UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 6 Issue 6, June 2011
Immerse yourself in aquatic weeds
There’s nothing fun about invasive weeds in wetlands. Exploring the problem by kayak isn’t bad, though! UW Botanic Gardens hosts a one-day symposium on the science and management of aquatic weeds July 13 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM in Washington Park Arboretum. Designed for professional audiences, Managing Aquatic Weeds: Challenges and Opportunities is open to everyone. Steve Manning, founder of Invasive Plant Control, Inc., will present the keynote address. Katie Messick will share her expertise as the King County Noxious Weed Specialist. The Seattle Parks Department and UW Botanic Gardens will give a joint presentation on their garden loosestrife eradication programs. Afternoon tours will focus on garden loosestrife but address other aquatic weeds and their control as well. When you register, select either the walking tour through marshlands along the Waterfront Trail ($30 symposium option) or the kayak tour through Arboretum lagoons ($55 symposium option). A box lunch is included when you register by July 10.
Plan a perfect party (meeting, fundraiser, wedding)
Nearly 50 vendors will fill you with ideas during the UW Botanic Gardens Vendor Showcase at the Center for Urban Horticulture Thursday, July 21, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. Here’s your opportunity to stroll through indoor halls and classrooms and outdoor gardens and groves, view food and beverage set-up possibilities, and talk with caterers, florists, entertainers, valet services and more - everything you could possibly want all in one place to ease and inspire preparations for the greatest-ever meeting, wedding, fundraiser, conference, graduation or celebration!
Free admission and free parking, but please RSVP to 206-221-2500 with your name and number of individuals attending. Questions? Email Lauren Fortune or call 206-685-1706.
Arboretum holds riches for children & adults
Arboretum for kids: New session added to summer camp line-up!
By popular demand, we’ve added an additional Arboretum summer camp offering for third- to sixth-graders. Your child will explore the Arboretum’s 230 acres for all kinds of life, both obvious and hidden, during Arboretum Explorers July 18-22.
During the same week, first- to third-graders will experience the delights of planting and growing vegetables, and then prepare a meal for their parents with fresh-picked bounty at the end of the week! July 11-15, your first- through sixth-grade child will learn how people have used plants for millennia to satisfy their basic needs. All of these summer camp sessions are filled with fun, creative activities and hands-on exploration under the practiced direction of an impressive team of educators. Before- and after-camp care is available. Sign up today!
Arboretum for adults: Perceive nature in fresh ways during a silent guided walk
Drink in sights, sounds, textures and fragrances of the Washington Park Arboretum during a silent, guided evening walk, followed by a journaling session in circle. Can you imagine a better way to gain a sense of stillness and balance at the end of a busy day? 
Bring notebook, pen and something to sit on, and meet at the Graham Visitors Center at 5:30 PM Thursday, June 30. Check our calendar for future "Peace in the Garden" dates.
Arboretum for kids with adults: Unlock the mysteries of nature after dark
Introduce your children to the wonders of exploring nature by night. Learn how animals adapt to the dark. Tune your ears to night noises. During "Park in the Dark" family adventures, you’ll see the Washington Park Arboretum in a whole new light: July 16, 8:30-10:00 PM; August 13, 8:00-9:30 PM; and September 11, 7:00-8:30 PM. Children are free; adults pay $6. Advance registration required: email or 206-543-8801.
New hours, new books in the Miller Library
From July 1 through Labor Day,
the Miller Library will be open Monday from 12:00-8:00 PM and Tuesday
through Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Saturday hours will resume September 10.
Where is that Plant Answer Line number when you need it? Now you can always ask a gardening question the moment it comes up, because you’ll have the number handy on your cap or garden tote bag. Check out the goodies at Cafe Press.
Sugar Snaps & Strawberries: Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-Space Edible Garden by Andrea Bellamy, Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Washington, edited by Pamela Camp and John Gamon, and Lakewold: A Magnificent Northwest Garden, edited by Ronald Fields with a foreward by Dan Hinkley, are among the new books in the Miller Library.
Plant Profile: Glumicalyx goseloides
[by Soest Gardener Riz Reyes] Walking through the Soest Garden, it’s easy to miss this remarkable perennial from South Africa. It’s a low-growing, evergreen perennial herb. Kneel down to observe the unique tubular flowers, 
and you’ll pick up on the “artificial chocolate” scent. What is really special about this delicate plant is its hardiness. It has survived temperatures in the lower teens (Fahrenheit) when in a well-drained spot in full sun.
Common Name: Nodding chocolate flower
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Location: Soest Garden Bed 8 (southeast corner of bed)
Origin: South Africa
Height: 10-15″
Spread: 12-15″
Bloom Time: Late May, and throughout the summer if deadheaded
Bloom Type/Color: Terminal racemes of nodding flowers of red/orange with a unique fragrance
Exposure/Water/Soil: Sun-part shade. Moderately moist and well draining soil.
View additional plant profiles.
twigs . . .
Washington Park Arboretum Arborist Chris Watson is at home in the treetops. Currently being explored is the possibility of offering a Learn to Climb class for undergrads!
How did the Puget Sound Salish people make diapers from native plants? To find out, meet at the Graham Visitors Center in Washington Park Arboretum Sunday, July 3, at 11:00 AM for a free guided walk. A summer seasonal walk begins at 1:00 PM.
Marilyn Smith Layton, educator, author, photographer, found a sanctuary of renewal and inspiration in Union Bay Natural Area. Now she has gathered some of her outstanding images of this special place in a book called Seasons of Life. Purchase a copy in the Miller Library with a check made out to the author, or by mail. A portion of
the $60 price provides financial support for the natural area.
Swing by the Plant Donations Nursery near the Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum any Wednesday or second Saturday of the month between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and find a delightful hosta, daylily, Solomon’s seal or sword fern to tuck into your garden.
Dr. Peter Raven, President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden, will be the keynote speaker for a two-day conference, Conserving Plant Biodiversity in a Changing World: A View from Northwest North America, hosted by the UW Botanic Gardens March 13-14, 2012. Call for abstracts is open until October 28, 2011.
If you’ve never kayaked around Foster Island, you’ll be surprised by water passages you never knew were there - and by how removed from the city you feel when 520 is so close! Choose from ten guided trips during the second half of August, including morning, afternoon and evening paddles, at $25/person. Call 206-543-8801 to register.
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
3501 NE 41st Street, Box 354115, Seattle, WA 98195-4115
Phone: 206.543.8616
Email: uwbg@u.washington.edu
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