Though it mightn't feel like it, fall is just around the corner! And so is our annual Fall Plant Sale, on Saturday, September 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Graham Visitors Center. As gardeners know, fall is optimal planting time in the Pacific Northwest, and our sale will feature a fabulous selection of shrubs, perennials, natives species, and more at great prices.

A benefit for the Arboretum!

Deliciously fragrant  Clethra are a summer-blooming highlight at Washington Park Arboretum. From late July to mid-August, beautiful spires of tiny white flowers cover the shrubs and are magnets for bees and other pollinators. Read all about the Arboretum's most abundant species, Clethra barbinervis (Japanese sweet shrub), profiled in the latest issue of the Arboretum Bulletin.

This month, WSDOT is shifting into high gear on the next phase of the 520 Bridge rebuild, dubbed the  Montlake Project. The first step will be to create a work zone (near Montlake Boulevard, on the north side of the 520) from which to coordinate construction. The four-year project will include a new, seismically stronger West Approach Bridge South, a landscaped highway lid, a bicycle-and-pedestrian "land bridge" connecting the Arboretum to points northward, and removal of the eastbound on-ramp that passes through the Arboretum wetlands.

Enjoy a botanical walking trip around the Pacific Rim with UW Botanic Gardens Curator Ray Larson. This month's Curator Tour - on Tuesday, August 13,  from 6:30 to 8:30 - will highlight the  beautiful plants from C hile, New Zealand, Australia, China, and Casadia growing in  the Pacific Connections Garden. Learn about the natural history and ethnobotany of these plants, while hearing stories about how they came to be in the Arboretum. Cost is $15 per person.

The Arboretum & Jane Our new director Jane Stonecipher was recently interviewed by the Madison Park Times. She spoke about her goals for the Foundation moving forward.

Help Steward the Park! The volunteer Garden Stewards work Tues and Thurs mornings, helping staff gardeners care for the Arboretum. Click here for the August schedule/locations.

Miller Library Exhibit This month's art exhibit at the library showcases Sandra Schulze's scanner photography, which is reminiscent of 17th century Dutch floral art.