UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 6 Issue 5, May 2011
Will Sustainable Sites transform urban ecosystems?
The Sustainable Sites Initiative is a joint effort to develop voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance practices. The movers and shakers behind it are the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden. The initiative is still young, and plenty of learning, brainstorming and discussion surround it. Dig into the science and intent behind the initiative with horticultural specialists, landscape architects, nursery industry reps, arborists, planners, scientists, landscape maintenance contractors and city staff during a day-long symposium May 18, and catch the vision of how the guidelines may transform urban ecosystems. The Science, Services and Performance of Sustainable Sites costs $75. In order to receive lunch, register by May 13.
Continue the discussion in two classes: soils & native plants
How may the latest soil science research be applied to urban, suburban and rural landscape challenges? Katie Murphy will guide you through best management practices for soil conservation, and you’ll learn how to assess soils and match them with appropriate land uses. Take Digging Deeper into Soil May 24 as a follow up to the Sustainable Sites Symposium or as a stand-alone workshop, $20. Advance registration required.
Ben Alexander, owner of Sound Native Plants, offers a thorough look at native plant considerations for sustainable sites. What’s the difference between landscaping and restoration, and how may restoration be incorporated in developments? How can existing vegetation be protected? What are some common design errors? You’ll learn about site prep, plant selection and more in Native Plant Considerations May 31. Register in advance for this stand-alone workshop, which also serves as an excellent follow-up to the Sustainable Sites Symposium, $20.
May 22 Family Fun Day offers sneak peek at summer adventures
Kids and kids at heart are invited to enjoy games, snacks, adventures, discoveries, nature hikes and more in the Washington Park Arboretum May 22, 1:00-3:00 PM. The Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens have teamed up to bring you an appealing afternoon of hands-on activities. Come and preview some of the fun awaiting children ages 5 to 12 this summer during three themed summer camps: Arboretum Detectives, Little Green Thumbs, and Native Plants and People.
RSVP for Family Fun Day by calling Andrea Myers at 206-325-4510 or email her.
Click the thumbnail for an enlarged view of the flyer.
June 11 try your hand at field sketching
In Field Sketching, an all-day workshop June 11, you’ll first become comfortable drawing basic shapes in the classroom and then move outside to discover the same shapes in trees and shrubs. You’ll practice field sketching with sumi and walnut ink and soft graphite. Suzanne Ferris will show you how to create depth with "value veils." And you’ll learn more about one- and two-point perspective and point of view. Register by June 4 to secure the $65 early bird price.
Have you ever called the Plant Answer Line?
Ten years ago this spring, the Miller Library launched a service dedicated to answering questions about plants and gardening. But where is that Plant Answer Line number when you need it? Now you'll always have Plant Answer Line contact information handy - on a tote bag holding your garden gloves and tools, on a cap to shield your face from the sun while you’re gardening, or on a hot drink mug just in case we don’t get any warm, sunny gardening days this year! Check out the goodies at Cafe Press.
When perennial trials are a good thing
When we say "perennial trials," we're not talking about never-ending tribulations! Our perennial trials are actually quite delightful. Blooms of Bressingham (BLOOMS) has long been a source of the world's finest
perennial plant introductions. We've been receiving plants since
1997. The UW Botanic Gardens partners with BLOOMS to grow and evaluate perennial plant introductions. Sites include three beds in full sun at the Center for Urban Horticulture and partly shaded custom-made containers at the Graham Visitors Center in Washington Park Arboretum. Find out which plants have done well.
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July 21 see the possibilities at upcoming vendor showcase
Are you a wedding or meeting planner, or maybe an individual looking for the perfect location for a graduation, bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, meeting, fundraiser, party, auction, memorial service or conference? On July 21 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM, you’ll be able to view indoor and outdoor venues at the Center for Urban Horticulture and meet with nearly 50 vendors who serve our rental customers. Please RSVP to 206-221-2500 with your name and number of individuals attending. Questions? Email Lauren Fortune or call her at 206-685-1706.
Plant Profile: Daphne x transatlantica ‘Summer Ice’
[by Riz Reyes, Soest Gardener] Since we're having the coldest spring on record, I figured it would be fitting to introduce this excellent garden plant that might describe what kind of summer we have.
Daphne ‘Summer Ice’ is becoming a widely recognized small shrub for the Pacific Northwest. It’s dependable and easy to care for once established, and it possesses fine qualities such as persistent leaves (for the most part) and wonderfully sweet fragrance almost year round. Gardeners have been impressed with its tidy habit; it often forms a compact mound with dense blooms from top to bottom.
Common Name: ‘Summer Ice’ Daphne
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Location: Fragrance Garden, Center for Urban Horticulture
Origin: Garden Origin
Height: 2.5-3 ft.
Spread: 3 ft. wide
Bloom Time: Intermittently throughout the year
Bloom Type/Color: Terminal clusters of white-pale pink tubular flowers with exceptional fragrance
Exposure/Water/Soil: Sun-Part Shade. Moderately moist and well draining soil.
See additional plant profiles.
twigs. . .
Tuesdays bring Arboretum staff and volunteers together to tackle group projects that would take an individual a week to complete. Recently they weeded and mulched the Sorbus (mountain ash) collection.
You and your child will enjoy exploring The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt during Young Gardener’s Story Time at 10:30 AM this Saturday, May 14, in the Miller Library.
Who started rhododendron hybrids in Seattle? To find out, meet at the Graham Visitors Center in Washington Park Arboretum Sunday, May 15, at 11:00 AM for a free guided walk. A spring seasonal walk begins at 1:00 PM.
Surround yourself with ferns Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4, during the Hardy Fern Foundation’s Annual Fern Festival and Sale at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
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
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