‘Little Kitten’ is a pleasant and manageable ornamental grass that stays tidy and it has a soft, demure elegance to it when used singly as a specimen.

UWBG Horticulture and Plant Records staff had a very busy, productive and satisfying summer. A cold wet June and early July pushed extraordinary plant growth. Then, just as quickly as we could say, “No summer in Seattle”, the heavens went dry and we experienced an historic dry spell.

This delightful, but seldom grown corm from South Africa is looking fantastic in the Soest Garden at the Center for Urban Horticulture.

Finding the time to do a regular update has been a challenge as this time of year demands so much of our time as the gardens take on a life of their own! With only two gardeners (one half-time and one 3/4 time) overseeing the grounds, we must scramble to get on top of things and sometimes it doesn’t always happen. 

Spring is definitely in the air when the clouds of pink burst forth into bloom and our native red-flowering currants put on a show.

The winners of the botanical art exhibit held in conjunction with the conference Conserving Plant Biodiversity in a Changing World: A View from NW North America were announced Wednesaday afternoon at the close of the conference.

Answer: Yes! Weddings and all social events are a natural fit at the beautiful Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) and Washington Park Arboretum (WPA). Weddings and many other social events are booked months, even a year, in advance at both of these sites.

It has been an incredibly busy autumn here at CUH as we have several new projects underway. Our entire horticultural team has been involved with 2 major projects we’d like to highlight as these are pretty significant changes that might raise a few eyebrows.

Earlier this autumn, our arborist crew took down a large specimen of Parrotia persica that’s been growing in a raised planter in the Orin and Althea Soest Herbaceous Perennial Garden. 

Best known for it’s papery bark, Acer griseum is one of the most beloved landscape trees here in the Pacific Northwest.

After a nonexistent summer, we’re now charging forward and anticipating the return of rain and cooler temperatures, the shorter days, and all the fall tasks that seem to just ramp up without warning.
Autumn can be a mesmerizing time of year as many plants, particularly in the Soest Perennial Display Garden, have reached their full potential in growth and in many cases, abundant bloom.