Northwest Horticultural Society

The Best Gardens are Shade Gardens with Susan Calhoun
2025-05-28 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Live Webinar
Some people lament having too much shade – they crave more sun and think that roses, lavender and vegetables are the only way to garden. But local expert Susan Calhoun urges people to stop struggling with shade and start loving every vibrant leaf and filtered sunbeam. She will survey the different types of shade gardens and remind us of their benefits: just as much color, unusual plants, seasonal interest, lower water needs and cooler places to hang out during the hottest months. Susan will share essential shade lessons that are especially relevant for PNW gardeners, including how to:

Create shade – and how to get rid of it when it becomes too much.
Work with forest environments.
Grow in dry shade and create lushness.
Manage unruly natives and augment with well-behaved non-native species.
Create places for pollinators and insects.
Make your shade garden your favorite garden area.

Speaker’s Bio:
Susan Calhoun is a landscape designer, writer and speaker with over 25 years of experience gardening in our shade-rich region. Based on Bainbridge Island, she is the owner and principal designer of Plantswoman Design. She received her horticultural training at South Seattle College and RHS Garden Harlow Carr in the UK. Susan’s work has been featured in Sunset, Fine Gardening, Monrovia’s Be Inspired blog and many other national and local publications. She is a frequent speaker and contributor to the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, having created award-winning gardens for many years.
Additional Resources:
https://www.finegardening.com/author/susan-calhoun
https://www.facebook.com/plantswomandesign?ref=hl
https://www.instagram.com/plantswomannw

Photo credits: Doreen Wynja and Fine Gardening Magazine.

Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Tour and Shopping (Afternoon Session) (SOLD OUT)
2025-05-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy, 1818 Hastings Ave, Port Townsend, WA, United States
Join founders Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken for an in-depth tour of their peerless Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy (FRBC) and Far Reaches Farm in Port Townsend. Immerse yourself in the Collectors Garden, which houses their extraordinary collection of rare and endangered plants from all over the globe. Explore the propagation greenhouse and experience the Crevice Garden designed and built by Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs. Observe and learn about the stunning range of plants that flourish in Port Townsend’s unique climate. After the tour you will have an opportunity to shop for plants, although for efficiency’s sake, please order online ahead of time for pickup on the day of the tour.
Founders’ Bios:
Longtime plant explorers and preservationists Kelly and Sue are renowned for their thrilling collection of plants, many of which they have propagated from their own seed collecting trips around the world. The mission of FRBC is to facilitate the acquisition and introduction to North America of threatened and vulnerable ornamental plants of known wild provenance as well as from cultivated sources. FRBC maintains these plants as a living reference collection for public educational and scientific purposes, with the goal of conservation through cultivation via distribution to botanic and public gardens, botanists, researchers, as well as professional and amateur gardeners and horticulturists.
Additional Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/FRBC.ORG/
https://www.instagram.com/far_reaches_botanical_conserve/
https://www.facebook.com/FarReachesFarm
https://www.instagram.com/far_reaches_farm/
https://awaytogarden.com/botanical-treasures-at-far-reaches-farm-nursery-with-kelly-dodson/

Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Tour and Shopping (Morning Session) (SOLD OUT)
2025-05-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy, 1818 Hastings Ave, Port Townsend, WA, United States

Cutting Garden Inspiration with the Flower Farmers with Debra Prinzing and Robin Avni
2025-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Bellevue Botanical Garden, Aaron Education Center, 12001 Main St., Bellevue, WA, 98005
Doors open for socializing, book and flower sales: 6 PM
Lecture and Q&A: 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Book sales and signing: 7:30 – 8 PM

Co-authors Debra Prinzing and Robin Avni’s lushly photographed just-published book, “The Flower Farmers: Inspiration & Advice from Expert Growers” (Abrams Books), spotlights 29 stand-out growers, including a bracing mix of established industry leaders and innovative newcomers, many from our region. Each grower shares their story and passion, detailing their specialty knowledge, seasonal practices and favorite new varieties. Dedicated sidebars share these experts’ tips on everything from raising a unique cultivar to the best floral varieties for long lasting arrangements. Debra and Robin will generously present some of the book’s most valuable information and inspiration, and will take part in a Q&A and book signing after their presentation. Peonies from Monroe-based JARN Co. Flowers will be available for purchase!

Speakers’ Bios:
Seattle-based NHS member Debra Prinzing is a champion of local, seasonal and sustainable flower producers, author of 12 books and the voice of the Slow Flowers Podcast. She is the founder and producer of Slow Flowers, the online directory of American and Canadian flower farms, florists, shops and studios who supply domestic and local flowers. In 2015 she founded American Flowers Week and for the past seven years she has produced the annual Slow Flowers Summit (AKA “the TED talk for floral professionals”).
Robin Avni is a creative director and designer in the media and high-tech industries based in Gig Harbor. Her specialties include creative management of award-winning teams and content development for high profile projects, including 18 floral and lifestyle collaborations with Debra. In 2020, they formed BLOOM Imprint, a publishing venture whose mission is to work with creative floral entrepreneurs to produce floral, garden and design lifestyle titles.

Photo credits: Lia Crowe, Mary Grace Long, Heather Marino, Yumi Nagumo, Missy Palacol, Tracy Yang

NHS thanks the Woodinville Garden Club for sponsoring this event.

