Name: Official Northwest Flower & Garden Festival
Start: 0001-01-01
End: 0001-01-01
Location: Seattle Convention Center

February 19-23, 2025

Seattle Convention Center

705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA

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Want to learn how to grow the best tomatoes? Find some new seed secrets? Trellis like the pros? Discover what gardeners grow in other parts of the world? Join our seminar leaders to get all your tasty questions answered…

The Seminars by Category are listed in chronological order. Please check the Seminar Schedule for a full list of all our seminars. No ticket refunds for Speaker cancellation.

All seminars at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival are FREE with your ticket!

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SEMINARS BY CATEGORY LIST

Basic Propagation Ann M Amato - Horticulturist Much like cooking, the craft of propagation can be engaging, performative AND recipes are often used and, sometimes, altered. Come watch and learn more about this green thumb skillset from a professional propagator who’s propagated thousands of plants for regional nurseries we all know and love. From seeds to cuttings, spores to simple grafts, air layering to division—to answering questions about tissue culture—Ann has seen it all! Please bring your questions. Tools and techniques will be highlighted as well. Wednesday, February 19, 2025 / 11:45 AM / DIY Stage	Basic Propagation Much like cooking, the craft of propagation can be engaging, performative AND recipes are often used and, sometimes, altered. Come watch and learn more about this green thumb skillset from a professional propagator who’s propagated thousands of plants for regional nurseries we all know and love. From seeds to cuttings, spores to simple grafts, air layering to division—to answering questions about tissue culture—Ann has seen it all! Please bring your questions. Tools and techniques will be highlighted as well. Wednesday, February 19, 2025 11:45 AM
Small Space Solutions with Epic Gardening: Trellis Tricks Wendi Phan - Founder It's Wendiland on social media Join the team from Epic Gardening and their friends for a daily dose of Small Space Solutions. Each day at 4pm on the Main Stage, tips and tricks will be provided to gardeners working with limited gardening space. From growing your own groceries to grow bags to trellising, smart seed starting for smaller plants to containers that go-go-go... join this fun, interactive session daily and enjoy new ideas and insights from the experts at Epic Gardening! Wednesday, February 19, 2025 / 4:00 PM / Main Stage	Small Space Solutions with Epic Gardening: Trellis Tricks Join the team from Epic Gardening and their friends for a daily dose of Small Space Solutions. Each day at 4pm on the Main Stage, tips and tricks will be provided to gardeners working with limited gardening space. From growing your own groceries to grow bags to trellising, smart seed starting for smaller plants to containers that go-go-go... join this fun, interactive session daily and enjoy new ideas and insights from the experts at Epic Gardening! Wednesday, February 19, 2025 4:00 PM
The Fragrant Tea Garden Stefani Bittner - author, owner Homestead Design Collective Rose Loveall - owner of Morningsun Farm Join Morningsun Herb Farm owner Rose Loveall and Homestead Design Collective Owner and author Stefani Bittner for an interactive seminar on creating a Fragrant Tea Garden. Stefani and Rose will discuss how to design the garden space, how to choose which plants to grow, and finally how to harvest and brew the most fragrant herbs and flowers the garden has to offer into delicious and healthful teas. Thursday, February 20, 2025 / 10:45 AM / Hood Room	The Fragrant Tea Garden Join Morningsun Herb Farm owner Rose Loveall and Homestead Design Collective Owner and author Stefani Bittner for an interactive seminar on creating a Fragrant Tea Garden. Stefani and Rose will discuss how to design the garden space, how to choose which plants to grow, and finally how to harvest and brew the most fragrant herbs and flowers the garden has to offer into delicious and healthful teas. Thursday, February 20, 2025 10:45 AM
The Easiest Seed-Starting: Winter Sowing and Seed Snails Erica Browne Grivas - Lifestyle journalist Indoor seed sowing can be fun, but seedlings often need special lights, constant monitoring, regular potting up to larger pots, and then hardening off. It can take over your house – and life - for months as your kitchen is lit with eery purple light and counters are swallowed by plants. What if you could sow your seeds outdoors, wait until the seeds come up, and transplant once? Enter the magic of winter sowing. It lets you plant seeds from late winter through spring no matter how cold it gets. By creating a sheltered area with upcycled milk jugs or plastic storage bins, potted seeds can even sit in the snow – if we get any. As a bonus you’ll grow hardier, tougher plants than if grown