~Rae Russell
Seattlites are fortunate to not only enjoy the benefits of a maritime climate that allows us to grow year-round, but to have access to so many wonderful gardening and farming resources. Whether you want to take a short workshop on container gardening, complete a serious course in sustainable farming, or simply find some tips and plant lists, everything that you need can be found nearby, even land! 

In honor of the annual Elisabeth Miller Memorial Lecture, this month’s plant profile features one of Betty’s favorite trees.

Meet Lisa Dora Sanphillippo! Lisa is the School Fieldtrips Coordinator for UW Botanic Gardens.
She lived in L.A. until she was 8 years old.  Her mom “got a little freaked out” by the big city, big crime and smog so she moved them to a tiny town in Idaho called Kamiah (population 2500).  The family lived in the middle of a National Forest and the Clearwater River. 

How some trees react to high winds.
1)  Pseudotsuga menziesii                Douglas Fir

The detritus lying on the ground following a wind event in the Pacific Northwest provides ample evidence of how P. menziesii defends itself against wind.
The wood of P. menziesii is brittle and can snap. When a strong wind acts on a Douglas Fir, the tree sacrifices small pieces of foliage to shed the wind’s energy. 

What do evolution and the Emperor of Japan have to do with art about slime molds? Now You See It! The Slime Mold Revelation reveals the stories behind four centuries of artistic devotion to these otherworldly organisms. Exhibit runs Sep. 15 – Oct 30.

~Rae Russell
Last week, I was part of a lucky group of UW Farm interns and volunteers that visited Littlefield Farm; an organic farm in Arlington WA where all of the equipment runs on traditional horse power. Farmer Ryan Foxley gave us a glimpse into a method of small-scale, resilient farming that offers a compelling solution to today’s current fuel concerns by relying entirely on the use of draught horses to work the soil and harvest crops. 

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Meet Anna Louise Carragee.  Anna is a Master of Environmental Horticulture student in the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, and she will start her second year this fall.  She has 3 part-time positions at UW Botanic Gardens: Greenhouse Assistant, Nursery Manager for the Society for Ecological Restoration – UW Chapter’s Native Plant Nursery (housed at the Center for Urban Horticulture), and a short-term position to support the City’s Seattle reLeaf program to help re-inventory and evaluate the health of street trees planted with the Trees for Neighborhoods project. 

Stop by UW Farm’s produce stand this summer and treat yourself to fresh, seasonal, sustainably sourced produce grown just two miles away! UW Farm is proud to support sustainable agriculture and works hard to help create a community-driven local food system right here in Seattle. Come join us!
We meet Fridays from 4pm-7pm, in the Fisheries Supply parking lot at 1900 N. 

Our first offering of Botanical Sketching in Ink and Watercolor wraps up this week. This popular series will be offered again this fall on Monday mornings, starting October 5. Learn more and register.

Blog post by Saffron Hefta-Gaub, summer communications volunteer
August 3, 2015
Today I showed up at the UW Botanic Gardens right at 10:00 am, to sit in on the first Botanical Sketching and Watercolor class. 

Visit the UW Botanic Gardens this fall for to see some colorful leaves, and participate in some fun activities for families with kids 2-12 years old!