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UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, February 2007
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UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, February 2007
Having trouble viewing this email? View it on the Web
Hamamelis mollis, or Chinese Witchhazel
Spidery, often fragrant flowers cover these elegant, petite, vase shaped trees. The yellow, orange, and even red blooms make a firey display that definitely brighten up the season and capture attention. Beautiful structure and vivid fall colors make it an exceptional plant for the garden. Hamamelis, commonly known as Witchhazel, likes partial sun and rich soil. Remove any suckers in summer.
Visit Witchhazels in the Witt Winter Garden, and stroll through an impressive Hamamelis Family collection at Washington Park Arboretum. See espaliered plants at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
UWBG Arborist, Lou Stubecki, assesses storm damage
The December 14 storm that ravaged the region caused severe damage to a number of trees in the Washington Park Arboretum, with 37 lost and an additional 28 damaged. The UW Botanic Gardens arborist and gardening staff have been working on clean-up for the past two months, but additional work remains to be done.
Although the loss of trees is unfortunate (and costly!), this is part of the normal cycle of natural disturbances in a dynamic collection, which is expected to change over time. Losses present opportunities for new plantings. Many snags and logs were left for the benefit of wildlife. Other on-going restoration work includes a joint project with Seattle Youth Garden Works to remove invasives and plant native understory species.
If you would like to help out and learn more about plants, join a monthly drop-in work party at the Arboretum, every Tuesday, 12:30 – 3:30. Contact David Zuckerman, Grounds Supervisor, at 206.543.8008 or dzman@u.washington.edu for more information.
Stop by the UW Botanic Gardens booth, where you will find answers to your gardening questions, see plants for the future Pacific Connections Garden, and check out the latest on what's happening at the Botanic Gardens and how you can get involved. UWBG Director David Mabberley will speak about his book The Story of the Apple on Wednesday, February 14th, at 5:30 p.m, as part of the educational series.
On February 28th, Brian Thompson, Curator of Horticultural Literature at the Elisabeth C. Miller Library, shares his personal favorites from the many books by lesser know PNW authors, both present and past, in the UW Botanic Gardens Miller Library collection. More details ...
For full schedules, check our class and events web pages, or follow links from UWBG home page at www.uwbotanicgardens.org.