Garden Geeks meet NW Garden Show

Last week fellow garden geeks met at the North West Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. One of the largest garden shows in the northwest. Early on Thursday morning over sixty garden enthusiasts gathered for an exclusive pre-show tweetup. Supplied with refreshments and treats in a special VIP [Very Important Peep] area on the 4th floor of the convention center in grand style. Organized by the show’s social media mavens Janet and Michelle @NWFGS . After the smooze social, pre-open access to the display gardens was given. This chance at the show before the public, met with many a oohs and ahhs while cameras came out to capture just a few notes of the chorus of ideas, design and colour that made “A Floral Symphony”.

Social media plays a big part in sharing information and inspiration with other gardeners across the U.S. and other countries, like the popular weekly #gardenchat event on Twitter. For some this was the first time meeting in an off-line setting. What a treat it was to finally meet many of those one has been corresponding with just about everyday online. Gardeners like  Brenda @bg_garden of OH [founder of #gardenchat], Billy @Gardenwiseguy of CA , Laura @GardeningDame and Kristin @deltagardener both of B.C and the lovely ladies Carol and Kerrie @SeedKeeperCo of IL  [can't wait to use the burlap grow bags] oh and who can forget the dashing Chris @coronatools  [needed that new trowel] and many more garden peeps.

The display gardens this year were a delight to behold and smell. There is nothing more intoxicating than the smell of spring in bloom. This year though one aspect of the garden creators really sang to ones imagination. The repurposed, edible gardens and urban homesteading designs, a couple of the designs called Dinner Bell Rings: Eat Your Yard by Cascadian Edible Landscapes and Pictures At a Northwest Exhibition-Rhapsody In Green by ILT and Verterra   . These two creations showed by using simple materials everyday gardeners can find extraordinary uses for ordinary things in creative and sustainable outdoor living spaces. Who knew one could use burlap sacks to grow potatoes or an ole VW bus to create a backyard chicken coop? Thats the song of inspiration speaking to a gardeners heart.

The gardening and beyond seminars given that day were presented by an array of informative garden geeks:

including @GardenWiseGuy, @bwisegardens, @helenyoest, @FitToGarden, @sweetrebecca, @ahamodernliving, @seasonalwisdom, @digginfood, and @alexandrahedin.

Many more seminars were given during the five-day event. The full schedule can be found here. [ Joe Lamp'l @joegardener of the popular PBS Growing a Greener World was there too! *swoon* ] And thanks to everyone for your contributions.

Whatever the pacific northwest weather has in store for us until spring,we will always have this wonderful experience to recall and enjoy. Sharing the love of gardening and food can and will always bring positive people together and invigor a renewed hope for many what is possible in our world.

Thanks to everyone involved in the making of this show and to all the tweetup attendees. A special thanks to @nwfgs  @subaru_life  @sunset  @coronatools  @timberpress  @greensoil and others for the fab swag bags!

Please take a moment and view the vast array of photos taken of the show on the NWFGS Gallery page. You just might be moved by the muse of nature too. Play On!

Early Bird Gets the Valentine

Now this is a rather clever way to deliver feed for the winter birds. They are made locally in Mount Vernon,WA . Contact butterflies.bearcubs [@] yahoo.com for more information.

 

WA Agriculture Tax Facts and Info

Some interesting new notices this year for WA farmers and their tax changes. Some you may already be aware of and some maybe not. In either case this is info worth sharing with your neighbours. Thank the WA Department of Revenue for compiling all these changes and publishing on their site. As well as a varied list of other helpful agriculture tax guides and information you can find here.

• Fruit and vegetable processors may qualify for B&O tax refund Due to the passage of Initiative 1107, the Department changed its policy regarding qualifying end products for purposes of the B&O tax exemption under RCW 82.04.4266 for fresh fruit and vegetable processors. Some processors that did not previously qualify for this exemption may now qualify.
• Replacement parts for irrigation systems and water wells RCW 82.08.855 and RCW 82.12.855 provide sales and use tax exemptions for replacement parts for qualifying farm machinery and equipment and services to install eligible replacement parts. This Special Notice explains which items in an irrigation system and water well system actually qualify for the sales/use tax exemption under these statutes.
• Taxability information for providing landscape maintenance, ecological restoration, and wetland banking activities This Special Notice clarifies how certain landscape maintenance activities are taxable. Many services performed by landscape maintenance providers, including ecological restoration, wetland banking, etc., are considered to be retail services and are subject to retail sales tax and retailing business and occupation (B&O) tax.

Ref: Page 8 of WA DOR TAX Facts

• Sales/use tax exemption for replacement parts for qualifing farm machinery irrigation systems and water wells.

Ref: Special Notice Replacement parts

What is use tax? See this handy WA DOR pamplet- Farmers and Use TAX

And don’t forget to add this new site Rural Tax Education to your fav’s. Its packed with useful small farm managment information and helpful small farm/biz guides. As well as the USDA RMA site.

As always, check and double check.