The start of the new year brings with it a bit of sad news as one of our gardeners here at CUH has decided to take another position that’s full time, leaving just two half-time gardeners to oversee the grounds here. With our staff so limited as it is to oversee all aspects of the work we do and a budget that’s going to see more cuts, getting a new gardener sometime soon is highly unlikely.
Read more »January 2011 Plant Profile: Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’
The winter landscape is incomplete without the presence of twig-dogwoods. Their stately, yet elegant stems, vibrant color and imposing form in the garden is remarkable. What’s more impressive is their adaptability and ease of growth. They are tolerant of most soils, are drought tolerant once established and the ability to recover from almost being mowed down to the ground each spring and produce brightly colored stems the following winter is extraordinary.
Read more »CUH Update – December 2010: Overcoming November's Cold Spell
Several weeks after an unusual early snow and cold snap, the grounds at CUH have looked like a bomb was detonated and we’re just now cleaning up the aftermath. OK, it wasn’t that bad, but the clean-up continues as the holiday season is well underway and we’re doing our best to keep things clean and presentable to our many guest this time of year.
Read more »November 2010 Plant Profile: Osmanthus fragrans v. aurantiacus
In the three years I’ve expected it to bite the dust, this plant has survived our winters and we’ve enjoyed the fruity scent from this form of Sweet Olive every autumn. Osmanthus fragrans is a popular shrub/small tree in the warmer regions of the United states (USDA Zone 8 +) and in China, where it is highly revered and its scented autumn blossoms are used to scent and flavor tea.
Read more »CUH Update - November 2010: Color and Winter
It’s been a cold nippy November and we’re taking a little extra time to put on a few extra layers before heading outside to work. Temperatures are dropping and it’s really time to start thinking about winter. The plants are on their last legs and the last of the tremendous fall foliage we’ve been blessed with this autumn are carpeting our grounds and exposing an occasional clear blue sky above.
Read more »CUH Update - October 2010: UW Classes, plant evaluations and fall color
Classes in UW are in full swing as is the fall landscape at UWBG. Color is just beginning to show on our deciduous trees and the fall-blooming perennials are slowly waiting in the wings to burst into flight and glorious bloom here at CUH. After a inconsistent and late summer, fall seems to be right on queue as the weather slowly cools and our usual autumn tasks are well underway: fertilizing the lawn, planting and transplanting, monotonous raking and gathering of fallen leaves in either cold wet or windy weather, and one of my more favorite task is evaluating the year’s successes and failures in order to plan for next season.
Read more »CUH Update September 2010
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.
Read more »CUH Update August 2010
It’s finally beginning to feel like summer; fairly consistent warm temperatures, scrambling to get containers adequately watered, and gravitation towards shade when working outdoors! The past few weeks have been so busy and incredibly productive as we’ve been fortunate to have an arsenal of interns, work study students, and volunteers help us out in grounds several times a week this summer.
Read more »CUH Update July 2010
We are experiencing quite a heatwave after weeks of cloudy, overcast and rainy days here in Seattle. We’re thankful for the sunshine and all, but the sudden warmth is a little unbearable without the transition to warmer temperatures we should have had in late May. Everything is picking up with this surge of heat as irrigation is also in full swing.
Read more »CUH Update June 2010
June is turning out to be an incredibly busy month as the weeds have gotten away from me and so much seems to have landed on my plate all at once. Three gardeners and a handful of volunteers are trying to keep up with CUH grounds on a half time schedule; it’s never enough and we’ve almost gotten used to the fact that not everything will get the attention it needs right away.
Read more »