One thing that's always jarring at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show is the mix of seasons in the display gardens. Usually, it's just spring and summer.

But this year all four seasons are represented - kind of like looking at a Thomas Kincaid print. But once you get used to it it's pretty cool (unlike a Kincaid.)

In "Crush" by Pacific Stone Company a perfect fall day has been created. Real apples hang in trees and pumpkins fill the garden. One pumpkin (pictured below) really stands out - it's been carved from stone.

In "Winter in Waiting" by Adam Gorski Landscapes fences from old skis line a garden with biodegradable fake snow.

Whatever season you are in a mood for you'll find it here.

There was so much over-the-top stuff in the display gardens at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, it was all a bit..... much. Of course, gardeners come here to see things that are outlandish. Things like underwater misting machines adding drama to moody looking ponds (scroll down for that eyeful). Things like 20-something-feet-tall monkey puzzle trees in the middle of the convention center.

There was a moment where I felt like I could see something at the show in my yard. At least on a small scale, that is. It was a collection of container plantings, organized in tiers, surrounded by stone. Very pretty. Very minimal. Elements of the display could look really cool in almost anyone's yard.

The display, called Infinity In Your Hand, was created by the Puget Sound Bonsai Association, which describes its work here:

The title, with apologies to William Blake, is suggesting a search in nature for eternal beauty. The simplicity found in a leaf or a grain of sand. Bonsai is simply sculpture, with the qualities of timelessness.

Here, take a look at it. See for yourself:

All the rock in this display garden (including the arch) is dry stacked. No mortar was used in the making of "From and Ordinary Pile of Rocks..." by Exteriorscapes.

You can see the designers and their crew working feverishly to complete it. When I made this photo they were about two hours away from their noon deadline. At that time all work stops and the judges come in.

I've got a kid, and because of that, a kid-friendly backyard (well, duh). The neighborhood kids love our yard, I think probably because I have a raised kitchen garden I let them dig around in, and I don't care if they make a mess or strip my rosemary bare (it'll grow back). Dirt is fun and they love it.

The one thing missing, something I've been working on in the winter, is some decent kid-friendly (and mommy-and-her -wine-sipping pals-friendly)seating areas where we all can lounge about outside -- them playing, us sipping.

Today, walking by the display garden by Tomisha Payment of Eden Landscape Design, I was interested in how the designer worked so many comfortable seating areas into such a small space. Her display, called Sippy Cups to Wine Stems, sits in the corner of the convention center, near the restrooms.

Her description of her garden:

A contemporary urban garden that does double-duty as inspiring entertaining space and imagination igniting play yard, proving that parents and children can live harmoniously in a small garden without sacrificing style.
Multicultural influences in planting and accessories evoke epic travels and create an eclectic, dramatic outdoor extension of living space in the small city lot. Water, pebbles and sand provide tactile experience for children while comfortable furniture invites leisurely meals and lingering conversation for the whole family.

I've got a small yard, and if you do, you're probably wondering how to make the space more usable, maybe even kidlet friendly. The answer, according to Payment's design, is to go vertical with the plantings, and reserve the surface area for lounging spaces. Here, take a look at how she did it:

Here's the first of many photos I'll be posting showing the display gardens.

This garden called "Dreams Really Can Come True" by Falling Water Designs was one of my favorites. Periodically, a cloud of mist rises above a pond and stone carvings. Rain drops from above.

Nearby is a stone firepit. It's all over the top and quite surreal...like a dream.

Craig Sailor and I are at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, writing from the press room at the Convention Center in Seattle. We just wandered away from the tour of the display gardens, which was led by Steve Lorton, former Northwest bureau chief of Sunset magazine.

It was an interesting tour, namely because the designers were scurrying about finalizing their displays. All a bit chaotic, fun to watch, a little distracting.

We saw some over-the-top displays. The kind that make you scoff a little, roll your eyes, maybe. There is no way most of that would work in our yards, well maybe Craig Sailor's yard, but it's all about the drama, clearly.

Read on here for more details ... in just a few... after we drink some more coffee ...