indoors. Simply keep seedlings watered and away from high temperatures, and the seeds come up when the conditions are right. With winter sowing, you can plant once – no potting up - and transplant directly when plants reach 2-4” tall. They are already hardened off! Learn which plants work best in the Pacific Northwest, how to time your sowing, and get ready to try this stellar timesaving technique. Seed snails are a new viral method that saves so much space. Created by Farida Sober in the UK, you roll up your seeds and potting mix, fitting many more seeds than in a potting tray, with no repotting necessary. Works indoors or out! Friday, February 21, 2025 / 10:00 AM / DIY Stage	The Easiest Seed-Starting: Winter Sowing and Seed Snails Indoor seed sowing can be fun, but seedlings often need special lights, constant monitoring, regular potting up to larger pots, and then hardening off. It can take over your house – and life - for months as your kitchen is lit with eery purple light and counters are swallowed by plants. What if you could sow your seeds outdoors, wait until the seeds come up, and transplant once? Enter the magic of winter sowing. It lets you plant seeds from late winter through spring no matter how cold it gets. By creating a sheltered area with upcycled milk jugs or plastic storage bins, potted seeds can even sit in the snow – if we get any. As a bonus you’ll grow hardier, tougher plants than if grown indoors. Simply keep seedlings watered and away from high temperatures, and the seeds come up when the conditions are right. With winter sowing, you can plant once – no potting up - and transplant directly when plants reach 2-4” tall. They are already hardened off! Learn which plants work best in the Pacific Northwest, how to time your sowing, and get ready to try this stellar timesaving technique. Seed snails are a new viral method that saves so much space. Created by Farida Sober in the UK, you roll up your seeds and potting mix, fitting many more seeds than in a potting tray, with no repotting necessary. Works indoors or out! Friday, February 21, 2025 10:00 AM
Vegetable Garden Journaling Willi Galloway - Author of Grow Cook Eat: A Food Lover's Guide to Vegetable Gardening and the upcoming cookbook Veggies for Breakfast (Spring 2026) Keep better track of the edible plants you grow with a garden journal! Learn about what information to keep track of, options for laying out your journal, and recommendations for journaling tools, including photo stickers, waterproof pens, and specific journal recommendations. Saturday, February 22, 2025 / 10:00 AM / DIY Stage	Vegetable Garden Journaling Keep better track of the edible plants you grow with a garden journal! Learn about what information to keep track of, options for laying out your journal, and recommendations for journaling tools, including photo stickers, waterproof pens, and specific journal recommendations. Saturday, February 22, 2025 10:00 AM
Growing a South American Garden in the PNW Pilar Hernandez - Bilingual Latina food writer, and urban gardener After living in Houston, Texas, for 20 years, Pilar Hernandez moved to Seattle, WA, in 2022. With that came back the memories of the garden where her mother, grandmother, and great-aunts raised her in the Central region of Chile. The shadow of the mountains and the powerful influence of the Pacific Ocean are once again guiding her gardening plantings. In this seminar, Pilar will share what plants, vegetables, herbs, and flowers she grows to enhance her authentic cooking. She will also discuss her successes and failures in hunting for seeds, testing different varieties of herbs and vegetables, and understanding how the names of the same vegetables and fruits change between countries in Latin America. If you are curious about new varieties to grow for your tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, basil, oregano, etc, and how to incorporate them creatively in your cooking, you will enjoy this seminar. Also, Pilar will disclose which ornamental plant, frequently featured in PNW gardens, is a salad ingredient in Chile. Can you guess it? Saturday, February 22, 2025 / 4:00 PM / Hood Room	Growing a South American Garden in the PNW After living in Houston, Texas, for 20 years, Pilar Hernandez moved to Seattle, WA, in 2022. With that came back the memories of the garden where her mother, grandmother, and great-aunts raised her in the Central region of Chile. The shadow of the mountains and the powerful influence of the Pacific Ocean are once again guiding her gardening plantings. In this seminar, Pilar will share what plants, vegetables, herbs, and flowers she grows to enhance her authentic cooking. She will also discuss her successes and failures in hunting for seeds, testing different varieties of herbs and vegetables, and understanding how the names of the same vegetables and fruits change between countries in Latin America. If you are curious about new varieties to grow for your tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, basil, oregano, etc, and how to incorporate them creatively in your cooking, you will enjoy this seminar. Also, Pilar will disclose which ornamental plant, frequently featured in PNW gardens, is a salad ingredient in Chile. Can you guess it? Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:00 PM
