Each year we honor our Volunteers and Garden Tour hosts and celebrate Edmonds in Bloom activities that beautify our community.   The event is always open to the public.

Featured Guest Speaker

Our special guest speaker for the Garden Celebration 2024 was Brooks Kolb,  Principal of Brooks Kolb Landscape Architecture. Brooks will present “Creating Spaces: A Landscape Architect’s Approach to Garden Design”.   This inspiring talk took us on a journey to how we can create our own garden spaces.

Brooks Kolb, ASLA, is Principal of Brooks Kolb, LLC Landscape Architecture, a Seattle firm specializing in residential garden design.  A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (Master of Landscape Architecture, 1979), Brooks is a licensed landscape architect with 45 years of experience in private practice. As a volunteer, he has advocated for park and historic preservation for four decades.  A founding member of the Volunteer Park Trust and a past president of the Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks, he currently serves as vice president of the Seattle Allied Arts Foundation. He is a past-president of both the Washington Chapter and the Northern California Chapter, American Society of Landscape Architects, and a former member of the Columbia City Design Review Committee. His garden designs have been published in the Seattle Times “Pacific NW” magazine, “Fine Homebuilding,” and Julia Moir Messervy’s book, “New Landscape Ideas that Work.” He is currently at work on a personal memoir titled “Landscape In Lavender.”

Brooks Kolb LLC

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

www.brookskolbllc.net

Click HERE to view Powerpoint of full Presentation

Garden Celebration Video

The Garden Celebration was about honoring everybody that helps make Edmonds in Bloom happen.  Our volunteers, our garden hosts, our donors, musicians, and artists.  Thanks to all for a fantastic 2023 season with our Kids Plant, Garden Recognition, and Garden Tour.

Article in Edmonds News about the Event

Photo Album of the Garden Celebration Event

Powerpoint Presentation File

Featured Guest Speaker

Dr. Ross Bayton is a London-born botanist, gardener, and author.  Formerly the Gardening Editor of the UK’s best-selling gardening periodical, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, he is now the Director of Heronswood Garden in Kingston.  Dr. Bayton will talk about "Heronswood after 10 Years of Tribal Ownership: Connecting People, Plants & Place". Learn about the garden and its relationship with the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and why that is important.

We gathered at the Edmonds Center for the Arts to celebrate a year of beautification projects at the Edmonds in Bloom Garden Party. The event focused on volunteers, Garden Tour hosts, donors and supporters.

The event was free and open to the public.

Featured Guest Speaker

Lorene Edwards Forkner is an author and speaker whose work centers on exploring the wonders of the natural world. Lorene regularly contributes to  the GROW column in The Seattle Times and is the author of 5 gardening titles, including her latest, Color In and Out of the Garden, Abrams Books, 2022.

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Lorene’s Talk Description:
Cultivating Color

Color is about seduction. It is both delightful and one of nature’s most sophisticated tools designed to capture the attention of all living creatures. Along with pollinators searching for pollen and nectar and hungry animal foraging for ripe fruit, we humans are under the spell of color. Learn how to hone your perception, discover hidden hues, and cultivate an expansive view of your landscape.

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25th Anniversary Garden Party

– Due to COVID concerns, the 2020 Garden party focusing on our 25th Anniversary was Cancelled.

2019 Garden Party

The standing room only event featured Nancy Leson, award-winning food writer, radio personality, cooking instructor and Edmonds resident, on The Romance vs. The Reality of Gardening.

Participants  at the August 7 program celebrated gardens and gardeners, met the Garden Hosts from this year’s Tour and enjoyed a show featuring highlights from the Tour and Edmonds in Bloom activities this past year. Visit our Home Page and click on the video to enjoy the aerial photography, garden photos and highlights of Edmonds in Bloom’s year. 

Thank you to PCC Community Markets, Sprouts Farmers Markets-Lynnwood, and Edmonds QFC for their support of the event. And to Sky Nursery, Lesley Bell and IMA Studio for Door Prizes. 

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..Check out this video shown at 2019 Garden Party!

Edmonds in Bloom hosted a Garden Party! event on Wednesday, August 1 at 7pm at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. The program honored and thanked volunteers and celebrated floral activities that beautify our community.

Landscape designer Karen Chapman of Le Jardinet was the featured speaker. Chapman is a noted plant specialist, garden designer and author.  Her topic was “Foliage and Focal Points: Ideas for Gardens and Budgets of All Sizes.” She is the co-author of two books: Gardening with Foliage First and Fine Foliage.

The Garden Delights raffle drawing took place at the event. The raffle included an array of garden-themed prizes, including private garden tours, garden gear and décor, and Edmonds entertainment and dining. Raffle proceeds provide funds to support Edmonds in Bloom projects that beautify our community.

