Coach & Designer, Horticulture Instructor Create a garden that works harder for birds. Discover simple ways to choose and use plants that provide the food, shelter, and habitat birds need, while also supporting the insects many birds depend on. Bringing together horticulture, garden design, bird biology, and native plant expertise, this presentation explores the connections between plants, insects, and birds and offers practical ideas for creating a more bird-friendly garden at home.
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Right Plant, Right Bird
Create a garden that works harder for birds. Discover simple ways to choose and use plants that provide the food, shelter, and habitat birds need, while also supporting the insects many birds depend on. Bringing together horticulture, garden design, bird biology, and native plant expertise, this presentation explores the connections between plants, insects, and birds and offers practical ideas for creating a more bird-friendly garden at home.
Friday, February 19, 2027 4:15pm
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DIY Demo Stage
Seminar Level (3rd floor, Tahoma Level)
DIY Demo Stage sponsored by:
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10:15am |
Houseplants with European Flair Rebecca Raymond - International Master Florist, Educator
View More
We style our outfits, decorate our homes, and design our gardens. So why not give our houseplants the same attention? Join floral designer Rebecca Raymond for a hands-on demonstration of European-inspired plant styling. Discover how thoughtful choices in containers, plant combinations, and arrangement can transform everyday houseplants into beautiful living displays. Watch Rebecca create a European-style plant composition from start to finish, sharing creative ideas and practical techniques you can use to bring a little more style to your own indoor jungle.
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Houseplants with European Flair
We style our outfits, decorate our homes, and design our gardens. So why not give our houseplants the same attention? Join floral designer Rebecca Raymond for a hands-on demonstration of European-inspired plant styling. Discover how thoughtful choices in containers, plant combinations, and arrangement can transform everyday houseplants into beautiful living displays. Watch Rebecca create a European-style plant composition from start to finish, sharing creative ideas and practical techniques you can use to bring a little more style to your own indoor jungle.
Friday, February 19, 2027 10:15am
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11:45am |
From Garden to Cloth: Botanical Printing Amanda de Beaufort - Author, Artist, Botanical Dyer, Dye Kween Founder
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See how flowers from the garden can become rich natural color and one-of-a-kind botanical prints. Through a live demonstration, discover how fresh and dried blooms are transformed into dyes and crisp patterns on cloth, revealing some of the beauty and unpredictability of botanical printing. Learn which flowers produce vibrant, long-lasting colors and explore the techniques used to capture their color and form on fabric. You’ll leave with a better understanding of the process and plenty of inspiration for seeing the flowers in your own garden in an entirely new way.
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From Garden to Cloth: Botanical Printing
See how flowers from the garden can become rich natural color and one-of-a-kind botanical prints. Through a live demonstration, discover how fresh and dried blooms are transformed into dyes and crisp patterns on cloth, revealing some of the beauty and unpredictability of botanical printing. Learn which flowers produce vibrant, long-lasting colors and explore the techniques used to capture their color and form on fabric. You’ll leave with a better understanding of the process and plenty of inspiration for seeing the flowers in your own garden in an entirely new way.
Friday, February 19, 2027 11:45am
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1:15pm |
Make New Plants for Free Charlie Nardozzi - Author, Garden Writer, Radio & TV Personality
View More
Why buy more plants when you can make more of the ones you already love? See how popular trees, shrubs, houseplants, and flowers can be propagated at home using techniques such as division, leaf and stem cuttings, hardwood cuttings, and air layering. For plants propagated from cuttings, see the process in action and get practical guidance on when to use rooting hormone, which soils and containers work best, and how water and light affect your results. You’ll leave with the know-how to turn favorite plants into more plants, without another trip to the nursery.
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Make New Plants for Free
Why buy more plants when you can make more of the ones you already love? See how popular trees, shrubs, houseplants, and flowers can be propagated at home using techniques such as division, leaf and stem cuttings, hardwood cuttings, and air layering. For plants propagated from cuttings, see the process in action and get practical guidance on when to use rooting hormone, which soils and containers work best, and how water and light affect your results. You’ll leave with the know-how to turn favorite plants into more plants, without another trip to the nursery.
Friday, February 19, 2027 1:15pm
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2:45pm |
Eat Your Yard: Wild Flavors from the Garden JJ Pursell - Author, Herbalist, Naturopathic Physician
View More
Look beyond the vegetable garden and discover the edible possibilities growing all around you. Learn how familiar plants can become unexpected ingredients, from Douglas fir pesto to hawthorn berry ketchup. Through start-to-finish recipe demonstrations, discover creative ways to turn plants from the garden and landscape into delicious food and leave with fresh inspiration for looking at what’s growing in your own yard in an entirely new way.