Climate Connections: Exploring West Coast Native Plants and Global Counterparts in the Miller Garden (SOLD OUT)
2025-05-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden (Address will be made available to registrants two days prior to event.), Seattle, WA
Join Head Gardener Del Brummet for a rare opportunity to experience the esteemed Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden. The grounds are set into a sloped landscape overlooking the Puget Sound whose maritime air moderates the garden’s climate, which features many different soil types and microclimates. He will focus on how Elisabeth Miller thoughtfully combined West Coast native plants with specimens from similar climates from across the world to create an adaptable and compelling garden. He will also illustrate how the horticultural staff continue to develop and experiment with Mrs. Miller’s botanical legacy.
Speaker Bio:
NHS board member Del became interested in plants through hiking and building trails with the Washington Trails Association. At the University of Washington, he worked in a restoration ecology lab researching propagation techniques, with a focus on native plants of the Garry oak ecosystem. He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor of science degree in biology and joined the Miller Garden the following year. He teaches about native and exotic plants, propagation, and species of seasonal interest for NHS.
A portion of the class fees will be donated to the Great Plant Picks program.

A Short History of Flowers: The Stories that Make Our Gardens with Advolly Richmond
2025-05-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Live Webinar
Curious about the geographic or name origins of your favorite flowers? If so, Advolly Richmond’s lecture will delight and illuminate. Her 2024 book, “A Short History of Flowers: the stories that make our gardens,” contains charismatic portraits of 60 plants – including West Coast natives Matilija poppy and Oregon grape – and she will highlight some of the most intriguing for us. These histories are embroidered with folklore, mythology, globe-spanning plant explorations, and tales of botanists, queens, kings, smugglers, monks and more. For a taste of her warm, inviting presentation style, sample The Garden History Podcast.

Speaker’s Bio:
Advolly Richmond is a garden, landscape and social historian fascinated by how gardens and gardening reflect social, political and economic currents. Based in the UK, she has an MA in garden history from the University of Bristol. Advolly lectures and writes about a range of 16th to 20th-century garden topics, with a special fondness for the gardens of the Italian Renaissance. She contributes garden history features to BBC’s tv program Gardeners’ World, writes for Scribehound and is a member of the Garden Media Guild. In addition, she is a Fellow of the Linnean Society and a Champion for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Additional Resource:
https://www.instagram.com/advollyr/

Historic Gardens of Gravelly Lake with Camille Paulsen (SOLD OUT)
2025-05-15 10:00 - 15:00 | Lakewold Gardens, 12317 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW, Lakewood, WA, 98499
The Lakewood area, just south of Tacoma, is a treasure trove of historically significant homes and gardens around Gravelly Lake. Join NHS Board Member Camille Paulsen for a tour of six of these jewels, five of which are private and rarely experienced by visitors.
The day starts at Lakewold Gardens, where its Executive Director and Head Gardener (and past NHS Board President) Justin Henderson and Camille will provide an overview of the area’s notable gardens. We will then carpool a short distance to the Weyerhaeuser garden, which was developed by George and Wendy Weyerhaueser. Wendy was the daughter of the Wagners, who owned Lakewold. It is very much a Northwest garden, filled with old growth fir trees, oaks, dogwood and–of course–rhododendrons, wisteria and roses. Clara Ladd’s nearby garden showcases glorious Garry oaks and a Chilean firetree, one of very few in the region. We will return to Lakewold for lunch (bring your own) and an exploration of the 10-acre grounds designed by the pioneering landscape architect Thomas Church, with its parterres, reflecting pool, tea house, woodlands and magnificent champion trees. Board Member Sue Goetz will be on hand to share her experience researching and recreating the original Church-designed knot garden. Finally we will travel to Villa Madera, which was built in 1920, and the adjacent Madera Japanese and Rose Gardens.

Sex Lives of Plants with Heronswood’s Dr. Ross Bayton
2025-05-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
Flowers are the reason many people create gardens, but plants don’t produce blooms for our benefit. Instead, flower production enables plants to share their genes and produce the next generation. Join Dr. Ross Bayton, director of the celebrated Heronswood Garden in Kingston, WA, as he examines the varied reproductive strategies of flowers, ferns, and conifers. He will provide fascinating insights that are particularly valuable to gardeners seeking to better understand the life cycles of plants and how to propagate their favorites.
Speaker Bio:
London-born botanist, taxonomist, plantsman and gardener Dr. Bayton received his Ph.D. in plant taxonomy from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His intensive research and fieldwork in Kenya, Madagascar and Burkina Faso led to a revision of the Borassus genus (palm). He is the author of several books, including “New Trees: Introductions to Cultivation” (with John Grimshaw), “Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists” (with Simon Maugham), and most recently “The Gardener’s Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names.” Ross was the gardening editor of the UK’s best-selling gardening periodical, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. He joined Heronswood in 2017 as a botanist and became director in 2022. When not there, he is cultivating his five-acre home garden in Bremerton.
Recording will be sent within 24 hours of event and will be available for 4 weeks.

Container Design for All Seasons with Cindy Funes
2025-05-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Dunn Gardens, 13533 Northshire Rd. NW, Seattle, WA, 98177
Professional container designer Cindy Funes will share her expertise in selecting plants, colors and themes that seamlessly shift with the seasons, ensuring your containers remain fresh, vibrant and visually captivating year round. Learn how to build a strong foundational structure, allowing for easy seasonal updates while maintaining balance and harmony. Cindy will demonstrate practical techniques for layering plants, incorporating varied textures and utilizing color transitions. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, you’ll take home knowledge and creative inspiration guaranteed to elevate your container gardening.
Cindy Funes is a certified professional horticulturist, president of the Digging In Association, and owner of Garden Revelry. She has over 16 years of experience creating stunning, ever-changing arrangements in tune with the seasons.