Karen Chapman was born in England, and grew up with a trowel in her hand.  After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1996 she joined one of the leading garden nurseries as a garden plant specialist.  Ten years later she established Le jardinet in order to provide a servie that takes all the time, stress and guesswork out of the design process.

In the recent past she has taught container gardening at Edmonds Community College, and continues to teach both container and landscape design in occasional workshops and events as well as offering a range of online learning opportunities through Craftsy and Garden Gate Magazine.

She frequently gives presentations at flower and garden shows, trade conferences, horticultural organizations, nurseries, and garden clubs.

Her articles and designs have been featured in many national gardening publications including Find Gardening, Country Gardens, Sunset, and Garden Design.  She co-authored two books with Christina Salwitz: the award-winning Fine Foliage and the highly acclaimed Gardening with Foiliage First.  Her next book, Deer-Resistant Design, is due for release in June 2019.

2017 Garden Party

More than 100 guests celebrated a year of beautification projects at the Edmonds in Bloom Garden Party, August 2.  The event focused on volunteers, Garden Tour hosts, donors and supporters.

Richie Steffen, Director/Curator of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden was the featured speaker. He talked about the value to the community of gardens, for example, neighbors talking with each other, residents taking delight in the plantings in their community. “There is an amazing impact in the way a neighborhood feels about itself – it creates a community,” he said. He complimented Edmonds in Bloom for doing a huge service for the community in supporting the downtown corners and baskets, and other projects.

President Kathy Ludgate noted that this year’s Edmonds in Bloom flags were placed in more than 100 front gardens and business displays, bringing recognition to local gardeners who provide beauty though their efforts.

Steffen said he “loves meeting gardeners and also relishes the solitude of my garden. My favorite thing about gardening is creative expression – it’s part of what happens.”

2016 Awards Reception

The popular Annual Awards Reception and Volunteer Recognition event welcomed 125 guests and featured renowned garden writer Valerie Easton.

The event, held August 3 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, honored the Garden Competition winners and Business Recognition entries, applauded the Garden Tour hosts, and thanked volunteers for their work on Kids Plant for Mom’s Day and other activities.

It was an evening to celebrate the beauty of gardens as Edmonds in Bloom announced the winners of this year’s garden competition and recognized participating local businesses at a gala reception in the Edmonds Center for the Arts lobby.

Noted author, 25-year Pacific Magazine columnist, and avid gardener Valerie Easton gave an engaging keynote address on the joys and obsessions of gardening.

“Let me tell you, plant lust is real and it has serious repercussions,” she quipped. “Symptoms are serious overplanting, and ultimately creating a garden that outstrips your ability to maintain it, ending up giving more stress than peace. This is not the way it should be!”

Easton went on to provide common-sense tips on how to have a garden that brings maximum enjoyment and happiness. This includes choosing the right plants — the kind that require only easy care — and tolerating imperfections.

“Gardens are always changing — embrace and enjoy this,” she advised. “The whole point is to get outdoors and participate in the natural creativity of growing things.”

The club also introduced its new graphic artist, 2012 Edmonds-Woodway High School graduate Megan Lees. Lees graduated this year from Western Washington University with a degree in graphic design, and returned to Edmonds to work with Edmonds in Bloom.

But it wasn’t all gardens, as the club also announced that 2016 Mountlake Terrace High School graduate Bonnie Winters had been selected as the recipient of the club’s $1,000 scholarship. Winters, a recent award winner at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair for her project demonstrating how lead-contaminated soils can be detoxified by growing certain plants, will begin her studies in paleobotany at Humboldt State University this fall. “I’m so thrilled,” she said. “This scholarship has made it possible for me to follow my passion and pursue this course of study.”

Here are the winners of the 2016 Edmonds in Bloom Garden Competition and Business Recognition awards:

Multi-family Category: Renee Reed (Honorable Mention: Ai Ho; Michelle and Mile Martin; Tisci Pasquale; Diana Van Loveren, Woodscreek Place; Emerald Hills Homeowners Association)

Single Family Category: Al and Toni Young; Marjorie Yalowicki; Barry Tharp; Gretchen Stewart; Carol and Doug Sheldon; Connie Pierce; Kirsten Paust; Linda and Gene Nicholson; Karen Neumeister; Patrice Kettner and Bruce Ballard; Rani Kettel; Patty Jayner; Don Hall; Kathleen and Tony Griffin; Kim Collier; Kayla Clark; Sam Christensen and Paul Kandel; Deborah Binder and Gaetan Veilleux; Susan Anderson. (Honorable Mention: Skip DeHennis, Kara Heck, Shelly Hutton, Rita Miller, Myung Ju)

Youth Award: Girl Scout Troop 41425 for planting and maintaining the corner gardens at the Perrinville post office.

Special Award: North Sound Church for years of maintaining beautiful flower gardens at the historic 1909 First Baptist Church at 4th and Bell and in recognition of the Church’s recent addition to the Edmonds Register of Historic Places.

