UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 8 Issue 3, March 2013
Come See Photographs by Michelle Smith-Lewis
Michelle Smith-Lewis will have an exhibit of photographs entitled Subjects of My Kingdom in the Miller Library during the month of March. View her beautiful experiments with the historic photographic processes of cyanotypes (pictured at right) and wet plate collodion. Join us for an artist reception at the Miller Library on Friday, March 8 from 5 - 7pm.
Take A Class This Spring
The UW Botanic Gardens offers a variety of education programs for everyone, drawing on research and technical expertise from the UW and beyond to include lectures, courses, demonstrations, symposia, and tours. Here is a sampling of what we have to offer this spring.
Perennials: Simple Division
Instructor: Carrie Becker, co-author of Perennials: The Gardener's Reference / Wednesday, March 13, 7-9pm and Saturday, March 16, 1-4pm / Fee: $50
Introduction to Conifer Identification
Instructor: Patrick Mulligan, Education Supervisor at the Washington Park Arboretum / Saturday, March 23, 10am-12pm / Fee: $45
Designing and Creating a Wildlife Habitat Garden
Instructor: Emily Bishton, Landscape Designer and Director of Magnuson Nature Programs 3-part series, April 4-11 / Fee: $85
If these whet your appetite, then make sure to check out the full schedule. New classes are listed frequently.
Learn About Woody Landscape Plants of Seattle
ProHort is also offering a series of classes called Woody Landscape Plants of Seattle. The classes will focus on native and ornamental woody plants that make up the backbone of Seattle gardens. Key plant identification traits, cultural information and landscape design tips for each species will be covered in lectures and field days held at the Washington Park Arboretum. Two Saturday field trips will enhance skills taught in class and illustrate the many contexts in which woody plants can add to the urban landscape. Instructor Katie Murphy is the former UW Botanic Gardens' Hyde Herbarium Collections Manager.
Starting March 27, the Wednesday night classes run from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Graham Visitors Center. Classes will be held come rain or shine, so make sure to dress appropriately for the weather. Early registration is $180.00 (add $15 after March 20), so register now!
A Glimpse Into the Past
(A monthly column by Dr. John A. Wott, Director Emeritus) Recently, the Washington State Department of Transportation paid the first remediation amount for the construction of the new SR520 Bridge. In this phase, the “ramps to nowhere” will be removed. The original construction of the bridge began in the early 1960s. This overhead photograph, taken on March 18, 1962, shows the beginning of the work in the north end of the Arboretum. Notice the cut through Foster Island and the major construction area on the Miller Street Landfill. Once the entire group of ramps is removed, the “landfill” area will be returned to the Arboretum for future Arboretum use. It should also be noted that Union Bay/Lake Washington dropped 8 -10 feet in this location when the Montlake Cut was opened at the turn of the last century. (Photograph, WSDT – 20976-6).
Make sure to have a look at the full size photo.
Mark your Calendars for the Garden Lover's Booksale
The 8th annual Garden Lover's Book Sale is right around the corner! The wine and cheese preview party is Friday, April 5 from 5-8pm. Advance tickets are $20. The book sale is on Saturday, April 6 from 9am to 3pm and admission is free. All events take place at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
You can also help us sell more books by donating your gently used plant and garden-focused books. Donations may be delivered whenever the Miller Library is open, Monday 9am to 8pm, Tuesday-Friday 9am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 3pm.
George Pinyuh Passes Away
George Pinyuh, a prominent WSU Extension horticulturist, passed away on February 20, 2013. After joining WSU in the seventies, he quickly established himself as an expert on trees and shrubs. He was an icon in the horticultural education community for years, and gardeners listened with great intensity to his radio and TV shows, public lectures, and advice at Master Gardener clinics. He was the last surviving founder of WSU's Master Gardener Program. He was also instrumental in the early building of cooperative programs between UW (CUH) and WSU. The Master Gardener Clinics and Master Gardener Office in Merrill Hall are a direct result of George’s labors. In fall 2012, he donated his massive library to the Miller Library. George touched so many lives, and left a legacy in Northwest Horticulture. Celebrations of his life are anticipated when gardens bloom in spring. (This piece was drawn from an article by Sharon Collman of WSU Snohomish Extension and Dr. John A. Wott, UWBG Director Emeritus).
5th Annual Urban Forestry Symposium is Coming in May
The 5th Annual Urban Forestry Symposium will take place on Monday, May 13. The main topic will be the issue of trees vs. views. Speakers will include landscape architect Kathleen Day, tree law experts Barrie Bonapart of Bonapart & Associates and attorney/certified arborist Randall Stamen, Seattle Parks Senior Arborist Mark Mead and others. More details and registration information will be forthcoming in the next issue (and look for an EBlast on the subject).
March 2013 Plant Profile: Edgeworthia chrysantha
(by Soest Gardener Riz Reyes) I always attempt to showcase a different plant. However, for the second year in a row, I couldn’t resist mentioning a species that people who visit the UWBG Center for Urban Horticulure will be asking about because it’s looking the best it has ever looked. Making a grand return this month is Edgeworthia chrysantha!
I paired it with its close relative Daphne odora in the March 2012 Plant Profile. With the mild winter we’ve had, both of our specimens came through beautifully. They are starting to bloom their heads off! And, like its relative, it is WONDERFULLY FRAGRANT!
It can be finicky to get established. Make sure you choose a spot with sun/part shade. It also benefits from a protected location, as it’s not as hardy as the Daphnes here in the Pacific Northwest. Rich, well-drained soil is a must along with regular irrigation during the summer and fall while buds are setting. Avoid moving it around, as a mature Daphne will sulk if transplanted.
Common Name: Chinese Paper Bush, Yellow Daphne
Location: CUH Fragrance Garden, Miller Library North beds
Origin: China
Height and spread: 6ft. high and 6-7ft. wide (usually smaller)
Bloom Time: Winter
twigs
Come to the Miller Library on Saturday March 9 for the Incredible Insects Story Program. We will read from three stories, learn a song about insects and do a “buggy” craft project. The program is free and starts at 10:30am. It is geared for children 3 to 8 and their families, but all are welcome.
An interactive map is in the process of being created for the Washington Park Arboretum. Eventually, you’ll be able to position yourself in the park via smart phone with gps. Here is a more detailed article on the subject.
Soest Gardener, EFlora contributor and UW alumnus Riz Reyes took the Founder's Cup with his display at the 2013 Northwest Flower and Garden Show (pictured at right). This is the equivalent of Best in Show. He also won a gold medal for design, the 1st Annual Golden Palette Award and an Environmental Award from the American Horticultural Society. Congratulations, Riz!
While we're on the subject of the Flower and Garden Show, it should also be noted that the UW Botanic Gardens booth was awarded the 2013 Outstanding Marketing Display.
The Arboretum Foundation's display, A Hobbit's New Zealand Garden, was also a big hit at the Flower and Garden Show. It took home six top awards, including the Ethel Moss People’s Choice Award—the best garden in the show, as voted by the public.
You might also want to save the date for the 2013 Sustaining Our World Lecture, hosted by SEFS and the College of the Environment. The lecture is called Built Ecologies: Regionalism and Resource Integration in the Built World, featuring Thomas Knittel, vice president and project designer with HOK. It happens April 4 at Kane Hall 210 from 6-7 p.m.
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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