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UW Botanic Gardens Newsletter, Vol 12 Issue 11, November 2016
November E-Flora: A Savannah Garden Tour and Other Happenings
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Upcoming Events
Free Weekend Walks
November Weekend Walks:
Free Family Weekend Walks meet on Saturdays at 1pm at the Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum. Tours this month will include games, hands-on activities and learning about trees and falling leaves.
Adult Weekend Walks this month will highlight the last of the year's fall color in the first two weeks and then focus on ancient tree species. Join us every Sunday at 1pm at the Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum.
On Exhibit in the Miller Library
Seattle artist and teacher Molly Hashimoto explores the flora and fauna of the West, from both garden and wild habitats, in watercolors and block prints.
Molly's work will be on display in the Miller Library November 3rd through December 23rd, and she invites you to an opening reception November 3 from 5 to 7pm.
New Books in the Miller Library
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A Garden Connoisseur’s Tour of Savannah & Charleston
Next March, you can experience southern charm and hospitality while exploring secret gardens, elegant homes, magnificent plantations, hidden alleys, and quaint, picturesque cobblestone streets with Eve Rickenbaker of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and Susan McLeod Epstein of the Preservation Society of Charleston.
On the Behind the Garden Gate tour, you’ll spend three nights in Savannah, GA and four nights in Charleston, SC, with a stop at Beaufort, SC along the way. The guided journey will take you to some of the oldest churches, homes and gardens in America, strolling through 330 years of fascinating history and rich culture with fellow garden enthusiasts. Learn more
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UW Community Gathers to Celebrate the Completion of the Yesler Swamp Boardwalk
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Left to right: Fred Hoffer, Zac Mallon, Kat Cerny-Chipman. Photo by Donna Rodger.
Yesler Swamp is located on the east side of the Center for Urban Horticulture, and is part of the Union Bay Natural Area. A walking loop through the swamp takes you on a boardwalk to the edge of Lake Washington and the site of the old pier of the Yesler Sawmill.
The Yesler Swamp boardwalk has gotten a lot of attention this past month, with highlights in both The Seattle Times and UW Today. Read our blog post about the recent celebration recognizing the completion of this exciting project.
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UW Botanic Gardens Librarian Appointed to AHS Book Awards Committee
Brian Thompson, Curator of the Elisabeth C. Miller Library, was recently appointed to the American Horticultural Society’s Book Award committee for a three-year term. He will join six other horticultural professionals across the county, including UW Botanic Gardens alum Jenks Farmer, in reviewing and presenting awards to the authors and publishers of the best North American books on gardening from the last year. Read more
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Fall Seminar: Landscapes on the Edge
The public is becoming more educated about the need for better management of shorelines and steep slopes, resulting in rising public demand for professional services. This is an optimal time to train landscape professionals in the specifics of designing, planning, and installing projects on marine shorelines and other sensitive areas.
This program is designed to educate attendees about the vulnerable nature of marine shorelines and provide guidance and instruction on how to better initiate, design, and implement successful landscape and restoration projects on upland buffers, shorelines, steep slopes, and beaches. Learn more
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| November Plant Profile: Betula nigra |
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Betula nigra, most commonly known as river birch, is best appreciated for its wonderful exfoliating bark. The light-colored outer bark peals exuberantly to reveal cream, salmon, gray-brown, salmon-brown, cinnamon-brown to red-brown inner bark. With age, the bark darkens and becomes ridged and furrowed. Fortunately, this beautiful tree is one of the most resistant to the recently arrived bronze birch borer. Read more
Scientific name: Betula nigra
Common name: River Birch, Black Birch, Red Birch
Family: Betulaceae
Origin: Massachusetts to Florida, west to Minnesota and Kansas. Naturally restricted to river banks and moist sites.
Height and spread: 40-70 feet. In 2013 the National Champion was recorded at 117 feet in Kentucky.
Location: In the Washington Park Arboretum, an excellent four-trunked specimen planted in 1952 stands along Azalea Way, just at parking lot #19, the Birch lot. Three more single-trunk specimens planted in 1964 are located just to the north along Arboretum creek.
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| Conservation in Action |
Few small ornamental trees offer so many attractive qualities in the landscape as the paperbark maple (Acer griseum). With its bright green leaves, coppery peeling bark, and vibrant fall color, this tree is highlighted in gardens across the country. Learn how we're supporting the work of scientists to better understand the genetic variation found in this species which is now endangered in its native habitat.
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Support the Society for Ecological Restoration-UW's Native Plant Nursery and pick up some great plants for your garden. The fall native plant sale will be on Sunday, November 6, 10am-1pm at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
Holiday Art, Craft, and Gift Sale: Get your shopping done early and support local artists! Mark your calendar now and join us for a reception on Friday, December 2nd. Exhibit and sale runs through December 23rd. We’ll have a selection of locally made arts and crafts available for purchase at the Miller Library.
Get your trees and shrubs in shape! The 2017 session of the popular Master Pruner Series is now open for registration!
Early 2017 brings us a great slate of academic and professional symposia. Mark your calendars now and keep an eye on our Conferences and Symposia page for updates!
- January 11-12, 2017: Urban Natural Areas Seminar
- March 15, 2017: First Washington Botanical Symposium
- May 23, 2017: Urban Forest Symposium: Equity and the Urban Forest
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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KEEP IN TOUCH: 