Business Recognition Entrants: Art Spot, Chanterelle, Christopher Framing and Gallery, City Kitty, Cline Jewelers, Coldwell Banker Bain, Comstock Jewelers, Edmonds Automotive, Edmonds Barber Shop, Edmonds Frame Design and Atelier, Edmonds Law Center, Edward Jones, Fifth Avenue Animal Hospital, Five Corners Styling, Gallery North, Garden Gear, Ideal Salon, Infinity Mortgage, Ivar’s Seafood Bar, Dr. Howard Jue, Louvre Coffee Shop, McDonald-McGarry Insurance, Mosaic Group Salon, Pena Salon, Rusty Pelican, J. Rankin Jewelers, Teri’s Toybox, Wishing Stone.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel. My Edmonds News, August 4th 2016

2015 20th Anniversary Reception

Edmonds in Bloom celebrated its 20th anniversary with a reception at Art Works (201 2nd Ave. S, Edmonds) on Sunday, March 1 from 2-4 pm. Since 1995, Edmonds in Bloom, a non-profit 501c3 organization, has hosted several events that have become annual traditions in Edmonds: Kids Plant for Mom’s Day, the Garden Tour and Garden Competition. Its volunteers have worked with the City of Edmonds, its residents and businesses to create an awareness and appreciation of the wonderful floral beauty for which the City is now famous.

The afternoon was a delightful trip down memory lane, filled with nostalgia, a slide show of past garden tours, volunteer projects, garden competitions, and kids plant days. Door prizes, refreshments and special guests rounded out the day. A special proclamation was presented to highlight the day, declaring it “Edmonds in Bloom Day” by Mayor Earling. Edmonds in Bloom is very proud of its accomplishments over the past twenty years and hopes you can join them to celebrate this momentous occasion!

The 20th Anniversary Awards Reception, held August 5, 2015, at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, was a lively event. Wayne Purser continued in his role as Master of Ceremonies. This year, with Teresa Whippel of My Edmonds News, he co-produced the special anniversary video featuring early members of Edmonds in Bloom. Special thanks also go to Banner Bank for their grant for the production. Special guest Ciscoe Morris charmed the audience of 100 plus attendees, posing with the founder of Edmonds in Bloom, Joesphine Lloyd (see 1st picture). Guests enjoyed refreshments, special prelude music by Jake Berreth, and a slide show of tour and competition gardens. Local businesses were also recognized for their floral containers. Gardens of Distinction were announced as well as a special recognition to Salish Crossing for their innovative landscaping. Edmonds in Bloom is an all volunteer organization, and as such, the evening was an opportunity to thank volunteers and board members for their year of time and hard work promoting the organization’s community activities. Raffle winners were also drawn, with the Grand Prize of a trip for two to Victoria, British Columbia, going to Jack and Sharon Miller of Edmonds.

Announcement for the 2013 Award Reception

Wednesday, August 7, 2013
7 pm – 8:30 pm
Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 Fourth Ave. North, Edmonds, WA 98020

Please join us for this free annual event at Edmonds Center for the Arts, to acknowledge the success of the Edmonds in Bloom Kids Plant for Mom’s Day, the Garden Competition, and the Garden Tour!  Local dignitaries present prizes, and all volunteers, donors and participants will be recognized. Raffle prizes will also be given out.  You will enjoy free refreshments and a slideshow presentation, featuring this year’s events and activities.

Raffle tickets are currently being sold at the Edmonds Farmers Market, the Art Walk and other venues.  They will also be sold the night of the Awards Reception.

No reservation necessary for Awards Reception and you don’t have to be present to win a prize for the raffle drawing.

Grand Prize in the Raffle Drawing:  A trip for two to Victoria, BC, via the Victoria Clipper, accommodations at the Royal Scot Hotel & Suites and admission to Butchart Gardens.

Other raffle prizes include the following:

• Interiors of Edmonds – $100 gift certificate
• Housewares – $50 gift certificate
• Chaterelle’s Restaurant – $30 gift certificate
• Ivar’s Seafood – $25 gift certificate
• Arnies of Edmonds – (4) $50 gift certificates
• Edmonds Theater – (8) passes
• Las Brisas Mexican Restaurant – $50 gift certificate
• Ordinary Things  Furnishings – $50 gift certificate
• The Papery Cards & Gift Shop – $30 gift certificate
• Anthony’s Homeport – Sunset dinner certificates
• Hamburger Harry’s – (3) $20 gift certificates
• Swanson’s Nursery – $100 and $50 gift certificates
• Wight’s Home & Garden Center – $50 gift certificate
• Edmonds Center for the Arts – (2) $64 tickets
• Fred Meyer, Lynnwood – $40 gift certificate
• Cafe Louvre – $10 gift card
• Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door – $190 in travel items
• Starbucks – $150 in coffee supplies
• Bill the Butcher – $60 gift certificate