The Evolution of an 18th Century Irish Garden and its Spectacular Meadows with Seamus O'Brien
2025-04-30 18:30 - 20:30 | Center for Urban Horticulture, NHS Hall, 3501 NE 41st St, Seattle, Washington, 98105, United States
We are thrilled to welcome Seamus O’Brien, head gardener at Ireland’s National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh, to Seattle. He will share the garden’s evolution and rich history, which date back to monastic origins in the 17th century. Two centuries later, it became a wild Robinsonian garden, when exotic plants and trees from international collecting expeditions were added. Seamus will also detail the exuberant restoration of Kilmacurragh’s 300-year old hay meadows. The spectacle launches in February, when a million crocus neopolitanus (native range: Italy, Greece and the Balkan Peninsula) bloom, making way for nearly 150 native wildflowers and grasses over the next six months. Among the stars are devil’s-bit scabious, lousewort, orchids, pignut and yellow rattle. Learn how the process has evolved since its beginning in 2007, including regenerative and sustainable management practices that have culminated in what Seamus calls “the little Noah’s Ark of wildflowers” and a haven for pollinators, birds and more. A lively Q&A will follow the lecture.
Speaker Bio:
Seamus O’Brien, one of Ireland’s premier horticulturists, became head gardener of the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh in 2006. He received his horticultural training at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and holds an International Diploma in Botanic Gardens Management from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Woody Plant Committee and is a judge of the RHS Early Spring Shows. In 2018 Seamus was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland’s Gold Medal of Honour for distinguished services to horticulture in Ireland. In pursuit of botanical and historical knowledge, he has traveled to Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, Oceania, California and Chile. He is the author of two award-winning books: “In the Footsteps of Augustine Henry and his Chinese Collectors” and “In the Footsteps of Joseph Dalton Hooker: A Sikkim Adventure.”
Thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for their generous donation to our 2025 Education Fund,
which helps make in-person events like this possible.
Additional Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXEz0SVhc_Q
https://www.instagram.com/kilmacurraghgardensopw/
https://www.instagram.com/seamus_d_o_brien/
https://www.facebook.com/nationalbotanicgardensofirelandkilmacurragh

Trillium Tour at Cottage Lake Gardens with Susie Egan PM (SOLD OUT)
2025-04-24 13:30 - 15:30 | Cottage Lake Gardens, 17301 191st Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA, 98072
Cottage Lake Gardens is just 30 minutes outside of Seattle and is one of the few places in the world where all 50+ species of the world’s trilliums can be seen growing in one location. Owner and curator Susie Egan will guide us through her three-acre private botanical garden filled with woodland shade plants. We’ll experience the famous Trillium Trail, recently renovated to display each species by geographic zone, which is akin to walking a trail from North America’s west coast to the east coast, with a brief detour to northeast Asia. Plants will be for sale at the end of the tour.
Susie is a landscape designer, Master Gardener alum, lecturer and owner of Cottage Lake Gardens. Her current focus is the study, cultivation and propagation of woodland shade plants, with an emphasis on the endangered Trillium. For the past twenty years, she has traveled throughout the United States, Canada and Japan on trillium trekking trips to see this enchanting genus in the wild, growing in their native habitats. She has given lectures on trilliums in England, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and locally.

Trillium Tour at Cottage Lake Gardens with Susie Egan AM (SOLD OUT)
2025-04-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Cottage Lake Gardens, 17301 191st Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA, 98072

Inspiration from the Knepp Rewilding Project with Head Gardener Charlie Harpur
2025-04-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Live Webinar
Plantsman and landscape designer Charlie Harpur is head gardener at the Knepp Castle Estate in the UK, the site of a pioneering 3500-acre rewilding project initiated in the early 2000s. He primarily oversees the more recent rewilding of Knepp’s Victorian Walled Garden, a design collaboration between internationally acclaimed landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith and horticultural ecologist James Hitchmough, and the development of its regenerative Market Garden. Charlie and his team are guided by the principle that “Rewilding a garden does not just simply mean ‘letting go’. Instead, it requires thinking creatively, identifying ways in which disturbance can mimic and encourage natural processes.” Through images and video he will detail the bold transformation of a croquet lawn into a dynamic, productive landscape that welcomes wildlife and nearly 1000 different plant species.
Speaker Bio:
Prior to joining Knepp in 2022, Charlie trained as an architect and worked for landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith for several years. He also gained practical experience in horticulture and ecology at the Chelsea Physic Garden, Great Dixter and Kew Gardens, graduating with a Kew Diploma in Horticulture in 2020.
Additional Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/kneppwilding/
https://www.nyrb.com/products/wilding
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/book-of-wilding-9781526659309/-9781526659309/

All images courtesy of Knepp Castle Estate.

Spring Ephemerals at the Miller Garden with Richie Steﬀen (SOLD OUT)
2025-04-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden (Address will be made available to registrants two days prior to event.), Seattle, WA
The esteemed Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden has masterfully integrated spring ephemerals throughout its landscape, rewarding visitors with a spellbinding array of color, foliage and texture. Executive Director Richie Steffen will lead us through the garden’s many beds and trails while sharing how the garden staff uses a range of early bloomers to create an unforgettable early season display.
Richie Steffen is the executive director for the Miller Garden, where he oversees the Garden, its rare plant collections and its primary educational program Great Plant Picks. He is also a former president and board member of NHS.

