Saltwater Sounds Weekly: Garden Shows and Shopping

Welcome to Saltwater Sounds, a collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration. This is where I share everything happening in the world of Shiplap and Shells, what’s to come, and the inspiration I’ve found from other bloggers around the web.

This and That…

Hello there and welcome to another week of Saltwater Sounds. I’m so happy AND grateful for you taking the time to be here.

What a great week we had over at Shiplap and Shells! I can’t remember the last time I did so many things in one week.

  • Far West Show in Portland, WA.
  • Costco bulb shopping
  • Fall container garden shopping

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Far West Show

Have you heard of this show in Portland, Oregon? I hadn’t until a friend of mine who used to own our local nursery invited me to go.

This is what the website states: “With nearly 300 exhibitors, Farwest is your ticket to the nursery and retail garden center industry. Whether you’re a grower, retailer, wholesale buyer, supplier, or landscape professional, you’ll find that Farwest offers you the complete trade show experience”.

There were so many unique displays and booths at the show.

Don’t you love how they placed green plants all around and in this vintage car? It was my favorite display in the entire show.

Of course, there were plants and flowers, but other booths offered pottery. There were containers for plants, fountains, birdbaths, and more to see from several vendors.

The new plants and flowers for next year were at the show.

Check out the Echinacea Double Scoop Watermelon Deluxe variety. I think I’m in love!

I even saw pumpkins and gourds at one of the booths.

There were some of my favorite brands at the show, including Proven Winners, Monrovia, and Kellogg Gardens. I met so many people from the industry and can’t wait to share some of their products with you in the future.

Fall Container Garden Shopping

On the way home we decided to stop at a nursery in Olympia called Bark and Garden to look for plants and flowers for my fall containers.

I think I actually love my fall planters more than summer containers. I’ve always been drawn to the deep purples, burgundy, and dusty roses mixed with gorgeous greens.

I’ll be working on some new containers I received from DutchCrafters this week. So I will definitely be showing you how gorgeous the fall plants look in my new containers.

Costco Bulbs and Mums

I never thought I’d be buying mums in August but that’s just what you have to do when you’re buying anything for the garden from Costco.

When it comes to my spring bulbs around the cottage garden, I will buy them from Breck’s Bulbs, Longfield Gardens, or another reputable brand.

But since I’m growing most of my tulip and daffodil bulbs in the raised beds in my cut flower garden and usually toss them after the season to make room for my summer seedlings, Costco is the perfect choice.

And the fact that I’m buying hundreds of them makes this a more cost-effective way to go.

The tulip, daffodil, and allium bulbs were $13.99. And the mums were $15.99. I only bought one of them because it’s probably a bit too soon for me.

I did like the fact that most of them were just starting to bud so there was still a lot of life in them.

Around the Garden

As you can probably tell, I didn’t spend much time in the garden this week.

But what I did notice was that the Sedum Autumn Joy is starting to change color to a beautiful dusty rose now that we’re getting closer to the fall season.

The hydrangeas are starting to turn from a white flower head to a rose-colored bloom. Soon I will be cutting them to take in a dry.

Asters are finally starting to bloom now as well.

I’ll also be cutting statice, globe amaranth, and strawflower to take in for drying.

What I’m Using in My Garden Right Now

Around Our Beach Cottage

It’s that time when I have packed away all the summer and cleaned my spaces before starting to decorate for fall.

As a blogger, I start decorating earlier than I usually want to, but it’s fun to share my fall tours and hopefully share some inspiration with you before you start decorating. I will be sharing my fall home tour on the blog on September 6th so stay tuned!

SHOP MY FALL HOME DECOR FAVORITES HERE

What I’m Loving Right Now

Afloral Vases on Sale

From the Blog

12 Best Plants for Fall Planters and Container Gardens

Now that autumn is almost here, it’s time to refresh your window boxes, containers, and flower pots. Let me show you 12 of the best plants for fall planters. I’ll also share why they are a perfect choice for your container gardens… CONTINUE READING.

15 Ways to Prepare Your Garden for the Fall Season Transition

Have you started thinking about what needs to be done in the garden as we get closer to fall, and before the first frost of the season? Today I’m sharing tips and ideas to help you start preparing your garden for fall…CONTINUE READING.


SHOP GARDEN SUPPLIES AND TOOLS

My Favorite Inspiration Around the Web This Week

This Ashland Avenue House.

How to host a casual outdoor potluck party.

This fabulous fall floral decor.

Easy ways to transition from summer to fall home decor.

This easy no-sew DIY tutorial.

This cottage-style home with European touches.

How to make DIY lavender sugar.

Aberdeen Grove restoration.

This refreshing watermelon crush recipe.

Fall Candle Favorites from Antique Candle Co.

  • Apple Butter: A delightful aroma of freshly baked apples blended with sugar, cinnamon, and clove, highlighted by fall pumpkin and sweet vanilla.
  • Fall Harvest: A sweet and cozy autumn blend with fresh apple and orange peel, highlighted with warm notes of spicy cinnamon, clove, and vanilla.
  • Autumn Woods: A deep, woodsy musk blended with fresh balsam notes and sweet autumn apples, intertwined with hints of earthy fig and eucalyptus leaf.
  • Pumpkin Spice: A warm fall classic of cinnamon, allspice, clove, and pumpkin, highlighted with cozy notes of vanilla bean and sugar.
  • Vanilla Chai: A warm aroma of steeped tea with cozy blends of cardamom, clove, and nutmeg, mixed with sweet notes of vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon.
  • Salted Caramel: A cozy scent of homemade caramel candies with a sweet and creamy blend of sugar, butter, and vanilla, topped with fresh sea salt.

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and let me know what you’d like to see on the blog! Thank you for being here.

Until next time,

Wishing a wonderful week ahead,

Be sure to follow me @shiplapandshells on the following…

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6 Comments

  1. OMG, people are so creative, aren’t they? That car with all the succulents is really something! And I love seeing your room cleaned; we all need to do more of that. Great post, Kim!

    1. Thanks for being here Ann. You should have seen all the people taking pictures of that car with all the plants. It was quite the photo opportunity!

  2. OMG, all of those beautiful planters at the show!! I love the watery blue/teal ones! Costco has the best mums and Fall planters, hands down the best deal around. I had good luck with their bulbs this year.

    1. I’ve had good luck with them too Jennifer. The only thing I get nervous about is storing them for so long and the possibility of getting moldy.

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