Opening Day crew races through the Montlake Cut, and the 1936 USA Olympic gold in rowing may never have happened without these following trees:
1)  Thuja plicata        Western Red Cedar

UW’s world-renowned boat maker, George Pocock followed the lead of Native Americans and used this Pacific Northwest giant for the hulls of his Pocock Classics.
The skin is made from a single plank of 3/32″ thick cedar and offers a combination of stiffness and springiness that eliminates the need for the extra weight of a hull. 

What to do about muddy puddles caused by rain runoff in the middle of a trail used by hundreds of people every day? Could a garden solve the problem?

1)  Acer cissifolium        Vine-leaf Maple

A three-leaf maple native to Japan.
The extraordinary racemes of tiny flowers give the tree a cloud-like appearance.
Located in the Asiatic Maple Collection.

2)  Acer rubrum        Red Maple

This popular street tree is native to eastern North America.
On this sample the petals have fallen, leaving the elongating peduncles and their tiny, immature samaras.
Located in grid 3-5E on Arboretum Drive. 

Along Azalea Way this time of year, as many of you know, the Rhododendron cultivars, Redbuds & Dogwood Trees are putting on their show of stunning blossoms.   Amongst all these flowering shrubs and trees it is sometimes hard to discern any individual plants, but its always worth it for me to stop at the group of Rhododendron occidentale at the North end of Azalea Way.   

Listening and responding to the needs of our community is a cornerstone of the Fiddleheads philosophy. Sarah and I were absolutely astounded this year at the outpouring of interest our tiny school received. As word of the Fiddleheads Forest School spread, parents from all over the region took notice of the individualized attention we give to each child, our unique curriculum that thoughtfully integrates the specialized opportunities afforded by the environment to each student, and our remarkable forest grove classroom site where students develop a deep, mindful connection to their environment and to their peers. 

Our Viburnum Collection is recognized as one of the top three national collections. Our taxonomic display currently is home to over 100 different kinds and 330 living specimens.
[Description references: “Viburnums — Shrubs for Every Season” by Michael Dirr.]
Here are a few samples of this diverse and ornamental shrub.
1)  Viburnum carlesii var. bitchiuense        Bitchu Viburnum

Wonderfully fragrant flowers in early spring. 

March did not go out like a lamb, nor did it end with a whimper. No, this lion ended with a grand BANG!
A lightning strike from the massive thunderstorm that roared through Seattle yesterday was a direct hit on one of our largest trees in the Washington Park Arboretum.
 
A Grand Fir located in the Oak grove at the north end of the Arboretum was obliterated with one flash. 

When the Center for Urban Horticulture was established in 1980, one of the programmatic thrusts was to develop and carry out a comprehensive public outreach program.

Believe it or not, there are over 100 plant sales in the Pacific Northwest in April, including the FlorAbundance sale on April 25-26.

UW graduate student Nicolette Neumann Levi is looking for ways to bring more native pollinators to the UW Farm.