Seeing Color in the Garden with Lorene Edwards Forkner (SOLD OUT)
2025-04-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Dunn Gardens, 13533 Northshire Rd. NW, Seattle, WA, 98177
Color is one of nature’s most sophisticated tools to capture the attention of all living creatures. In this hands-on workshop at the exquisite Dunn Gardens, Lorene will talk about color, its role in a pleasing landscape, and how her daily painting practice has introduced an expansiveness to the way she views the world.
Using watercolors and working with plants and natural materials, participants are invited to explore color mixing and matching, with a focus on hidden hues and nuance. No previous experience is necessary—this isn’t botanical illustration, but rather a mindful exercise in concentration and learning to see with fresh eyes. Following a brief introduction, using supplied materials, participants will create a nature-based color study.
Lorene Edwards Forkner is an author and speaker whose work centers on exploring the wonders of the natural world. She regularly contributes to the weekly GROW column for Pacific NW Magazine in the Seattle Times and is the author of numerous gardening titles, including “Color In and out of the Garden.”

Dishing Dirt with Richie and Bess: Grow This Now!
2025-04-09 18:30 - 20:00 | WA
What plants give you the most bang for your buck? Bess and Richie know, and they will share their successes and opinions (of course!) on what we should be growing in our gardens right now. Spring is a great time to shop for plants, and a good time to consider new ones which can add multiple seasons of interest to your garden. And if you’re lucky, those that require less maintenance and lower water needs to boot. Amazing foliage, long bloom time, colorful fruit and bark, oh my! As always, bring your burning garden questions and ask the experts.
Bess Bronstein is an ISA certified arborist, educator and horticultural consultant based on the Kitsap Peninsula in Kingston, Washington. She has 35 years of experience in arboriculture, landscape management and garden design. Bess was an instructor at the Edmonds College horticulture program for 28 years, with a focus on courses in pruning and tree care, plant identification, plant pests and diagnosis, and soils.
Richie Steffen, former president and board member of NHS, is enthusiastic about (or more accurately, obsessed with) plants. He is the executive director for the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden where he oversees the Garden, its rare plant collections and its primary educational program, Great Plant Picks.
Recording will be sent within 24 hours of event and will be available for 4 weeks.

The Water-Smart Garden: Strategies to Use Water Efficiently in a Changing Climate with Noelle Johnson
2025-04-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
Noelle invites us to re-examine our relationship with water — as a resident of the Phoenix area, which averages 8 inches of annual precipitation, she is a well-qualified subject matter expert. Drawing from her recently published book, “The Water-Smart Garden,” she will talk through ways to decrease reliance on supplemental water in the garden, including strategic plant choices, beneficial soil amendments, targeted plant placement, efficient irrigation methods and rain harvesting. She will also cover waterwise techniques for container gardens and vegetable gardening.
NHS’s Sue Goetz raves about “The Water-Smart Garden”: “This book is a great resource for understanding the culture of drought, conservation, capture, and water use in the garden. It is timely and essential to look at all options for your garden. Noelle touches on all methods of efficiently getting water to the garden with easy-to-understand drawings, photos and explanations to help you choose and create a beautiful water-wise garden.”
Noelle, AKA the ‘AZ Plant Lady,’ is on a mission to teach people how to grow and maintain thriving landscapes in a hot, dry climate. She received her bachelor of science in botany from Arizona State University and is a horticulturist, landscape consultant, author, speaker and educator. Her first book, “Dry Climate Gardening,” won an AHS Book Award in 2024.
Recording will be sent within 24 hours of event and will be available for 4 weeks.

Spring Symposium: Futurescaping: Plants + Design in the Ecological Garden
2025-03-29 09:00 - 16:00 | Bastyr University, 14500 Juanita Dr NE, Kenmore, WA, 98028
In an era of unpredictable weather patterns, rising temperatures, and shifting ecosystems, gardeners and designers are at the forefront of building landscapes that can endure and thrive. We can create beautiful, biodiverse spaces by working with natural systems—selecting climate-ready plants, designing with water in mind, and learning from fire-adapted landscapes. Join us to explore practical, inspiring strategies for a future where gardens don’t just survive, but flourish.
Don’t miss this inspiring day featuring lectures by Jessi Bloom, Sean Hogan, Kevin Philip Williams, and Michael Guidi, plus a special session on USDA hardiness zone revisions.
Engage in an expert panel discussion on climate-ready gardens, network and connect, enjoy breakfast and lunch, and browse plant sales from vendors like Cistus Nursery.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Bastyr University Auditorium
8:30 AM – Doors open, coffee and pastries, registration, plant shopping, and book sales
9:15 AM – Welcome, door prizes from Garden Guru and opening announcements
9:30 AM – Jessi Bloom – Rooted Resilience: Trees, Water & Fire in a Shifting Landscape
10:40 AM – Sean Hogan – What’s Next? Selecting Plants That Thrive Here
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM – Lunch and Plant and Book Sales
1:00 – 1:30 PM – Q&A with Sean Hogan – Zoning In: Your Hardiness Zone Questions Answered
1:40 PM – Kevin Philip Williams & Michael Guidi – Illuminating the Wild Potential of Shrublands
2:40 – 3:30 PM – Panel Discussion – Jessi Bloom, Sean Hogan, Kevin Philip Williams, and Michael Guidi, moderated by Sue Goetz
4:00 PM Plant sales end
Registrants will be able to pre-submit questions online for the 1:00 PM Q&A session with Sean Hogan
Door prizes from Garden Guru will be awarded during the morning and afternoon raffles.
When registering for the symposium, please select a meal choice for each attendee from the drop-down menu on the attendee info page. All lunch options can be made gluten-free—simply check the gluten-free box when making your selection.