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Eat Your Yard: Wild Flavors from the Garden
Look beyond the vegetable garden and discover the edible possibilities growing all around you. Learn how familiar plants can become unexpected ingredients, from Douglas fir pesto to hawthorn berry ketchup. Through start-to-finish recipe demonstrations, discover creative ways to turn plants from the garden and landscape into delicious food and leave with fresh inspiration for looking at what’s growing in your own yard in an entirely new way.
Friday, February 19, 2027 2:45pm
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4:15pm |
Gourdaments: Garden-Grown Ornaments Using Gourds Philip Bloomquist - Bloedel Reserve Living Collections Curator
View More
Each spooky season, Bloedel Reserve decorates its grounds with a colorful collection of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. But when the displays come down, some of those gourds get a second life as “gourdaments,” dried and preserved to become long-lasting garden-grown ornaments. See the process from gourd to gourdament in this creative demonstration, including how the gourds are dried, cleaned, and finished using woodworking materials so they can be displayed for years. You’ll leave with the know-how and inspiration to turn gourds from your own garden into one-of-a-kind botanical keepsakes.
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Gourdaments: Garden-Grown Ornaments Using Gourds
Each spooky season, Bloedel Reserve decorates its grounds with a colorful collection of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. But when the displays come down, some of those gourds get a second life as “gourdaments,” dried and preserved to become long-lasting garden-grown ornaments. See the process from gourd to gourdament in this creative demonstration, including how the gourds are dried, cleaned, and finished using woodworking materials so they can be displayed for years. You’ll leave with the know-how and inspiration to turn gourds from your own garden into one-of-a-kind botanical keepsakes.
Friday, February 19, 2027 4:15pm
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Creative Studio: Hands-on Workshops
Seminar Level (3rd floor, Tahoma Level)
Sponsored by: 
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10:00am |
From Garden to Keepsake... Dry, Press & Preserve Becca Mathews - Environmental Educator, Flower Farmer, Nature Photographer Additional Ticket Required Create something beautiful with flowers you can enjoy long after the growing season ends. In this hands-on workshop, participants will work with dried and pressed flowers to create their own botanical project to take home while learning the techniques behind successful flower preservation. Along the way, discover which flowers and plants preserve beautifully, when and how to harvest them, and the best methods for drying, pressing, and storing botanical materials. You’ll leave with your own creation, plenty of inspiration, and the skills to preserve flowers from your own garden for future projects. All materials and plants are provided, along with a complimentary pair of WomansWork gloves.
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From Garden to Keepsake... Dry, Press & Preserve
Create something beautiful with flowers you can enjoy long after the growing season ends. In this hands-on workshop, participants will work with dried and pressed flowers to create their own botanical project to take home while learning the techniques behind successful flower preservation. Along the way, discover which flowers and plants preserve beautifully, when and how to harvest them, and the best methods for drying, pressing, and storing botanical materials. You’ll leave with your own creation, plenty of inspiration, and the skills to preserve flowers from your own garden for future projects. All materials and plants are provided, along with a complimentary pair of WomansWork gloves.
Friday, February 19, 2027 10:00am
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12:00pm |
Go Bog Wild: Build a Bog Bowl Krystal Duran - Author, Content Creator, Houseplant Educator Additional Ticket Required Create your own miniature wetland, a wonderfully wild little landscape that brings some of nature’s most fascinating plants up close. You’ll build and plant a bog bowl to take home, combining moisture-loving plants in a container designed for their unusual growing needs. As you work, you’ll discover what makes these plants different and get practical guidance for keeping your creation happy at home. You’ll leave with a planted bog bowl and the know-how to keep it thriving. All materials and plants are provided, along with a complimentary pair of WomansWork gloves.
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Go Bog Wild: Build a Bog Bowl
Create your own miniature wetland, a wonderfully wild little landscape that brings some of nature’s most fascinating plants up close. You’ll build and plant a bog bowl to take home, combining moisture-loving plants in a container designed for their unusual growing needs. As you work, you’ll discover what makes these plants different and get practical guidance for keeping your creation happy at home. You’ll leave with a planted bog bowl and the know-how to keep it thriving. All materials and plants are provided, along with a complimentary pair of WomansWork gloves.
Friday, February 19, 2027 12:00pm
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2:00pm |
Moss, Mud & Magic: Make a Kokedama Davida Freeman - DIY Workshop Instructor, Houseplant Collector, Educator Additional Ticket Required Working with lush forest moss, rich soil, and a living plant, enjoy the tactile pleasure of shaping something beautiful with your hands. This Japanese planting tradition turns simple natural materials into a sculptural piece of botanical art. You’ll create your own kokedama to take home and display, while gaining the confidence to make more on your own. Leave with a beautiful living creation and, perhaps, the beginning of a new botanical obsession. All materials and plants are provided, along with a complimentary pair of WomansWork gloves.
