Coloring Up the Trees for March

Color Storm is Here: A Riot of Color for a Gray Month

Almost before we "planted" the first pom-poms in the entry bed, rave reviews were coming in for Color Storm, a yarn bombing event celebrating our 60th anniversary. We'd like to keep the woman with pink hair, hoodie, and sweatpants as our official greeter. She represents the joy that color can bring, especially when things are still rather gray in the Pacific Northwest. Alas, she isn't available, so you'll have to walk through the columns and take a self-guided tour to see for yourself what a difference color can make. Below are a few photos to whet your appetite to see more of what we did.

Thanks to all the knitters and crocheters out there who stepped up to the challenge of making the Arboretum come to life with their handiwork--and then came to help install the pieces. Thanks to all the volunteers who came to our three pom-pom making workshops--and those who turned out on a very cold Friday and damp Saturday to turn the Arboretum into a special place for the month of March.

Special thanks to Fontelle Jones and Great Yarns for helping to make this happen--holding pom-pom making workshops, providing discounted yarn, and allowing our artists to drop their work off until we could pick it up. Everett has a truly great yarn shop.

Karen went all out--not only did she create a colorful wrap for this tree but also she added flowers to the trunk and branches. And then she made a wrap for the tree next door.

Board member Eric Mowery taught himself to crochet--and look what he made! A colorful spiral backdrop to show off three adorable crocheted birds.

Gretchen says she's not much of a knitter, but as a former costume designer, she loved fitting Terri Shinn's knitting to a tree in the Master Gardener border.

Save the Date! Tuesday, March 12 at Floral Hall

It's that time of year again when we ask you to join us for dinner and drinks at Floral Hall to learn what we accomplished this past year and what we're planning for 2024. We do have some other special features if you need more excitement to lure you out of the house in March: we'll be auctioning off artist-created birdhouses, and we're bringing back Trevor Cameron as our keynote speaker to show us what new and interesting plants we can add to our gardens this spring. Perhaps less interesting, but no less necessary, we will be calling for a vote on board members whose terms are up for renewal, and we're updating our bylaws to align with new guidance from Washington and to COVID-proof our operations. Members received a copy of the new version in the last newsletter and will be asked to vote to approve it. If you want to attend the business meeting but not pay for dinner, let us know through the EA&G's email address at the bottom of the page.

Lombardi's is catering the event, we plan to begin selling tickets for our 2024 raffle, and there will be door prizes. Doors (and our wine and beer bar) open at 5 p.m. Dinner is served at 5:30 p.m.

Take a Look at These Bird Abodes and Get Ready to Bid:

Silent Auction at the Annual Meeting on March 12

Made by Board member Tom Easley.

Made by Board member Brion Henault.

Made by Everett artist Amy Duncan

Back by Popular Demand: Pruning with Trevor

Trevor Cameron's February hands-on pruning class was so popular, he agreed to return for a four-hour teach-and-prune session on March 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Come when you can, stay as long as you like, and ask questions along the way. Dress for the weather--and enjoy Color Storm, the final special event celebrating our 60th anniversary while following Trevor around the gardens.

Plant Sale Work Parties Resume March 7

It's time to dig out your gardening gloves and tools. Plant sale work parties will begin on March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle. Sandy Milam, who so ably lead last year's work parties, is back. Sandy plans to meet in the classroom and then move to the hoop house. After our frigid temperatures this winter, there's a lot of clean-up to do.

What to Look Forward to in April and May

April 13 is our spring Family Fun event. Look for details in our April newsletter.

May 18 Master Gardener David Pfeifle will present on Backyard Forests from noon to 1 p.m. in the classroom. Learn how to care for your trees and the natural areas of your land.