Plants will be available for sale during the day from Cistus Nursery and local native plant growers Go Natives! Nursery and Nobody Nursery.
Note: Go Natives! only accepts cash or Venmo.
Lecture Descriptions:
Rooted Resilience: Trees, Water & Fire in a Shifting Landscape Join ecological designer and author Jessi Bloom for an in-depth exploration of how trees, water systems, and firescaping play a vital role in building resilient landscapes. Learn practical strategies for managing water, designing gardens that support biodiversity, and reducing wildfire risk. This talk will empower you with the knowledge and tools to create sustainable landscapes that thrive in dynamic conditions.
What’s Next? Selecting Plants That Love It Here with Sean HoganAs seasons become less predictable, how do we choose what to plant? Sean Hogan, owner of Oregon’s Cistus Nursery—renowned for curating rare plants that excel in the Pacific Northwest—shares how to adapt our plant choices for long-term success. The best part is that we can be ecologically conscious without sacrificing variety and beauty. Create a garden you’ll love by expanding your garden’s palette with thoughtful zoning, microclimate awareness, and a fresh perspective on plant selection.
Illuminating the Wild Potential of Shrublands Shrublands are everywhere, thriving in diverse environments—from the sun-drenched sagebrush steppe to the cool shade of dense forests. These adaptable ecosystems offer a wealth of inspiration for our gardens, providing habitat, resilience, and creative options for naturalistic design. Join the authors of “Shrouded in Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands,” (Filbert Press, 2024), Kevin Philip Williams & Michael Guidi, as they reveal the beauty, philosophy, and practical design strategies for translating these dynamic plant communities into your home landscape.
Panel DiscussionPowerhouse hort professional Sue Goetz moderates an insightful and lively panel discussion with our four experts, diving into the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of gardening and sustainable practices. From the latest green technologies to new plant varieties and landscape design breakthroughs, this is your chance to hear directly from leaders in the field.
Special Q & A Session:
Zoning In: Your Hardiness Zone Questions Answered
In 2023, over 50% of the country went up a hardiness zone, placing Seattle in 9a. Sean Hogan, who consulted with the USDA during that revision process, will answer questions like: Do you need to swap your hydrangeas for agaves? Registrants can pre-submit their questions a few days before the event.

Book Sales & Author Signing

The book is available to members for purchase at $44—a 20% discount off MSRP.
Pre-purchased books will be available for pick-up and signing at the event.
The new book, “Shrouded In Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands,” invites readers to engage with shrubs by celebrating the shrublands that shape landscapes worldwide. It profiles dozens of shrublands, shrub forms, and shrub community types, showcasing their presence across diverse habitats and growing conditions. The book also explores the philosophies, aesthetics, and design strategies that emerge when gardening with these remarkable plants. Shrouded In Light prioritizes inspiration over instruction, featuring more than 250 captivating photographs and illustrations to create an immersive experience of shrublands. The book is the result of collaboration with numerous photographers, land managers, biologists, horticulture professionals, and artists from around the world—including many colleagues from the Gardens—to bring this vision to life.
Speaker Bios:
Jessi Bloom was born and raised in the PNW and has a strong background in horticulture and environmental sciences. Her early experience ranged in project management, from organizing restoration projects with community volunteers, to high-end residential and commercial landscape design/build. In early 2000, she decided to start an ethical business in the green industry to fill a niche for organic and ecological landscaping. Seattle Times named her a “rockstar in the ecological gardening movement,” as she led N.W. Bloom to numerous environmental awards. She is the best-selling author of multiple books, including “Practical Permaculture Design”, now available in six languages, and “Creating Sanctuary: Sacred Garden Spaces”. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Mother Earth News, UTNE Reader, Fine Gardening Magazine, and PBS’s Growing a Greener World.
Sean Hogan is founder, owner and principal designer at Cistus Design Nursery. Specializing in both public and private garden design, he is an author, plant hunter and collector who is passionate about introducing new and climate-appropriate plants to western North America. Sean has played a key role in popularizing underused and lesser-known plants suited for summer-dry climates. Located on scenic Sauvie Island, 15 miles northwest of Portland, Cistus offers a diverse and ever-evolving selection of climate-adapted plants, unique garden textures, and horticultural treasures from around the world.
Kevin Philip Williams is a naturalistic gardener who collaborates with plants to create dynamic, thought-provoking landscapes. His distinctive approach blends bioregional plant palettes, a hardcore punk ethos, and post-human aesthetics to craft wild, immersive spaces. His work with Denver Botanic Gardens has contributed to the development of renowned public gardens throughout the city. Previously, Kevin was a gardener on The High Line in Manhattan and a horticulture intern at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. He holds an master’s degree in public horticulture from the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware and a bachelor’s degree in the history and philosophy of science from Bard College.
Michael Guidi is an ecologist and horticulture researcher dedicated to naturalistic plantings that reflect the adaptability and resilience of wild ecosystems. Drawing inspiration from both urban liminal spaces and untamed landscapes, he favors common and weedy plants over rare specimens, advocating for dynamic, self-sustaining gardens and green infrastructure as alternatives to static, high-maintenance landscapes. His research bridges ecological theory with horticultural practice to expand the definition of gardens and gardening. Before joining the horticulture team at Denver Botanic Gardens, Michael worked as a field biologist. He holds an master’s degree in ecology from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Ithaca College.

