February 2023 Leaflet for Scholars ~ Elisabeth C. Miller Library, UW Botanic Gardens

College of the Environment | University of Washington

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VOLUME 10, ISSUE 2 | February 2023

From a Paper Garden: Sculptures by Christina Hanson

The Miller Library welcomes Christina Hanson with her botanically accurate wire and paper sculptures. Also a co-founder of the Pacific Northwest Vivarium Society and an orchid enthusiast, Hanson works for Edmonds College as lab manager in the department of Biology and Environmental Sciences. Of her art, she says:

I intend for my botanical sculptures to highlight both the beauty of flowers to all of us as well as their importance in the ecosystem. I focus on making flowers that despite being common or garden variety (or even weedy) are important forage for pollinating insects and birds. In addition to flowers, wherever possible I try to include less showy, but no less important plants such as ferns and mosses.

Meet the artist at an opening reception in the Miller Library on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 12:30-2:30. The exhibit is open during Library hours February 1-25.

2023 Garden Lovers' Book Sale – save the dates!

Book Sale poster featuring art by Linda Andrews

The Garden Lovers’ Book Sale will be early this year. Please mark your calendars for Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st. Details will be in the March issues of Leaflet and Leaflet for Scholars, but plan on a party and the best selection on Friday evening, and a day of shopping for bargains on Saturday.

Can you donate gently-used gardening books this month to help the effort? The last day for book donations is March 1st.

From March 31st through April 26th, the Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists will have their work on display and for sale, with twenty-five percent of the proceeds benefiting the library.

Volunteers are key to the success of the Book Sale. If you’re interesting in helping with setup the morning of March 31, the party that late afternoon and early evening, or take down on the afternoon of April 1, please contact Nick Williams at nickjpw@uw.edu.

This is your opportunity to choose from hundreds of books on gardening, plants, and related topics. The Garden Lovers’ Book Sale only happens once a year – don’t miss it!

Ask the Plant Answer Line: What is my snack from Iraq?
Researched by Rebecca Alexander

Question: I know these salted nuts are called ‘sissi’ in Iraq, where they are a traditional snack, but what plant do they come from?

Answer: Because of the distinctive spiny tips on the husks, I think these are seeds of Gundelia tournefortii. The plant is native to rocky soils of the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean, and is a type of thistle called ‘ akkoub’ in Arabic, and ‘ akuvit ha-galgal’ (possibly meaning wheeled thistle because it forms tumbleweeds, or perhaps thistle tough enough to ensnare wheels) in Hebrew. Its English common name is tumble thistle. The species is named for Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, author of the 1717 book Relation d’un voyage du Levant, fait par ordre du roy . An illustration from the book depicts it.

Not only are the seeds edible, but so too are the immature inflorescences (similar to artichoke). Over-harvesting of the unopened flowering heads by commercial enterprises can lead to broad swathes where plants are not given a chance to flower and produce seeds. Conservation efforts are underway in Jordan, Israel and Palestine, and elsewhere in the region to make sure this important seasonal food plant is cultivated and harvested sustainably.

ASK A LIBRARIAN

The Miller Library's Plant Answer Line provides quick answers to gardening questions.

You can reach the reference staff at 206-UWPLANT (206-897-5268),
hortlib@uw.edu, or from our website, www.millerlibrary.org.

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