How to Fool your HOA! Ellen Zachos - award-winning author, speaker, and podcaster When most people think about edible gardens they picture tomatoes, herbs, and maybe a few berry bushes. And often, edible gardens are relegated to the backyard, where occasional messiness won’t irritate the neighbors. But what if you only have a small garden in front of your home or condo? Should you be denied the joy of fresh, homegrown food? Of course not! In this presentation you’ll learn how to create a beautiful garden that feeds both body and soul, by combining attractive edibles with tasty ornamentals. Saturday, February 22, 2025 / 4:30 PM / Rainier Room	How to Fool your HOA! When most people think about edible gardens they picture tomatoes, herbs, and maybe a few berry bushes. And often, edible gardens are relegated to the backyard, where occasional messiness won’t irritate the neighbors. But what if you only have a small garden in front of your home or condo? Should you be denied the joy of fresh, homegrown food? Of course not! In this presentation you’ll learn how to create a beautiful garden that feeds both body and soul, by combining attractive edibles with tasty ornamentals. Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:30 PM
From Clove to Bulb: How to Grow Your Own Garlic! Kristin Graves - Award-winning owner of Fifth Gen Gardens Dive deep into the fascinating world of garlic! The rich flavour of homegrown garlic just can’t be beat and it comes as no surprise why the bulbs are favored amongst gardeners and garlic enthusiasts. Learn tips and tricks to grow your own, as well as the origins and history of the pungent bulbs. Discover seasonal eating and uses as you gain a better understanding about the full life cycle of a garlic plant. Saturday, February 22, 2025 / 4:45 PM / Plant Academy	From Clove to Bulb: How to Grow Your Own Garlic! Dive deep into the fascinating world of garlic! The rich flavour of homegrown garlic just can’t be beat and it comes as no surprise why the bulbs are favored amongst gardeners and garlic enthusiasts. Learn tips and tricks to grow your own, as well as the origins and history of the pungent bulbs. Discover seasonal eating and uses as you gain a better understanding about the full life cycle of a garlic plant. Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:45 PM
Soil Care Basics Hailey Lampe - Owner of Cruising Climate - a regenerative landscape design and coaching company What is soil? Why should you care about it? How can you tend to it? To answer these questions, this session will explore basic soil science, the connections between soil and ecosystem health, and soil care routines you can start implementing as soon as you get home. Saturday, February 22, 2025 / 5:00 PM / Hood Room	Soil Care Basics What is soil? Why should you care about it? How can you tend to it? To answer these questions, this session will explore basic soil science, the connections between soil and ecosystem health, and soil care routines you can start implementing as soon as you get home. Saturday, February 22, 2025 5:00 PM
Replace the Grocery Store with Your Vegetable Garden Bailey Van Tassel - Writer, author, founder of The Kitchen Garden Society In this hands-on planning session learn how to map out your vegetable garden to replace the grocery store. In addition to key takeaways to map out your veg garden, you'll learn about companions, prioritizing plants, ROI for each plant, quantities based on your family size plus effective spacing. A live demonstration for an audience member's garden will showcase how to do this. Sunday, February 23, 2025 / 10:00 AM / DIY Stage	Replace the Grocery Store with Your Vegetable Garden In this hands-on planning session learn how to map out your vegetable garden to replace the grocery store. In addition to key takeaways to map out your veg garden, you'll learn about companions, prioritizing plants, ROI for each plant, quantities based on your family size plus effective spacing. A live demonstration for an audience member's garden will showcase how to do this. Sunday, February 23, 2025 10:00 AM
10 Steps to Your Best Tomato Year Yet Bill Thorness - Author, speaker, educator, Master Gardener Do you spend a lot of time and money on growing tomatoes and then have disappointing results? The Holy Grail of the kitchen garden, tomatoes have a reputation as being one of the most challenging hot-season crops to grow in our short-summer maritime climate, but help is on the way! You’ll learn step-by-step techniques about indoor starts, season extension, fertilizing, watering, pruning, trellising and much more, including suggested varieties and where to get them. Sunday, February 23, 2025 / 10:00 AM / Rainier Room	10 Steps to Your Best Tomato Year Yet Do you spend a lot of time and money on growing tomatoes and then have disappointing results? The Holy Grail of the kitchen garden, tomatoes have a reputation as being one of the most challenging hot-season crops to grow in our short-summer maritime climate, but help is on the way! You’ll learn step-by-step techniques about indoor starts, season extension, fertilizing, watering, pruning, trellising and much more, including suggested varieties and where to get them. Sunday, February 23, 2025 10:00 AM