Fees will support our educational programs, as well as our community outreach grants and scholarships.

Picture Perfect Phone Photography with Grace Hensley
2025-03-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Dunn Gardens, 13533 Northshire Rd. NW, Seattle, WA, 98177
Unlock the full potential of your smartphone camera with this exclusive workshop on smartphone photography. You’ll learn how to optimize your smartphone camera settings, understand key compensation techniques, explore image editing software with free and paid apps, and best practices for organizing your images. This is designed for photography enthusiasts looking to elevate their mobile photography skills and create stunning images using just their smartphones. Attendees: please download the free Snapseed app to your phone before the workshop.
Instructor Bio:
Grace Hensley is an internationally-published garden photographer and passionate educator who brings the beauty of nature to life through the lens of her smartphone. As a former biochemist and horticulturist, Grace now analyzes what makes a compelling image and develops methods to teach others how to see the world through a photographer’s eyes. She offers a unique perspective that combines technical expertise with artistic flair.
LIMIT: 24 (MAXIMUM 2 PER REGISTRATION) – FEE IS PER PERSON

Artistic Flourishes: Pots with a Purpose with Chanticleer’s Dan Benarcik
2025-03-19 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
Dan Benarcik will provide a lively, motivational deep dive into the endless versatility and functionality of containers — whether they accent a large property, are the focus of an apartment balcony or something in between. He will review the breadth of container gardening styles and share some of his favorite and most consistently successful plants for container culture. Enjoy an overview of Dan’s approach to design, plant combinations and implementation — and enter spring with renewed inspiration for container gardening.
Speaker Bio:
This year Dan is  celebrating 32 seasons as a horticulturist at the renowned public garden Chanticleer, where he oversees the Courtyard Gardens. Early in his horticultural career, he received a bachelor of science in plant science from the University of Delaware, worked at the Mt. Cuba Center as a woods path gardener and in sales at a wholesale nursery. Dan is also an accomplished educator, speaker, writer and furniture builder. He is an instructor at Longwood Garden’s continuing education program and a former regional director of the Garden Writers Association. He has contributed to many publications, including Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Martha Stewart Living and Rodale’s gardening books.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.

Success with Seed Starting Workshop with Diane O'Neill and Michelle Rau
2025-03-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Edmonds College Horticulture Greenhouse, 19810 68th Ave W., Lynnwood, WA, 98036, United States
Join propagation experts, Diane O’Neill and NHS Board Member Michelle Rau, in the Edmonds College Horticulture Greenhouse, for this hands-on workshop that will set you up for success with growing plants from seed. Learn about key factors in selecting seeds, starting them and growing them on. You will leave understanding stratification, scarification and storage, what to germinate with heat and without, and how best to care for seedlings. You will take home what you’ve started in class along with confidence that you can grow your own plants from seed.
Instructor Bios
Diane O’Neill is a retired CPA, CMA an CISA who wove a passion for gardening in with her professional career. A former Master Gardener, Diane worked at Molbaks when it was a small store in Pike Place Market and started a Master Gardener Clinic while working at Swanson’s Nursery. She has taught at the NW Flower & Garden Show, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and The Square Foot Gardening Foundation. She continues to learn and has a special interest in propagation.
Michelle Rau, NHS Board Member, is a horticultural educator, plant nerd, and all-around hoot. With 10 years of experience in horticulture, she offers a unique perspective on plants, and how to identify and care for them. She is a Certified Professional Horticulturist, ISA Certified Arborist, and Department Head and Faculty Member at Edmonds College.
LIMIT: 20 (MAXIMUM 2 PER REGISTRATION) – FEE IS PER PERSON

Your Bountiful Rose Garden: Master the Essentials with Expert Nita-Jo Rountree
2025-03-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
Local rose authority and author Nita-Jo Rountree will reveal her go-to varieties and essential best care practices for thriving roses in the Pacific Northwest. She will celebrate the versatility of roses—how they can grace mixed beds, containers, cottage-style gardens and formal designs with equal charm. All aspects of rose care in our region will be discussed, including installation, pruning, fertilizing and how to mitigate pests, mildew and other frustrations.

Speaker Bio:
Nita-Jo is a speaker, educator, landscape designer and author of “Growing Roses in the Pacific Northwest” (Sasquatch Books). She is a past president and current board member of NHS, past vice president of the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, and a member of the Heronswood Garden Steering Committee. She is a frequent speaker at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, and numerous gardening clubs and organizations. Pacific NW Magazine profiled her rose expertise in 2017.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.

