All plants from the Pat Calvert Greenhouse were 25% OFF during our Fall Plant Sale last Saturday. If you didn't get a chance to take advantage of this great deal, no worries: we've extended it through October 31. We also still have lots of ceramic pots available at excellent prices.

More than 550 shoppers attended our Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, September 7. They helped us raise $8,500 in support of essential programs and tree care at the Arboretum -- a new record for this event! Thanks to everyone who participated, especially our hard-working greenhouse, nursery, and event volunteers.

Last month, the Foundation was awarded a grant of $22,200 from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) for the proposed addition of an environmentally friendly composting toilet near the Pacific Connections Garden. The system would alleviate the lack of facilities in the south end of the Arboretum. The plan will need to pass review by Seattle Parks. We're also looking for help from donors to complete funding for the new loo! 

In our climate-conscious era, more and more gardeners are planting for drought tolerance. At the new McMenamins Anderson School, in Bothell, garden manager Riz Reyes has taken this trend to another level by planting a stunning display filled with hardy species from the deserts of the Southwest and Mexico. Riz spoke to designer Phil Wood for the latest Arboretum Bulletin about the featured plants and offered tips on how to create your own desert garden.

Our friends at the Miller Botanical Garden will host the 25th annual Elisabeth C. Miller Lecture tomorrow -- Thursday, September 12, 7 p.m. -- at Meany Hall. This year's speaker is Peter Zale, Associate Director of Conservation, Plant Breeding, and Collections at Longwood Gardens. Peter will talk about his plant explorations in Asia and U.S. and the history of plant collecting at Longwood.