I've Got A Seed For That! Geoffrey Johnson - School and community garden leader, founder Depend On Planet Earth (aka D.O.P.E.) Join community garden educator, Geoffrey Johnson, to dig a reasonable depth into the world of seeds and seed saving. Most gardeners are crazy for seeds and love the idea of seed saving - if not the actual practice. Feel the love on both fronts as Geoffrey shares all the goodness, tips and tricks around seeds and their saving with his easy going style and passion for the topic. If it involves seeds, he's got you covered! Sunday, February 23, 2025 / 11:45 AM / DIY Stage	I've Got A Seed For That! Join community garden educator, Geoffrey Johnson, to dig a reasonable depth into the world of seeds and seed saving. Most gardeners are crazy for seeds and love the idea of seed saving - if not the actual practice. Feel the love on both fronts as Geoffrey shares all the goodness, tips and tricks around seeds and their saving with his easy going style and passion for the topic. If it involves seeds, he's got you covered! Sunday, February 23, 2025 11:45 AM
Grow Like a Chef Carissa Kasper - founder of Seed & Nourish Garden Design Join coach and kitchen garden designer Carissa Kasper of Seed & Nourish as she shares the secrets of growing alongside chefs at Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront rooftop garden. From the dirty to the divine, find out what goes on up on the hotel rooftop from battles with crows and horsetail to garden parties and buzzing bees. Learn the top varieties to grow in a culinary garden, inventive ways they can be used, and how to host your own garden to table dinners. Sunday, February 23, 2025 / 2:45 PM / Hood Room	Grow Like a Chef Join coach and kitchen garden designer Carissa Kasper of Seed & Nourish as she shares the secrets of growing alongside chefs at Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront rooftop garden. From the dirty to the divine, find out what goes on up on the hotel rooftop from battles with crows and horsetail to garden parties and buzzing bees. Learn the top varieties to grow in a culinary garden, inventive ways they can be used, and how to host your own garden to table dinners. Sunday, February 23, 2025 2:45 PM
Small Space Solutions with Epic Gardening: Grow Your Own Groceries Bailey Van Tassel - Writer, author, founder of The Kitchen Garden Society Join the team from Epic Gardening and their friends for a daily dose of Small Space Solutions. Each day at 4pm on the Main Stage, tips and tricks will be provided to gardeners working with limited gardening space. From growing your own groceries to grow bags to trellising, smart seed starting for smaller plants to containers that go-go-go... join this fun, interactive session daily and enjoy new ideas and insights from the experts at Epic Gardening! Sunday, February 23, 2025 / 4:00 PM / Main Stage	Small Space Solutions with Epic Gardening: Grow Your Own Groceries Join the team from Epic Gardening and their friends for a daily dose of Small Space Solutions. Each day at 4pm on the Main Stage, tips and tricks will be provided to gardeners working with limited gardening space. From growing your own groceries to grow bags to trellising, smart seed starting for smaller plants to containers that go-go-go... join this fun, interactive session daily and enjoy new ideas and insights from the experts at Epic Gardening! Sunday, February 23, 2025 4:00 PM
Perennial Abundance: Growing More Food with Edible Perennials Marni Sorin - Garden Educator with Tilth Alliance Perennial edible plants are low-maintenance, great for supporting garden ecosystems, and offer abundant harvests over time. This seminar will explore the joys of growing edible perennial crops and how to set yourself up for success through garden planning. We'll discuss plant recommendations for the maritime northwest and talk about how to incorporate these edible trees, shrubs, vines and herbs into your growing space. Sunday, February 23, 2025 / 4:00 PM / Hood Room	Perennial Abundance: Growing More Food with Edible Perennials Perennial edible plants are low-maintenance, great for supporting garden ecosystems, and offer abundant harvests over time. This seminar will explore the joys of growing edible perennial crops and how to set yourself up for success through garden planning. We'll discuss plant recommendations for the maritime northwest and talk about how to incorporate these edible trees, shrubs, vines and herbs into your growing space. Sunday, February 23, 2025 4:00 PM