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

1)   Blechnum chilense

This impressive evergreen fern grows in full sun to full shade.
The Chilean Spanish name ‘Costilla de vaca’ translates into “cow’s rib” and refers to the shape of the fronds.
This fern can be found thriving in the Chilean Entry Garden in Pacific Connections.

2)   Eucalyptus pauciflora ssp. niphophila

Beautiful peeling brown bark is just one of the attributes of this Australian native. 

All of the Hydrangeas in the park are at their prime flowering beauty right now. Its a great month to go on one of our free Sunday tours with a guide and walk down Arboretum Drive to view the variety of Hydrangeas in the UW collection which includes everything from exotic Asian vines to the bluest mopheads I’ve seen in a while to the pictured Hydrangea aspera – my personal favorite. 

The bold presences of the Evergreen Southern Magnolia is truly a sight to behold in late summer as its creamy white blossoms unfurl, emitting a sweet, pleasantly pungent aroma that fills the warm air.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will start geotechnical and cultural field studies at the Washington Park Arboretum near the location of the future 520 bridge on August 6, 2012.
Complete information can be found at the WSDOT 520 Project webpage.
Cultural Resources Fields Study Factsheet
Geotechnical Drilling Field Study Factsheet
  

We haven’t even begun our Digital Photo Contest (starts TOMORROW! August 1st), but thought we would share some of the photographs taken by the Art in the Park Campers here at the Arboretum. We are so lucky to have these budding artists on our grounds. Take a look at some of their photos.

Hey, Kids! If you are between 4 and 16 get out your digital cameras, visit the Arboretum, take some awesome pictures and send them to us between August 1st and 31st. We’ll announce winners and prizes by September 5th.

1)   Berberis darwinii

Vigorous, upright evergreen shrub with spine-toothed, glossy leaves and spherical blue-glaucous fruit.
This specimen is located along the Pacific Connections Meadow Loop Trail within the Chilean Entry Garden.
First discovered by Charles Darwin in 1835.

2)   Hydrangea serrata ‘Bluebird’

Compact, erect deciduous shrub with flattened corymbs containing a few pink or blue sterile flowers and numerous fertile flowers within. 

Our free Weekend Walks topic for the month of July is conifers, therefore it seems appropriate to feature one of my favorite trees in the arboretum collection: the Montezuma Pine located in crabapple meadow.

This is the first time we’ve selected an ANNUAL for our monthly plant profile!