Preserving and Enhancing a Northwest treasure!
Arbor eNotes July 2019
Foundation Annual Report Now Online

Our Annual Report for fiscal year 2018-19 is now published on the Foundation website. It contains a summary of our audited financials for 2018, as well as a round-up of our fiscal year activities and accomplishments. You'll find updates on the Master Plan projects we're funding in the Arboretum and Seattle Japanese Garden, data on donated volunteer hours, donor lists, and more.

Tanabata Star Festival Is Tomorrow!

The Seattle Japanese Garden at the Arboretum will host its annual, family-friendly star festival - Tanabata - this Saturday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy taiko drumming, a Japanese sword performance, craft activities, and the tradition of writing wishes and hanging them on bamboo sticks. As part of the Garden's Family Saturday program, Tanabata is free for youth 12 and under.

Hydrangeas, Pollinator Plants & More

You'll find a nice selection of summer-blooming perennials for your home garden in our  Plant Donations Nursery. These include eye-catching canna lily, coreopsis, crocosmia, dahlia, and potentilla. (Look for new bee stickers on plant labels that identify the flowers as good food resources for pollinators.) The  Pat Calvert Greenhouse  has lovely hydrangeas, hypericum, beautyberry, and more in flower . All sales benefit the Arboretum!

Annual Meeting Report

We had a tremendous turnout for our Annual Meeting at the Graham Visitors Center on June 19. Carolyn Kitchell (pictured above with family) received our Volunteer Legacy Award for her long-standing service to Arboretum. We welcomed seven new board members, renamed the Arboretum Gift Shop in honor of Mary Ellen Mulder, and more.

Elements of Garden Design: Time

In the latest entry in the Arboretum Bulletin's " Elements of Design" series, Corinne Kennedy addresses the concept of time in the garden setting. Using the Seattle Japanese Garden as an example, Corinne talks about how plantings evolve over years and decades. She also discusses strategies for maintaining a garden's original design intent, including judicious pruning and replacing plants that grow out of proportion to their surroundings.

Volunteers Needed for Digital Duties!

Volunteering at the Arboretum is a great way to give back to the community. Volunteer opportunities abound, but we have a pressing need for two volunteers who can perform regular computer-related tasks. Our Donations Nursery needs someone to create plant labels (2 hours per week), and our Gift Shop needs help logging inventory and printing price labels (7 hours per month). Training provided. If interested, contact Alyssa Henry at ahenry@arboretumfoundation.org. 

Curator Tour, July 9: Hydrangea Family

Learn about the Arboretum's Hydrangea Family collection (which includes the hydrangeas, deutzias, and mock oranges) with UW Botanic Gardens plant curator Ray Larson. Ray will lead you on a brisk, evening walk through the park and teach you about the natural and cultural history of the plants, many of which will be in peak bloom. The tour takes place on Tuesday, July 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and costs $15 per person.
Arboretum & Related News


Edmonds Garden Tour
The 24th annual Edmonds in Bloom tour takes place on Sunday, July 21! Visit six inspiring private gardens while helping support local horticulture projects and students.

Help Steward the Park!
The volunteer Garden Stewards work Tuesday and Thursday mornings, helping staff gardeners care for the Arboretum. Click here to view the July schedule/locations. 

Miller Library Exhibit
This month's art exhibit at the Miller Library showcases Kathleen Atkins's unique photographs of plants and nature. It runs now through July 30.
Banner image | Mountain stewartia ( Stewartia ovata var. grandiflora), from the southeastern U.S., blooming in the Camellia Collection. 
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