Our horticulture staff will begin pruning our cherry collection, mostly along Azalea Way, next week. October is our window to prune based on the life-cycle of the insect pest, Cherry Bark Tortrix -it’s not flying around seeking easy entry portals like fresh pruning wounds now. Most of our pruning focuses on  large dead branches, as well as, unwanted basal suckers below graft unions. 

Araucaria araucana
Blechnum chilense
Crinodendron hookeranum
Fuchsia magellanica ‘Versicolor’
Lobelia tupa

Complete details. 

Who knows, maybe one of those kids will go on to invent the trash-powered DeLorean from Back to the Future, and may be he/she will remember that fieldtrip they took in 5th grade and decide to donate a bunch to the Arboretum to replace the golf carts…one can only dream.

This past spring, the UWBG hosted the first ever bioblitz in Seattle.  A “bioblitz” is a biological scavenger hunt that aims to inventory all the various organisms living in a given area – the “blitz” part signifies that this inventory is taken within a short period of time.
There are several reasons why the UWBG aims to make bioblitzes a regularly occurring tradition:

to better fulfill our mission of sustaining managed to natural ecosystems
to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity in an urban environment
to bridge the gap between the academic world and the every-day world by harnessing the power of citizen scientists. 

Between August 2009 and August 2010 the Union Bay Natural Area chalked up 2,050 volunteer service and educational tour hours from student organizations, University of Washington dorm residents, local community groups, the UBNA service corps, and University of Washington courses.  There are numerous opportunities to get involved with the UBNA this academic year through the courses offered as a part of the Restoration Ecology Network, the Society for Ecological Restoration student guild. 

Vitex agnus-castus – Chaste Tree
Sorbus pallescens – Mountain Ash
Coreopsis Big Bang™  ‘Full Moon’ – Full Moon Tickseed
Eupatorium cannabinum – Joe-Pye Weed/Hemp Agrimony
Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ – Northwind Switchgrass

Complete details. 

Cedrus atlantica ‘Aurea’
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
Cedrus atlantica ‘Aurea’
Rosa corymbulosa
Sorbus cashmiriana

Complete details. 

Executive Director, Sandra Lier, invites you to renew your commitment to UWBG. join us in promoting an educated, inspired, and engaged society dedicated to sustainable ecosystems. Together we can do great things to preserve the health of our environment.
It is because of contributions from private donors that many of our programs exist and flourish. Please donate today! 

Probably one of the most elegant of all late summer to fall blooming perennials, this hardy begonia has been loved and admired by many avid gardeners since plantsman, Dan Hinkley, brought it back from Japan in 1997. It is somewhat late to emerge in the spring and it grows from a hardy tuber. The large, almost succulent leaves and stems provide a backdrop to airy inflorescences that dance in the breeze and soft pink, bubble gum flowers have a very faint, but pleasing fragrance. 

I can’t believe summer is almost officially over. What a seesaw of a season we had! Cooler than normal average temperatures, a few heat waves; nothing really stuck around long enough, and bloom time on some of the plants his year was really all over the place!
Oh well, it has been a busy and hectic summer that seemed to almost get away from us from time to time, but the plants can always be expected to put on a show for all to see and we take great pride in showcasing some of the best for the Pacific Northwest.