Detail from Sonia Grasvik's Clematis montana quilt

Dec 2: Have you ever seen a quilt like this?
When grey days threaten to get the best of you, cozy up to some amazing art in the Miller Library. Members of the Contemporary QuiltArt Association will display more than 30 horticulture- and botany-inspired quilts in an exhibit called "From the Ground Up" Dec. 2 to Jan. 29, 2011. Marvel at entirely new views of clematis, skunk cabbage, changing seasons and the life cycle of a plant.

Better yet, meet the artists at a free public reception Thursday, Dec. 2, 5:00-7:00 PM. Special thanks to The Quilting Loft in Ballard for helping to promote this exhibit.

Dec 4-5: Is food security buzz based on science or urban myth?
More than 25 speakers will present the latest research during "Cultivating Regional Food Security: Recent Research in Urban-Rural Food Systems," a two-day conference at the Center for Urban Horticulture co-hosted by UW Botanic Gardens and WSU Extension. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to collaborate with community leaders, urban gardeners, legislators and agriculture organizations in developing post-conference initiatives.

Dec 11-12: There's lots to adore at Gifts & Greens Galore
Surround yourself with fresh-cut greens, live seasonal music, free hot drinks, botanical tableware and jewelry, wreaths, cards and holiday decorations at the Arboretum Foundation's annual holiday sale. That's not all! On Sunday, the Evergreen A's will host a vintage car show and offer free Model A rides along Arboretum Drive. And the UW Botanic Gardens education staff will provide holiday-themed activities for children. Have fun and breathe deeply at the Graham Visitors Center Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM.

If you'd like to donate fresh-cut greens, you may drop them off at the Graham Visitors Center Dec. 6-10, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM.

Watch for the new, improved E-Flora
Over the next few months, you'll notice changes in the look of this monthly e-newsletter and the occasional intervening emails. Soon we'll be sending communications to you via Convio in an effort to eliminate problems some of our readers have experienced in viewing E-Flora. The University of Washington uses Convio, and our new look will better reflect our relationship with the UW, the College of the Environment and the School of Forest Resources. Thank you for keeping in touch!

Botanical art by Linda Ann Vorobik, PhD

For the holidays, give friends & family something they'll put to good use
More and more people are catching on to the delight of giving and receiving experiences instead of things. Do you have a creative friend or family member who would enjoy learning botanical art from a pro? Do you know a nature lover who'd like to hone their plant ID skills or learn about the fascinating world of insects? Watch our website for information on Evan A. Sugden's class on beneficial insects, 4 Tuesday evenings beginning Jan. 18; Linda Ann Vorobik's 2-day workshop, "An Introduction to Botanical Art," Jan. 29-30; and David Giblin's plant identification class, 6 Tuesday evenings beginning Mar. 8 with 2 Saturday field trips. Details and additional classes will be posted online as they are confirmed.

Nov 21 & Dec 11: Indoors or out, let the natural world captivate your child
Nurture your child's curiosity about "Incredible Insects" Nov. 21 at the Miller Library's free story time. After hearing From Flower to Honey by Robin Nelson, The Ladybug by Pascale de Bourgoing and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, your child can make a bee or butterfly mask. Young Gardeners Story Time starts at 10:30 AM.

"Winter Walk" will be Dec. 11's story time and art activity theme. Bundle up and take your own winter walk in Union Bay Natural Area or Yesler Swamp after the program.

From left, John A. Wott, Drew Zwart & UW Botanic Gardens Executive Director Sandra Lier

Zwart receives Wott Student Award
UW graduate student Drew Zwart received the 2010 Wott Student Award, established by former Washington Park Arboretum Director John A. Wott to support one student each year whose research benefits the Arboretum. Drew, who has an M.S. in plant pathology, worked with Arboretum staff on isolation, identification and treatment recommendations for several bleeding cankers of oak and maple on the Arboretum grounds. In addition, Drew and undergraduate student Marianne Powell conducted a soil survey for root pathogens in the Arboretum and Union Bay Natural Area and provided Grounds Supervisor David Zuckerman and his staff with a treatment priority map based on pathogen presence and susceptible hosts.

November plant profile:
Osmanthus fragrans v. aurantiacus
[by Soest Gardener Riz Reyes] In the three years I’ve expected it to bite the dust, this plant has survived our winters, and we’ve enjoyed the fruity scent from this form of Sweet Olive every autumn. Osmanthus fragrans is a popular shrub/small tree in the warmer regions of the United States (USDA Zone 8+) and in China, where it is highly revered and its autumn blossoms are used to scent and flavor tea. This orange-flowered form of aurantiacus is not as common in the United States, and it’s also not known to be as hardy. So it was surprising to me that our two large specimens in the Fragrance Garden are thriving. Perhaps the fact that we started with large specimens, enclosed by other plantings and positioned against a southwest facing wall, contributes to their success. [For Riz's full narrative and details about growing the plant, see the complete plant profile.]

twigs. . .
Gardening with Ciscoe was filmed at the Arboretum this week. The "Ciscoe at the Arboretum Show" will air on KING 5 TV Nov. 27 and Dec. 11. . . . Fruits & nuts may mean holiday fruitcake to you, but to us it indicates that our free, guided walks in Washington Park Arboretum are drawing to a close for 2010. Join us Nov. 21 at the Graham Visitors Center at 11:00 AM for "Fruits, Nuts & Wildlife" or 1:00 PM for the Tour du Jour. . . . The US Bureau of Land Management’s Seeds of Success received a prestigious US Department of Interior award for partnership programs. They in turn thanked the UW Botanic Gardens for Washington Rare Plant Care & Conservation's contributions to the program. . . . Too busy to attend last month's Bioblitz: Mushroom Edition? Catch up here. . . . Too scared to attend Halloween weekend's lichen class in Mount Pleasant Cemetery? Watch a short video from the safety of your own home.

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

To subscribe/unsubscribe, please email cuh-outreach-request@mailman1.u.washington.edu. Leave the subject line blank, and write only "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the body of your email.

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
Web: http://www.uwbotanicgardens.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UWBotanicGardens