Stroll through 330 years of fascinating history and rich culture, while getting an exclusive peek behind Savannah & Charleston’s garden gates

Behind The Garden Gate—Savannah & Charleston tour
March 19–26, 2017
3 nights in Savannah, 4 nights in Charleston
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. 

The Udall Foundation offers a prestigious scholarship for undergraduate sophomores and juniors in any major seeking careers in environmental fields, and  American Indian and Alaska Native students seeking careers in Tribal Public Policy or Native Health Care.
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is a $7,000 scholarship awarded to 60 undergraduate sophomores and juniors pursuing careers related to the environment, or pursuing careers related to Tribal Public Policy or Native Health Care. 

1)   Araucaria araucana                Monkey Puzzle

Native to Chile and Argentina in the south central Andes mountains.
This long-lived tree is frequently described as a living fossil.
Large cones yield many edible nuts, similar to a pine nut.

2)   Berberis gagnepainii                                 Gagnepain’s Barberry

This evergreen shrub is native to China in the Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces.
Shrub is protected by many slender three-spined thorns. 

SpringRain Farm & Orchard is a certified organic family farm located in Chimacum in the heart of the Olympic Peninsula.  Our mission is to use the best available knowledge to sustainably and organically produce food for our local community.  At SpringRain Farm, we are committed to conservation and caring for the land we live and grow on.  The land is protected by an agricultural easement, ensuring that it will remain farm land forever. 

1)  Sorbus alnifolia                                               (Korean Mountain Ash)

Native to central China, Korea and Japan this medium-sized tree boasts showy 2-3 inch umbrella-shaped clusters of 5-petal white flowers in late spring.
As summer yields to autumn, clusters of purple-red to orange-red ½ inch showy fruits appear and persist into winter.

2)  Gaultheria mucronata                                      (Prickly Heath)

Formerly known as Pernettya, this southern Chilean native spends the fall awash with showy globose berries in shades from deep plum to pink to white. 

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, and is specifically recognized as a Great Plant Pick for our region. At the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, we have six individual trees in our collections – one at the Center for Urban Horticulture and five at the Washington Park Arboretum. 

Seattle Tilth Farm Works (STFW) is an educational farm incubator program that provides farmland, education, business and production support, and market access to beginning farmers with a focus on immigrants, refugees and people with limited financial resources in King County. Working in close collaboration with the STFW Farm and Education Manager, the STFW Farm Operations Coordinator is responsible for production, education and technical assistance to support STFW participants, the STFW production plot, and the STFW program administration. 

Kyra Kaiser always dreaded public speaking growing up.  So you might not expect that she would end up as one of UW Botanic Gardens’ most enthusiastic tour guides at the Washington Park Arboretum, leading groups of visitors into the secret places of that 230 acre forested gem inside the City of Seattle.
Kaiser, a second year student at UW who intends to major in plant biology, leads free weekend walks at the Arboretum, a tour program with a broad focus that changes monthly according to the season and route taken. 

The UW Biology Greenhouse is looking for an enthusiastic, plant-loving undergraduate greenhouse assistant to help with plant care!
General Duties/Description: Provide plant care support for UW Biology Greenhouse collections in Redmond and at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
* Irrigate, fertilize, weed, prepare soil mixes, prune, and perform general plant care for research and teaching functions
* Plant propagation by seed, cuttings, and division
* Clean greenhouse, equipment and adjoining plant growth areas, including sweeping, pot and flat washing, and power washing
* Assist in plant records collection, including inventory, labeling, and data entry
* Use of variety of hand tools including pruning shears, shovels, saws, and rakes
Requirements:
1. 

Tessarae Mercer is an Intern at the UW Farm this summer. The work fulfills part of her capstone (graduation requirement) for the Program on the Environment. She grew up in Vancouver, Washington before coming to Seattle to study at the University of Washington in fall of 2013. In her (limited) free time, she enjoys being out in nature, reading, and dance.