I think it’s important for anyone interested in gardening to visit the local garden shows every now and then. Nashville’s Lawn and Garden Show was this past weekend and I stopped up to pay a visit. Overall it was a nice show but I have to say I wasn’t as impressed with it as I was last year. The display gardens of last year seemed more creative and unique while the vendor selection was a little better. Most likely it’s because of our current lackluster economy. Despite that fact there were still a few things that I found worthy of mentioning – and a for taking a few pictures!
The Gardens of Babylon had this demonstration garden set up for aquaponics. Aquaponics is a growing system that uses fish and plants together to sustain each other. The fish water feeds the plants which helps them to grow.
Espalier displays could be seen in several areas. Espalier is a very cool pruning technique but I have to say it takes more time to do it properly than I would be willing to spend. It would definitely be worthwhile for someone with just a little gardening area who wanted to grow fruit trees.
There were lots of water features.
Many of the display gardens featured edible plants. In this picture there are several kinds of spring vegetables.
Need a new ornament to add to your front garden? Why not try this big head made from carved wood? Bring that Easter Island feel to your garden! I would put one in but then my neighbors would just say that I had a big head…
If you’re crazy about eights you might try growing your vegetables in a figure 8 planting bed! Who 8 the garden?
I liked how this garden with the Japanese maple spilled out from the stone bed and poured out the tulips. The stone walkway was a nice feature as well.
Of all the water features I thought the following two were the most creative. This first one was made from several hypertufa leaf castings put together into a multi-tiered fountain.
This other water feature was actually built into a rustic table. The water spilled out from the side of the table into a small pool with a few water plants.
It was a good show but not as strong as in the past. When I go to a garden show I expect to see something new, something creative, or something very unique and I really didn’t get that feeling this year. If you want to see a list of the display gardens and who made them you should check out the display garden page.
What was the most unique garden display you’ve observed at a garden show?
I liked seeing what the garden show near you was like. It seems like the garden shows are all pretty different from each other. I don't think I saw much in the way of edibles at our garden show this year which surprised me. Last year there was a lot of urban farming displays. I really like the leaf fountain and the one on the table is pretty cool too.
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My take on it is the same. I wish they had more unique plants. That espaliering was fantastic!
Hi Dave, I'm looking forward to attending one in a couple of weeks – nearby. However, I'm missing about three of them due to circumstances.
Gonna make your own plant leaf waterfall?