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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/retailreport/2004183574_retailreport15.html
Small-space gardening niche blossoms amid condos’ growth
Seattle Times business reporters
Organizers of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show look at the new condo and apartment buildings popping up all over Seattle and see a burgeoning number of potential green-thumbed hobbyists. The show, which runs for five days starting Wednesday at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, will include a first-of-its-kind exhibit featuring three display patios, plus 13 container gardens for dressing up a doorway or balcony. The purpose is to make sure the show stays relevant as more people choose downtown-style living. A third of the show’s more than 110 free seminars are aimed at small-space gardeners, said Cyle Eldred, who is managing the 20th annual show for Salmon Bay Events. Consider these titles: “Growing Vegetables Vertically,” “Transform Your Containers with Paint & Style!” and “Discover the Versatility of Ferns.“
“We have smaller spaces to live in, and we all want to make them pretty,” Eldred said. “Even if you don’t have a great big yard, you probably have a patio or deck. I grew carrots in a container on my deck this year.”
Local businesses, such as Exteriorscapes in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, are catering to condo and apartment dwellers by selling more container gardens.
“A lot of people move into a condo after having a yard and they’re like, ‘I’ve got to get my hands dirty’ ” said Peter Lavagnino, a landscape designer at Exteriorscapes.
Growing plants in terra-cotta pots, wire baskets or just about any other type of container doesn’t require a big yard — just a place to put them, Lavagnino said. “They soften a lot of the concrete, the look of the space,” added Cameron Scott, Exteriorscapes’ owner.
(continued)— Amy Martinez
