Join in the public meeting for the North Entry and Multi-use Trail projects for the Washington Park Arboretum on Wed. June 8, 2011 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Graham Visitor Center in the Arboretum.

This spring quarter wrapped up a wonderful season of restoration events in the Union Bay Natural Area, with fantastic progress being made on several projects.  Tallying 177 individual visits in the spring quarter, students and community members collectively donated over 400 hours of their time to the restoration efforts being made in UBNA!
The northern end of Yesler Swamp saw a major improvement with the removal of a large monoculture of Himalayan blackberry.  

Rhododendron ‘Firefly’     Grid 16-B
Rhododendron japonicum Grid 40-1E
Rhododendron ‘Knap Hill Apricot’     Grid 39-B
Rhododendron occidentale (Pink Form)     Grid 37-1W
Rhododendron ‘Sandpiper’     Grid 37-B

Complete details. 

“It’s really happening!” shouted the small, yet ecstatic, gathering of Farm Partnership* members, as they watched the plow turn the first soil over in the Center for Urban Horticulture’s northwest field. Farm manager, Robert Servine, knows this is just the first step of many to come before the .75 acre farm will be in full production. It’s certainly a major tangible step after months of planning with UW Botanic Gardens and UW campus grounds management, as well as between the 2 Farm Partnership organizations, to get this exciting urban farm project launched. 

Marilyn Smith Layton has created a book of images called Seasons of Life in the Union Bay Natural Area, and she is donating the profits from the sale of the book to projects in UBNA. The cost of the book is $60, and $20 of that will go to help the natural area.
You may purchase a copy in the Miller Library (cash or check only). 

Malus x moerlandsii ‘Profusion’
Cornus nuttallii
Fothergilla major
Davidia involucrata
Abies alba

Complete details. 

Daphne ‘Summer Ice’ is becoming a widely recognized small shrub for the Pacific Northwest. It’s dependable, easy to care for, once established, and possesses fine qualities as such persistent leaves (for the most part) and wonderfully sweet fragrance that’s present almost year round.

In the spring of 2001 the Elisabeth C. Miller Library launched a new service designed to answer plant and gardening questions quickly over the phone or via email. Now we’re celebrating the ten year anniversary of the free answer service for gardeners.

UWBG arboretum horticulture staff are taking Tuesdays by storm!  The 6 member crew, along w/ the 2 recent temporary gardener hires, plus Tuesday volunteers are now making an immediate impact on improving plant collections care and general garden aesthetics. For example, this past Tuesday, there were 10 busy bees working in the Sorbus (Mountain Ash) collection, weeding and mulching. Check out the finished product (photos). 

One of the most widespread problems with trees in the urban environment is the failure to recognize the tree’s mature size.  If one doesn’t take into account the space required when the tree grows up, conflicts are sure to arise.  To make matters worse, the tree is often faulted for encroachment!
Several trees surrounding the Arboretum’s Boyer Parking Lot have grown up and encroached on the gravel parking spaces.