When you start a journey you don’t know who you will meet or what direction the path will take you. You don’t know what will grow from the seeds you plant along the way. You simply start.

It was 25 years ago when Soroptimist International of Sequim began a journey, as we ventured out with our first garden show. The roots of the Soroptimist Gala Garden Show run deep within the community. The show is the club’s main fundraiser, but it is more than that. It is an event that brings together garden-related products and services and brings out the gardener in everyone.

Why is the Gala Garden Show important? The proceeds are given back to the community in the form of contributions to local organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club, Sequim Food Bank, Healthy Families of Clallam County, to name a few. The club also gives out scholarships and awards—including the Soroptimst signature Live Your Dream Award. It is given to aid the mature woman to enter or re-enter the job market, or to further her skills and training to upgrade her employment status. The club award is $2000 and is available to women who are the head of the household and have financial responsibility for their dependents.

The first garden show, in 1999, was a one-day event held at Carrie Blake Park. Garnering local support made it a worthwhile journey for all. The Sequim High School FFA created arrangements and displays. The Pure Country 4-H group sold refreshments. Nearly two dozen local vendors came to sell plants and garden items. The second year was about the same, with the exception of additional vendors. This increase prompted the show to be moved to the Boys & Girls Club in Sequim, and by the fourth year it became a two-day show, held the third weekend in March. That worked so well, the show has been the third weekend in March ever since. It ushers in the spring. People in the community put it on their calendars so they make sure they don’t miss it.

In 1999 Laurel Black, a local graphic artist, designed a pansy that became the de facto logo for the show. You can see the pansy on the street banners, magnetic car signs and yard signs. In 2003, the iconic symbol was used in the design of the flower power t-shirts. Now all Soroptimist members wear these at the show.

In addition to the show being a Saturday and Sunday in year four, music was added, with a member DJ, and the journey took the show in a new path online with the birth of www.sequimardenshow.com. Local businesses wanted to support the Sequim Soroptimist so they became sponsors of the show. Their names were listed on the website. This continues to grow.

The Sequim Soroptimist club started promoting the show more. We had banners made to hang over the street. These were done by Miller Signs; each year when the signs are updated, Miller Signs has done this without charge. Once again showing how the community is part of the show.

For a decade there was an area on the east wall of the game room—the room just past the lobby—designated as the garden walk. It was designed by a local nursery; for many years Vision Landscape Nursery did the display. It was like walking thru a garden. It drew in the visitor and set their minds on nature.

When starting to organize the 2006 show, the club decided to involve the community more. A decision was made to solicit artwork that would be used for publicity for that year. A call for artists went out and the submissions were reviewed by the garden show core committee. The first artwork chosen was a design by Cindy Manguitz. It went on all the printed materials, and was incorporated into the header on the website. Creative Framing did the matting and framing for all the paintings while they were in business—another community seed that helped the show blossom.

That same year the Sequim Soroptimists reached out to the Sequim Gazette. An agreement was made for an insert in the newspaper that was centered on the Gala Garden Show. This set a precedent that has remained over the years.

Things continued to grow as more and more vendors heard about the Gala Garden Show. The core committee decided to take an additional room and make it the café. This opened up more space for vendors, and gave them a larger eating area. For several years there was live music in the café. Over the years the café has been partially sponsored by A Catered Affair, Cookin’ Doc, and for the last four years Sequim Fresh Catering.

There have been garden-related speakers since the first show. Many of them were master gardeners. Almost a decade ago the Master Gardeners asked if they could partner with the Soroptimists; the Master Gardeners would find the speakers and come up with the topics. Another seed was blossoming.

Over the years the show has had many well-known keynote speakers such as Ciscoe Morris, Ed Hume, Marianne Binetti, Andrew May and world-renowned horticulturist Dan Hinkley. For the last four years 7 Cedars Casino has helped sponsor the keynote speakers. Another community seed.

The marketing committee put on their thinking caps. The seed thoughts resulted in yard signs and magnetic car signs. We expanded online with a garden show Facebook page. We contacted KSQM, and for the better part of a decade the radio station has broadcast from the Gala Garden Show. The weeks before the show you can hear advertisements for the show on KSQM. There is also a live interview on KONP.

It has been an interesting journey so far. It all started with that first step. Come visit the show and see what new seeds can be planted.