Corinne Kennedy was not an early-blooming gardener. As a teenager, she was adamant that her parents couldn’t make her do “yard work.” Fortunately, after buying her first house years later, she discovered that gardening was a great way to relax from her coordinator position at Metro Transit. It was a “good job,” but the realities of sump pumps, exhaust fans, and other equipment were far removed from her interests, passions, and education (a Whitman College BA in English Literature, and a University of Washington BA in Women Studies). 

The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) announced the 2019 Annual Literature Awards on May 17th at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.  The winners are:

Annual Literature Award: Seeking Eden: A Collection of Georgia’s Historic Gardens
Award of Excellence in Botanical Art and Illustration: Joseph Banks’ Florilegium: Botanical Treasures from Cook’s First Voyage
Award of Excellence in Botany and Floras: Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis
Award of Excellence in Children and Young Adults Literature: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science
Award of Excellence in Gardening and Gardens: Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener’s Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History
Award of Excellence in History: Gardens of the Roman Empire

Several UW Botanic Gardens current and former staff had a role in these awards.  

I was walking around the grounds at the Center for Urban Horticulture last week looking for a plant to feature in the May edition of our Plant Profiles. While walking through the Fragrance Garden a really cool-looking rhododendron caught my eye, just about to bloom. Little did I know just how cool this rhododendron was until I started researching it! Rhododendron edgeworthii is a species rhododendron and belongs to the lepidote (scaly leaved) group. 

The Beauty Japanese plum first entices bees in early spring with sweet-smelling flowers and then temps humans with luscious red fruit in mid summer.

We are excited to recognize Dr. John Wott, Director Emeritus of UW Botanic Gardens, who has been awarded the 2019 American Horticultural Society Professional Award for his many contributions to the horticultural field throughout his career. We also extend our enthusiastic congratulations to Riz Reyes, UW graduate, former UW Botanic Gardens horticulturist, and current UW Farm volunteer, who was honored with the 2019 Emerging Horticultural Professional Award. 

Despite a harsh winter, a large amount of work was accomplished restoring wildlife habitat in the Union Bay Natural Area this Winter Quarter 2019!

“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
While championing civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr. was also a strong advocate for environmental justice. In honor of MLK Day of Service 2019, over 30 dedicated volunteers came ready to work to help restore valuable habitat for wildlife in the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA) at the Center for Urban Horticulture. 

Ilea Howard is completing an internship with UW Botanic Gardens this summer. She is a student at Oregon State University where she’s majoring in sustainability and horticulture. The internship, which runs June through August, will provide her with credit hours and experience trying new things, such as driving a tractor!
Before starting work each day, Ilea puts on her work pants and sturdy hiking boots. 

Recently on the blog, we highlighted a new art installation at the Center for Urban Horticulture, created by Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) candidate Connor Walden. However, Walden isn’t the only artist whose work you can see as you walk around the Center. Quite close to Walden’s work, southwest of Goodfellow Grove and hidden in the shadows of the trees, is a wood and glass three-walled structure with a small bench, shown in the image on the left. 

On June 7, a new centerpiece was installed to enhance the Seattle Garden Club Fragrance Garden at the Center for Urban Horticulture. This beautiful arbor, designed by Tim Sharp of Iron Design Center NW, was a gift from the Seattle Garden Club, who has supported the Fragrance Garden both financially and with volunteer garden care since its installation in 2007. The Garden was extensively renovated and enhanced in 2015, and the arbor completes the design elements envisioned at that time.