fanciful dream, but a notion that
could become reality. After two
years of intense preparation and
modeling after successful shows
such as Philadelphia and New
England (with a combined history
of almost 300 years) and the Royal
Horticultural Society's Chelsea
Flower Show (which is more than
140 years old), the Northwest Flower & Garden Show debuted in 1989 to
lines stretching down Pike Street. "We were thrilled when we saw how
many people showed up," Kelly said, "but after ten minutes we panicked,
realizing we had no idea how to handle such large crowds." Since that
morning, the show has become a highly anticipated annual event drawing
gardeners from around the United States and Canada. And the family
enterprise, which grew to include children Celice and Cyle, went on to
solve countless logistical problems.
It's no wonder then that Kelly, a theater aficionado, soon recognized how
a garden show was akin to a theater experience that simultaneously
delights, confounds, inspires, and entertains. Each area of the show
could be categorized as an act with each specifically serving a purpose
to the overall play. Kelly called it his "three-legged stool" composed of
inspirational show gardens, a tempting garden marketplace, and a seminar
program second to none and free to all attendees. It's a successful
formula that catapulted the show to become the second largest garden
