UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 6 Issue 1, January 2011

Newly planted Arboretum bed adds winter interest

Camellia and witch hazel herald the imminent beauty of the Arboretum’s Winter Garden. When you make your winter pilgrimage, be sure to look at the southeast bed, recently planted with new winter-interest trees, shrubs and ground covers. The Rhododendron Species Foundation donated much of the mature plant material. Hellebores hug the ground, displaying understated white blossoms. Interpretive signs are being designed and fabricated.

This renews UW Landscape Architecture Professor Iain Roberston’s original design intent for the Winter Garden and completes the project funded by Lake Washington Garden Club Unit 3.

Quick, what is this insect & what is this plant?

OK, so it may get a little trickier than ladybugs and lupine leaves, but it’s all within your reach! Under the guidance of an expert, hone your plant or insect ID skills, or develop your talent to portray botanical forms on paper. View complete descriptions and registration details.

New offering! Bugs - Bad, Beneficial and Beautiful, Jan 18-Feb. 8: Dr. Evan Sugden’s 4-session insect identification class is filling fast. Register by Jan. 10 to nab the $70 Early Bird price.

Introduction to Botanical Art, Jan 29-30: Dr. Linda Ann Vorobik covers botanical drawing, watercolor painting and pen and ink techniques in this 2-day workshop. Register by Jan. 14 to secure the $185 Early Bird price.

Plant Identification, Mar. 8-Apr. 16: This perennial favorite familiarizes you with 25 common Washington plant families through lectures, keying exercises, microscope observation and field practice. Dr. David Giblin teaches 6 evening sessions and guides 2 field trips for $160.

Botanical Drawing II, Mar. 17-Apr. 14: Kathleen McKeehen teaches techniques for creating fully rendered botanical drawings, complete with light and shadow. $155 Early Bird price ends Mar. 3.

Are you a conscientious gardener?

How up-to-date are you on pest and invasive plant management, peat and vermiculite, water conservation and coexistence with native animals? Dr. Sarah Reichard, Professor and Associate Director of the UW Botanic Gardeners, has just made it a whole lot easier to garden responsibly with her new book, The Conscientious Gardener: Cultivating a Garden Ethic.

Pick up gems during her engaging talk hosted by the Northwest Horticultural Society at the Center for Urban Horticulture Thursday, Feb. 17. Come at 6:45 PM for the reception, where you can purchase copies of the book and have them signed by the author.

Molly Hashimoto seeks wildness in Union Bay Natural Area

From coyotes to great blue herons, from its views of Mt. Rainier to a trio of tree swallows, Union Bay Natural Area has provided continuous inspiration for Molly Hashimoto’s art. Now let her art inspire you. Meet Ms. Hashimoto at a free reception in the Miller Library Thursday, Feb. 3, from 5:00-7:00 PM. Her award-winning work has been exhibited in galleries and published in books and cards. Through teaching, she hopes to foster a community that cares about preserving parks and wilderness areas.

View "Union Bay Wild" in the Miller Library through March 24 and Ms. Hashimoto's Artist’s Journal online any time.

Use your plant ID skills to conserve native rare plants

Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation’s native rare plant monitoring project has reached every corner of the state. Volunteers collect data on previously observed plant populations for use in assessing growth trends and population threats. In 2010, volunteers monitored 140 occurrences of rare plants on state, federal, county and municipal lands. Some participated in group monitoring projects; others worked alone.

Do you have plant identification and navigation skills, transportation and a willingness to complete detailed reports? Apply for Seattle’s Feb. 26 training by Feb. 4. Watch the web for Central and Eastern Washington training dates.

A well-placed bench encourages conversation & reflection

Honor a special event or loved one by providing a bench, where Union Bay Natural Area and Center for Urban Horticulture guests may pause and enjoy the beauty and inspiration around them.

Funding for benches covers installation, maintenance and replacement when needed. High-quality wood benches include brass plaques engraved with the words of your choice. Contact Caroline Rosevear at 206-221-0562 or by email to learn more about UW Botanic Gardens bench policies.

Plant Profile: Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’

[by Riz Reyes, Soest Gardener] The winter landscape is incomplete without the presence of twig-dogwoods. Their stately stems, vibrant color and imposing form in the garden are remarkable. What’s more impressive is their adaptability and ease of growth. They are tolerant of most soils and drought tolerant once established. They recover from almost being mowed to the ground each spring and produce brightly colored stems the following winter.

From a plant production point of view, they root easily from natural layers (when stems come into contact with the soil and begin forming roots) and from an ecological restoration technique called live-staking, where sections of mature stems are simply plunged into a container or directly into the ground. Florists prize the cut stems. The slimmest stems are used in basket-weaving. Read the complete profile, including details about growing the plant.

twigs. . .

Gordon and Irene Bergum will be remembered for their love of gardening (Irene in particular was passionate about flowers) and their generosity. They had a large, beautiful garden, and their intimate knowledge of all that was involved in maintaining it impelled them to set up a trust. At their passing, the trust created the Gordon and Irene Bergum Endowed Fund to help ensure that the Washington Park Arboretum has ongoing funds for maintenance. The UW Botanic Gardens is deeply grateful for their support.

If you’re a member of the Washington Native Plant Society, you may have seen the article about the Hyde Herbarium in the Winter 2010 issue of Douglasia. Collections Manager Katie Murphy and Professor and Curator Sarah Reichard wrote about the study collection, landscape plant ID service and historic Arboretum specimen collection. Haven't seen the article? Swing by the Miller Library and have a read!

Who doesn’t want to Start Something Wonderful? That’s the subject of three delightful stories plus a hands-on project during Young Gardeners Story Time in the Miller Library Jan. 29 at 10:30 AM.

First and third Sundays mean free, guided Arboretum adventures. Themed walks meet at the Graham Visitors Center at 11:00 AM (Winter Scenes & Evergreens in January, Love is in the Air in February). Anything-goes walks depart at 1:00 PM.

Second Saturday means get your hands dirty in the Arboretum’s Ilex Collection from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. Register in the Boyer parking lot on Lake Washington Boulevard between the Japanese Garden and Boyer Avenue, or contact David Zuckerman to learn more about joining a Qwest Pioneer volunteer work party.

Branch out this winter

Jan. 8: Arboretum Volunteer Work Party
Jan. 16: Guided Arboretum Walk
Jan. 18: Insect Identification Class
Jan. 29: Young Gardeners Story Time
Jan. 29-30: Intro to Botanical Art Workshop
Feb. 3: Artist’s Reception
Feb. 6: Guided Arboretum Walk
Feb. 10: Invasive Plant Management Class
Feb. 12: Arboretum Volunteer Work Party
Feb. 17: Book Launch Party
Feb. 19: Young Gardeners Story Time
Feb. 20: Guided Arboretum Walk
Feb. 26: Rare Plant Monitoring Training
Mar. 6: Guided Arboretum Walk
Mar. 8: Plant Identification Class
Mar. 12: NW Horticultural Society Ephemeral Plant Sale
Mar. 12: Arboretum Volunteer Work Party
Mar. 17: Botanical Drawing II Class
Mar. 19: Young Gardeners Story Time
Mar. 20: Guided Arboretum Walk
Apr. 1: Garden Lovers Book Sale Preview Party
Apr. 2: Garden Lovers Book Sale

E-Flora is a regular online newsletter of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens

University of Washington Botanic Gardens' mission:
Sustaining managed to natural ecosystems and the human spirit through plant research, display, and education

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Phone: 206.543.8616
Email: uwbg@u.washington.edu
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