Demystifying Botanical Latin with Daniel Sparler
2025-03-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Miller Library Program Room, Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St, Seattle, WA, 98105
Who says botanical Latin (also known as scientific nomenclature) has to be head-scratchingly hard? We’re all Homo sapiens (“intelligent humans”), so it’s not too much of a leap for us to figure out that Rhododendron macrophyllum (literally “red-tree large-leaf”) is the Pacific rhododendron, the state flower of Washington. This class will cover the basics (who, what, when, where, why and how) of Latin binomial plant names and provide tools for further study to help us make sense of what we grow in our gardens.
Instructor Bio
A third of a century ago Daniel planted himself in Seattle’s Seward Park neighborhood and proceeded to construct a now notorious garden brimming over with thousands of specimens of cosmopolitan origin. He first joined the board of NHS in 2006 and has taught botanical Latin all over the Puget Sound region. Since 2020, Daniel’s more than 60 Horticulturally Yours columns have been archived on the Northwest Horticultural Society’s website.
LIMIT: 15 (MAXIMUM 2 PER REGISTRATION) – FEE IS PER PERSON

Rhododendron macrophyllum
Image(s) courtesy of Wikipedia.

New Nature for a Climate Change Future with Noel Kingsbury
2025-03-08 10:00 - 11:30 | Live Webinar
Discover the future of ecological planting with the legendary Dr. Noel Kingsbury. As one of the world’s premier practitioners and promoters of ecological planting design, he will focus on bracing topics raised in his latest book, “Wild: The Naturalistic Garden” (Phaidon). As human-led development decreases the availability of healthy, functional spaces for plants and animals, Noel urges that “it is our great moral imperative” to think about creating landscapes that serve plants, animals and people. He will probe questions like: In the face of climate change, how can designed landscapes become vital refuges for both biodiversity and human well-being? Do visually “wild” and naturalistic plantings truly support biodiversity? What is the difference between maintenance and management? How can we balance aesthetics and ecological dynamism in landscapes?
Speaker Bio:
Noel is a writer, researcher, teacher, planting designer and – in his own words – occasional provocateur. He received his doctorate from the University of Sheffield in 2009, and has authored many influential books, including “The New Perennial Garden”, “Seed Heads” and “Garden Flora”. Noteworthy collaborators include fellow “New Perennialist” pioneer Piet Oudolph and esteemed garden photographer Claire Tokacs. Noel is committed to educating home gardeners, design and landscape professionals through the workshops and webinars of Garden Masterclass, which he co-runs with award-winning designer and educator Annie Guilfoyle. After living in Herefordshire County, England for many years, he now resides in Portugal, where he is making a low-irrigation garden.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.

All images, except the portrait, courtesy of Claire Takacs from Wild – The Naturalistic Garden, published by Phaidon.

Witt Winter Garden Walk with Curator Ray Larson
2025-02-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Dr E, Seattle, WA, 98112
Tour the Arboretum’s Witt Winter Garden and learn about the many garden-worthy plants of late winter. Ray Larson, Curator of Living Collections, will discuss the many highlights of the winter garden on the cusp of spring. Blooms, berries, bark and fragrance are still in full effect and Ray will talk about some of his favorites.
Instructor Bio:
Ray Larson is Associate Director, Curator of Living Collections and the Otis Hyde Herbarium, at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. He is also past Board Member and President of NHS.
LIMIT: 20 (MAXIMUM 2 PER REGISTRATION) – FEE IS PER PERSON

Edible Gardens, the Way Nature Intended—In Layers with Christina Chung
2025-02-26 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
Move away from monoculture crops and embrace the benefits—aesthetic, horticultural and gustatory—of layered edible gardens with expert Christina Chung. She will share practical, accessible strategies to increase your garden’s food production and visual interest year round. Christina advocates for the inclusion of edible plants from eight different layers (trees, sub-canopy trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous perennials, annuals, ground covers and edible roots) to maximize productivity, help with weed suppression, nurture biodiversity and create unexpectedly exuberant beds. She champions ornamental species that double as edibles, such as hosta leaves and shoots, hardy fuchsia berries and flowers, as well as less frequently grown delectables like goji berries, medlar and quince.
Speaker Bio:
Christina is a Vancouver, B.C.-based horticulture educator, consultant and author who completed the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Training Program, followed by further training at Gaia College’s Organic Horticulture Specialist Program. Her first book, “The Layered Edible Garden: A Beginner’s Guide to a Productive Food Garden Layer by Layer” (Cool Springs Press), was published last year. Christina shares her gardening insights online and through her consulting work as Fluent Garden. Her expertise has been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Sunset, Macleans, Chatelaine and more.
Members must register to watch live and to receive the recording.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.

An Evening With Neil Lucas at NWFGF: Grasses and the Naturalistic Approach at Knoll Gardens
2025-02-20 17:30 - 20:00 | Seattle Convention Center, 705 Pike St, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The Northwest Horticultural Society in partnership with the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival welcomes Neil Lucas, as the 2025 international show judge and speaker.
Join Us For a Delightful Evening
Featuring a special NHS lecture for members and their guests at the Seattle Convention Center with Neil Lucas, the U.K.’s leading authority on ornamental grasses, plus a panel discussion with local experts Dan Hinkley, Richie Steffen and Susan Calhoun (scroll down for description). Neil will share his experiences creating a naturalistic garden at Knoll Gardens and integrating ornamental grasses into gardens for year-round interest. He will also be signing his book, “Grasses for Gardens and Landscapes” (Timber Press).

