The misty October revealed a great surprise to New Zealand horticulturist Kathleen DeMaria while she was installing signs for the new ‘Lookout Loop Trail’ near the recently restored Lookout Gazebo.

What is it about the autumn that generates so much nostalgia? A season evoking such emotion somehow always manages to pass in a blur. It marks the end of lackadaisical afternoons and the start of the annual decent into the cooler, more introspective months.  The way I see it, fall is the natural steward of the New Year. We begin afresh: in school, in season, in time. 

Kids + Cameras = Some great pictures of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens! Come see the winners of the 2013 Kids Digital Photography Contest!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Minus the Good)
1)  Cherry Brown Rot

A fungal disease of the Prunus species caused by Monilina fructicola and Monilina laxa.
The first symptoms often seen are browning and collapse of the blossoms, followed closely by death of the small twigs.

2)  Dogwood Anthracnose

Dogwood anthracnose is a disease of flowering and pacific dogwoods (Cornus florida and C. 

John Wott tells the story of the sweet friendship between Captain Moen of the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association and the Washington Park Arboretum. Stop by the Graham Visitor Center gift shop to purchase a jar of Arboretum Honey.

These ornamental St. John’s Worts are a departure from the aggressive species often used in slopes and roadside median strips. These new introductions have adorable flowers and fantastic berries!

Keystone Species of New Zealand
1)   Nothofagus menziesii   (Silver Beech, Tāwhai)

Natural range: endemic to New Zealand.  Found throughout South Island.
Trunk is silvery-gray and has horizontal lines (lenticels).
Dark-green, oval leaves are glossy and have toothed edges.
Largest specimen was transplanted in Autumn 2012 with help from a very large crane.

2)   Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (Mountain Beech, Tawhairauriki)

Deep green, oval leaves have a pointed tip and rolled edges. 

Welcome back Huskies! There are so many opportunities for students to get involved at the UW Botanic Gardens.

The outdoor preschool at the Washington Park Arboretum aims to counteract “nature deficit disorder.”

On November 21, 1993, which was a rainy blustery Sunday afternoon, we dedicated “The New Zealand High Country”, the first Arboretum garden of New Zealand natives.