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Urban Horticulture marks 15th year with open house

An open house May 7 and 8, culminates the Center for Urban Horticulture’s celebration of 15 years at its Union Bay Campus.

Members of the campus community and public are welcome to the event that will include tours, exhibits, laboratory demonstrations and a look at on-line gardening resources from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days at the center, 3501 N.E. 41st Street. In addition, there is a special research showcase May 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. on conserving, restoring and maintaining natural systems. For a full schedule see http://weber.u.washington.edu/~urbhort/ or call 543-8616.

Since its establishment in 1980, urban horticulture has been part of the College of Forest Resources. Ground for the center was broken near Union Bay in August 1983 and the first building was ready 15 years ago this month.

Today the campus includes five buildings, seven special gardens and 60 acres of forest, prairie and wetlands, much of which sits on a former landfill and some of which have been restored for native plants and wildlife.

The buildings and gardens-built with donations and endowments and not state money-are used by landscape and nursery professionals, restoration ecologists, the general public and UW faculty and students interested in growing plants in urban environments ranging from city parks to shopping-mall parking lots.

Besides changes in the grounds during the past 15 years, there have been significant program developments, according to Clem Hamilton, center director. Two being described at the May 7 research showcase are:

  • A greater emphasis on understanding how urban landscapes function. Areas that function normally can tolerate dry conditions most summers, can fend off invasions by non-native plants and serve as homes to a wide diversity of plants and animals. This knowledge is especially important when trying to restore damaged areas. Hamilton said the center’s restoration research and teaching program, led by associate professor Kern Ewing, is one of its strongest at this time.
  • The establishment a rare-plant conservation program. Among other things, research assistant professor Sarah Reichard and her colleagues plan to join a network of botanical gardens around the world that propagate rare and endangered plants on their grounds for safekeeping or re-introduction to native sites.

    When started, the center offered only advanced degrees. About eight years ago it began offering bachelor degrees and now has about 20 majors at any given time, Hamilton said. During that same time there has been a major increase in the number of master’s and doctorates. More than two thirds of the 62 advanced degrees awarded by the center were earned since 1992.

    Looking toward the next 15 years, Hamilton said, he’d like the center to work on building a strong mix of education, conservation and recreation activities at the Washington Park Arboretum (which the UW manages); returning more of the Union Bay area around the center to self-sustaining native habitats; and developing more gardens including one explaining and displaying the plants found by early plant explorers to the Pacific Northwest. ¶

    Sandra Hines, News & Information


    University Week
    The faculty and staff publication of the University of Washington
    uweek@u.washington.edu
    April 29, 1999