Enjoy drinks and informal conversation with Neil and other garden enthusiasts before the lecture.
Reception 5:30 PM
Lecture 6:00 PM | Panel discussion 6:45 PM
Book signing afterward
(Ticket includes one complimentary drink)

We look forward to giving all attendees a complimentary grass plant,
courtesy of T&L Nursery and Little Prince.
Door prizes will be donated by Windcliff Plants as well.
Lecture Description
In his recent book, Neil defines his naturalistic approach to garden-making as “reflecting a desire to garden with an informal aesthetic and to take great pleasure in the garden as an ever-changing, ongoing community that benefits both ourselves and our wider environment.”
In this presentation, Neil will share how he has applied this ethos to Knoll Gardens over the past 30 years, with a keen focus on the foundational role grasses have played in establishing its stellar reputation. He will explore the key principles guiding its design, plant selection, and garden aftercare, as well as the planting palette used for several significant plantings.
Panel Discussion
The talk will be followed by a lively and substantial panel discussion with local garden professionals, including Dan Hinkley, Richie Steffen and Susan Calhoun. Bring your questions and take advantage of this rare opportunity to discover the best practices for integrating ornamental grasses into Pacific Northwest landscapes.
Speaker Bio
Neil Lucas is one of the world’s leading ornamental grass specialists and is executive director of Knoll Gardens in Dorset, England. Thanks to his 30 years of experimentation and innovation, this public garden and nursery are celebrated for its naturalistic approach to masterfully incorporating ornamental grasses in its plantings.
Last year the Royal Horticultural Society granted Neil its most prestigious award, the esteemed Victoria Medal of Honour, in recognition of his “immeasurable contribution to horticulture.” This exclusive title may be held by only 63 British horticulturalists at any one time. Neil is the holder of 10 consecutive Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals and has served as an RHS council member and senior judge. In addition, he has authored two books on designing with grasses and is the founder the Knoll Gardens Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of garden biodiversity and sustainable garden practices.
As he recently stated in Gardens Illustrated:
“If you work with grasses for 40 hours a week for 20 years, you’re bound to learn a lot. And if you work 80 hours a week, you’ll know even more. So we are able to offer people the summation of our experience; to advise what may or may not work, and how best to use grasses to do different jobs in the garden.”
For a quick primer on grasses, read NHS Board member Lorene Edwards Forkner’s recent article in The Seattle Times.

Grasses for Gardens and Landscapes is available to members for purchase at $40, a 20% discount from MSRP

Use the NHS coupon code sent out in the event announcements and other NHS electronic mailers to receive $15 off the general admission price when purchasing a discounted show ticket for any day of the event.
Please note that Lecture Room 3B, where the event will take place, is in the Convention Center but does not require a show ticket for entry.

Images courtesy of Knoll Gardens
This is an NHS Fundraising Event. Your contributions will support our educational programs, as well as our community outreach grants and scholarships.

Grounded in the Garden: Creating a Garden in Harmony with Nature with TJ Maher
2025-02-08 10:00 - 11:30 | Live Webinar
The presentation by TJ Maher offers a visual feast with over 100 image-rich slides, inspired by the 2024 publication Grounded in the Garden: An Artist’s Guide to Creating a Beautiful Garden in Harmony with Nature. TJ will delve into topics such as using color in the garden, designing and reimagining borders, and maximizing the potential of outdoor spaces. Alongside practical how-to advice, the presentation features thoughtful commentary on nature and the profound lessons it offers to those who pause to listen.
Speaker Bio:
TJ Maher is an artist, author and gardener, having built a reputation for his talent in these creative pursuits. TJ is represented by the Taylor Galleries in Dublin, Ireland and his work is contained in many private and public collections. As a gardener TJ has created the award winning Patthana Garden, this sanctuary reflects TJs’ deep spiritual connection to nature. In 2024, his first book Grounded in the Garden was released to critical acclaim.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.

Grow More Food: How to design/plant/grow a vegetable garden in a space of any size with Colin McCrate
2025-01-29 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
A detailed and well-executed garden plan can double or triple the productivity of a vegetable garden. We’ll consider which crops to grow, how to select varieties, how to allocate space, and a range of planting strategies for the Pacific Northwest. Get intimate with your crops and make the most of your productive space this coming season.
Speaker Bio:
Colin McCrate is the founder of Seattle Urban Farm Company and the author of two best-selling gardening books: Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard and Grow More Food. Colin has been growing food organically for over 20 years and has helped guide hundreds of urban farmers through the design, construction, and management of their own edible landscape. He believes that sustainable urban agriculture can promote healthy diets, environmental stewardship, stronger communities, and improved quality of life.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.

VISIONARY: Gardens and Landscapes for our Future with Claire Takacs
2025-01-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Live Webinar
Photographer extraordinaire Claire Takacs will discuss her new book, VISIONARY: Gardens and Landscapes for Our Future, created with landscape architect Giacomo Guzzon. She will treat us to highlights from the the book’s eighty gardens and public landscapes that are designed to address our changing climate in novel and inspiring ways. Photographed on five continents, the images represent a diverse range of climates, scales, solutions, and budgets.
Dan Hinkley, one of Claire’s foremost fans and friend, is thrilled to be hosting this event. Dan’s book Windcliff is rich with her otherworldly photography.
Speaker Bio:
Claire is based in Melbourne and travels the globe to capture transcendent moments in the most esteemed and beautiful gardens. Her award-winning imagery appears regularly in international magazines, including Gardens Illustrated. She has contributed to many books, including Dreamscapes; Australian Dreamscapes; Windcliff: A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens by Dan Hinkley; and Wild: The Naturalistic Garden with text by Noel Kingsbury.
Recording will be available for 4 weeks.