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Moss, Mud & Magic: Make a Kokedama
Working with lush forest moss, rich soil, and a living plant, enjoy the tactile pleasure of shaping something beautiful with your hands. This Japanese planting tradition turns simple natural materials into a sculptural piece of botanical art. You’ll create your own kokedama to take home and display, while gaining the confidence to make more on your own. Leave with a beautiful living creation and, perhaps, the beginning of a new botanical obsession. All materials and plants are provided, along with a complimentary pair of WomansWork gloves.
Friday, February 19, 2027 2:00pm
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Main Stage
Back of North Hall
Main Stage sponsored by: 
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11:00am |
Container Showdown Chia-Ming Ro - Content Creator, Educator, Garden Designer Kamili Bell Hill - Author, Content Creator, Founder PlantBlerd
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Container Showdown
Friday, February 19, 2027 11:00am
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1:00pm |
Container Showdown: Celebrity Edition Jenny Rose Carey - Author, Horticulturist Charlie Nardozzi - Author, Garden Writer, Radio & TV Personality
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Container Showdown: Celebrity Edition
Friday, February 19, 2027 1:00pm
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2:30pm |
Blooms & Bubbles - Lush & Lovely: Wildly Beautiful Centerpieces Sarah Nayani - Flower Grower, Floral Designer, Founder Grow Girl Seattle Additional Ticket Required There’s something irresistible about flowers that still look as though they remember the garden. Sarah Nayani of Grow Girl Seattle brings that spirit to the design table with a lush, romantic approach that celebrates the natural beauty of every stem. Spend the afternoon surrounded by a gorgeous abundance of locally grown and domestic flowers and foliage as Sarah demonstrates how she builds a garden-inspired arrangement using eco-friendly floral design methods. Then choose the blooms that speak to you and design alongside Sarah, creating a centerpiece that feels loose, generous, and wonderfully alive. You’ll leave carrying your own lush spring arrangement, along with plenty of inspiration for giving flowers a little more freedom.
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Blooms & Bubbles - Lush & Lovely: Wildly Beautiful Centerpieces
There’s something irresistible about flowers that still look as though they remember the garden. Sarah Nayani of Grow Girl Seattle brings that spirit to the design table with a lush, romantic approach that celebrates the natural beauty of every stem. Spend the afternoon surrounded by a gorgeous abundance of locally grown and domestic flowers and foliage as Sarah demonstrates how she builds a garden-inspired arrangement using eco-friendly floral design methods. Then choose the blooms that speak to you and design alongside Sarah, creating a centerpiece that feels loose, generous, and wonderfully alive. You’ll leave carrying your own lush spring arrangement, along with plenty of inspiration for giving flowers a little more freedom.
Friday, February 19, 2027 2:30pm
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4:00pm |
Hydrangea Fan Club™ Happy Hour Ryan McEnaney - Author, Fifth Generation Plantsman Bailey Nurseries
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Hydrangea Happy Hour with the Endless Summer® Hydrangea Fan Club™ will be a fun, interactive space for show attendees to watch a live hydrangea-themed Jeopardy game featuring their favorite garden personalities. Audiences can join the fun through live drawings to win prizes, plants, and special Hydrangea Fan Club™ goodies. Each hour will end with hydrangea Q&A's hosted by the Endless Summer® and First Editions® team to help gardeners kick off the 2027 hydrangea season.
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Hydrangea Fan Club™ Happy Hour
Hydrangea Happy Hour with the Endless Summer® Hydrangea Fan Club™ will be a fun, interactive space for show attendees to watch a live hydrangea-themed Jeopardy game featuring their favorite garden personalities. Audiences can join the fun through live drawings to win prizes, plants, and special Hydrangea Fan Club™ goodies. Each hour will end with hydrangea Q&A's hosted by the Endless Summer® and First Editions® team to help gardeners kick off the 2027 hydrangea season.
