The 2009 (and maybe last) Northwest Flower and Garden show starts Wednesday at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle Wednesday.

Today, I went up for the media preview as garden designers and their crews were frantically putting on the final touches.

I'll let my photos do the talking. The show runs through Sunday (Feb. 22). Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closing at 6 p.m. Sunday).

"Shall We Dance . . . in the Garden" is designed by Judith I. Jones and Vanca Lumsden and credated by Aw Pottery,
Fancy Fronds, and ABLE.

This is just one small slice of a large garden based on
the musical, "The King and I". There's a Thai inspired garden pavilion and a pair of elephants and lots of tropical plants.

"Welcome to your weekend" was designed by Karen Stefonick of Le Jardin Landscape Design. I was taken by this garden and Stefonick's use of nothing but green - in all it's infinite shades. It was very soothing for the eyes.

This was one of three vignettes designed by Octavia Chambliss. The trio are examples for people who have small spaces, like condo dwellers. And all three used their economy of space extremely well. They had plenty of accoutrements, were artfully arranged but still felt open.

"Entry to Cascadia" uses plants native to Cascadia - The Pacific Northwest. A simple basalt stone circle is surrounded by flowering shrubs, ground covers, and woodland plants. It's a great reminder how our native flora can produce a beautiful garden without the help of any ornamentals.

"I love it" by John Faccone of NW Majestic Landscape & Living Inc. was one of my favorites because of its elegant, serene simplicity. Faccone is an artist: every angle, color, plant grouping was perfectly composed. The V-shaped reflecting pond was the centerpiece to this setting.

Gig Harbor's Sue Goetz's garden, "L'eau sage," made me want to buy a ticket to Provence. Her Mediterranean garden is drought tolerant (which is a more succinct way of saying you don't have to water your garden in the summer, drought or not.) Tons (literally) of golden-hued gravel compliment green and purple accents.

"Sky's the limit" by Rebecca Cole was the most intriguing garden of the show. Designed to be on the rooftop of a high rise building, this space would make you forget you weren't in a verdant ground level space. The most intriguing aspect was this structure, topped by grass and solar panels. A wall, as shown, was alive with a quilt of plants. This was Cole's first visit to Seattle and she brought a little of her New York City home with her.

This Bali-themed garden was the final stop before the commercial exhibits and it surely was a relaxing bit of zen heaven.