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UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 12 Issue 6, June 2016
June E-Flora: Summer Nights and Early Birds
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Upcoming Events
Free Weekend Walks
June Weekend Walks: This month's tours highlight the incredible Pacific Connections Garden, where you can experience the flora of Cascadia, Australia, China, Chile and New Zealand all in one day.
Join us every Sunday at 1pm at the Graham Visitors Center.
First Thursday Tram Tours
Register for a free tram tour through the Washington Park Arboretum on the first Thursday of each month at 11am. Or, schedule a private tour for your group.
On Exhibit in the Miller Library
So much to see! "A World Tour of Antique Floral Prints" and our annual Student Poster Exhibit will be on display the first half of the month. Then, stop by to experience "Early Birds, paintings by Catherine Gill, Beth Means & Anni Leedy," opening on June 17.
New Books in the Miller Library
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Park in the Dark & Twilight Tram Tours
Summer's long daylight hours present us with a unique opportunity for evening exploration at the Washington Park Arboretum. Park in the Dark family programs offer the chance for kids of all ages to discover and learn about nocturnal wildlife, and Twilight Tram Tours present you with a new and exciting tour experience, learning about the history and night-life of the Arboretum in summer.
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Early Birds in the Miller Library
We're excited to host the artwork of three local landscape artists - Anni Leedy, Beth Means and Catherine Gill - in the Miller Library starting June 17. "Early Birds" is an exhibit of small paintings done on location around the Center for Urban Horticulture by the artists, who, over many years, have often walked the trails and stopped to paint and sketch. Over time they have learned about the area, gained a depth of appreciation and observation of the wildlife, the marshes, the ponds, the trees, and the skies.
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What Kind of Ant is That? Bioblitz Results are In!
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Our 2016 BioBlitz was an amazing weekend full of sunshine, teamwork, and exploration. Read about the activities of families and experts alike, and check out the field data sheets to see what we found.
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Tour and Taste at the Woodinville Lavender Farm
Image courtesy of www.woodinvillelavender.com
How many varieties of lavender are there, and which ones are best for your garden? How has lavender been used historically and medicinally? And, more importantly, how does a lavender ice cream bar taste? Master Gardener Tom Frei will lead this program at his very own Woodinville Lavender Farm. Tom will discuss the history, botany, selection, care, and uses of lavender and lead us on a tour of the gardens. Join us!
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| June Plant Profile: Primula bulleyana |
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Photo by Brian McNeil
Primula bulleyana is prized as a garden ornamental and has won both the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit and recognition as a Great Plant Pick. This primrose performs best in damp soils alongside streams or ponds and can take sun or shade. Read more about this great plant.
Botanic Name: Primula bulleyana
Family: Primulaceae
Common Name: Candelabra Primrose, Bulley’s Primrose
Location: Woodland Garden, Pacific Connections Garden/China Entry Garden 110-08*A
Origin: Northwestern Yunnan and Southern Sichuan regions of China
Height and Spread: 20-24” tall, up to 12” wide at base. These primroses can spread easily from their seeds.
Bloom Time: Spring
Description: semi-evergreen, herbaceous plant, bearing 5-7 whorls of florets along the stem and lanceolate leaves with a lovely reddish petiole and mid-rib.
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| Glimpse into the Past - Changes in the Landscape |
Currently there are many physical changes occurring in the north end of the Washington Park Arboretum, due to the construction of new SR-520 bridge. Local residents often remark that these changes will “disfigure” the natural landscape which has always been there. The truth is, this area has been greatly changed and altered over the past one hundred years, ever since the level of Lake Washington was lowered. In fact, there is little left of its “original” shape. It has been dredged, moved, filled, planted and re-planted. Read more and take a look at photos of the landscape being re-shaped in the 1940's.
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Our Public Education programs were highlighted recently in a story carried by several local publications. Read about it in From Flames to Flora: the UW Botanic Gardens is a Large Scale Show-and-Tell.
UW Botanic Gardens Director, Sarah Reichard, was featured in this month's Ampersand magazine, published by Forterra. Read the article, "Meet the Plant Nerd."
Our personal profiles continue this month, introducing you to Tom Hinckley, professor emeritus, and the newest staff member in the Miller Library, Jessica Anderson.
The Arboretum Foundation is rolling out its inagural summer garden party: ArbFest! We hope you can come out to celebrate and support the Arboretum.
For information on current UW Botanic Gardens construction projects, follow these links:
Arboretum Loop Trail
SR520 - Union Bay Natural Area Mitigation Project
The programs of UW Botanic Gardens are supported in large part by private donations. Please consider supporting our work with a gift.
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