Friday, February 19, 2027 4:00pm
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Traveler's Tea
Outside the City Living entrance lobby
Sponsored by:
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3:30pm |
Mediterranean Paradise: Gardens of Puglia Stefani Bittner - Author, Homestead Design Collective Owner, Landscape Designer Rosemary Loveall-Sale - Morningsun Herb Farm Owner Additional Ticket Required Join Stefani Bittner and Rosemary Sale on a journey through Puglia's gardens and landscapes, where they live part-time, design, host workshops and garden at a trullo retreat in Italy’s sun-soaked south. Travel from grand masserie estates and trulli-dotted countryside to citrus courtyards and kitchen gardens filled with herbs, vegetables, and grapes. See how Puglia’s climate, history, and centuries of Mediterranean gardening have shaped a landscape of ancient olive groves, drought-tolerant plantings, succulents, native flora, and productive gardens. Along the way, gather ideas from this beautiful and distinctive region that can inspire gardens far beyond southern Italy. |
Mediterranean Paradise: Gardens of Puglia
Join Stefani Bittner and Rosemary Sale on a journey through Puglia's gardens and landscapes, where they live part-time, design, host workshops and garden at a trullo retreat in Italy’s sun-soaked south. Travel from grand masserie estates and trulli-dotted countryside to citrus courtyards and kitchen gardens filled with herbs, vegetables, and grapes. See how Puglia’s climate, history, and centuries of Mediterranean gardening have shaped a landscape of ancient olive groves, drought-tolerant plantings, succulents, native flora, and productive gardens. Along the way, gather ideas from this beautiful and distinctive region that can inspire gardens far beyond southern Italy. Friday, February 19, 2027 3:30pm
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House of Plants
North Hall Plant Market, space 2618
Sponsored by: 
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3:15pm |
Plant Bingo Kamili Bell Hill - Author, Content Creator, Founder PlantBlerd
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Bingo, but make it botanical. Grab a card, settle in among the greenery in the House of Plants, and get ready for a lively round of Plant Bingo, where houseplant lovers, plant knowledge, and a little bit of luck come together. Whether you know your houseplants backwards and forwards or simply know which ones you want to take home, everyone can play. Join the fun, meet some fellow plant people, and see if your card has what it takes to yell BINGO! And while you’re there, meet Costa Farms plant expert Justin Hancock, author of the new The New Complete Guide to Houseplants, and pick up a little expert plant wisdom between rounds.
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Plant Bingo
Bingo, but make it botanical. Grab a card, settle in among the greenery in the House of Plants, and get ready for a lively round of Plant Bingo, where houseplant lovers, plant knowledge, and a little bit of luck come together. Whether you know your houseplants backwards and forwards or simply know which ones you want to take home, everyone can play. Join the fun, meet some fellow plant people, and see if your card has what it takes to yell BINGO! And while you’re there, meet Costa Farms plant expert Justin Hancock, author of the new The New Complete Guide to Houseplants, and pick up a little expert plant wisdom between rounds.
Friday, February 19, 2027 3:15pm
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Meet & Greet
Meet & Greet Café
Sponsored by: 
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10:00am-5:00pm |
Ad Hoc Bird Talk Birds Connect Seattle - Conservation & Education Since 1916 Who's visiting your garden when you're not looking? Discover the fascinating birds that call the Seattle area home and how your garden can help them thrive! Stop by the Meet & Greet area to explore a display of local bird specimens and chat with the experts from Bird Connect Seattle. Get a closer look at some of our feathered neighbors, learn about their behaviors and habitat needs, and discover simple ways you can help them thrive in your own garden. No formal presentation or schedule required! Just drop in, ask questions, and discover why what's good for gardens is good for birds!
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Ad Hoc Bird Talk
Who's visiting your garden when you're not looking? Discover the fascinating birds that call the Seattle area home and how your garden can help them thrive! Stop by the Meet & Greet area to explore a display of local bird specimens and chat with the experts from Bird Connect Seattle. Get a closer look at some of our feathered neighbors, learn about their behaviors and habitat needs, and discover simple ways you can help them thrive in your own garden. No formal presentation or schedule required! Just drop in, ask questions, and discover why what's good for gardens is good for birds!
Friday, February 19, 2027 10:00am-5:00pm
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2:30pm-3:30pm |
Meet & Greet: BirdNote Nick Bayard - BirdNote Executive Director
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Join us for a special Meet & Greet celebrating the popular BirdNote podcast and the wonderful world of birds. Meet Executive Director, Nick Bayard, and other BirdNote personalities, connect with fellow listeners, and enjoy some face-to-face conversation with the voices and people behind the stories you love. Whether you're a devoted listener or just discovering BirdNote, everyone is welcome to stop by, say hello, and share their love of birds!
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Meet & Greet: BirdNote
Join us for a special Meet & Greet celebrating the popular BirdNote podcast and the wonderful world of birds. Meet Executive Director, Nick Bayard, and other BirdNote personalities, connect with fellow listeners, and enjoy some face-to-face conversation with the voices and people behind the stories you love. Whether you're a devoted listener or just discovering BirdNote, everyone is welcome to stop by, say hello, and share their love of birds!
Friday, February 19, 2027 2:30pm-3:30pm
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