Today, April 1: Poetry reading and reception at 2 p.m.
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The poems featured in Out on a Limb: Poetry in the Trees, were selected in a blind selection process by Rae Armantrout and Kevin Craft. Armantrout and Washington Poet Laureate Rena Priest will read their poems and, weather permitting, join us in a walk through the gardens to read the winning poems.
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Rena Priest is a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She is the Washington State Poet Laureate, Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow, and a recipient of an Allied Arts Foundation Professional Poets Award She has also received fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Nations Poets, and the Vadon Foundation. Her collection, Patriarchy Blues, received an American Book Award. Her most recent book, Northwest Know-How: Beaches, includes poems, retellings of legends, and fun descriptions of 29 of the most beloved beaches in Washington and Oregon. Priest’s nonfiction has appeared in several publications.
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Writing for the Poetry Foundation, David Woo says that Rae Armantrout’s recent book Finalists (Wesleyan 2022) “emanates the radiant astonishment of living thought.” Her 2018 book, Wobble, was a finalist for the National Book Award that year. Her other books with Wesleyan include Partly: New and Selected Poems, Just Saying, Money Shot and Versed. In 2010 Versed won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and The National Book Critics Circle Award. Retired from UC San Diego where she was professor of poetry and poetics, Rae is the current judge of the Yale Younger Poets Prize--and was one of the judges for Out on a Limb: Poetry in the Trees.
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In April, Poetry Pops Up High and Low!
Trees are not the only place you'll find poems in the Arboretum during the month of April. Thanks to the Everett Public Library, children can enjoy reading a poem written just for them by Juan Felipe Herrera. Herrara was the 21st Poet Laureate of the United State, and in his book Imagine he tells his own story of growing up, a child who loved the outdoors who was suddenly transplanted to the city. Lauren Castillo's colorful illustrations compliment the author's poetry.
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What happens when celebrating Earth Day and National Poetry Month both happen in April?
Find out on April 22nd from 10 AM-12 PM at the arboretum. Little sprouts will learn all about plants that are loved by our favorite pollinators - bees - and take home pots filled with seeds to encourage the buzz. Then craft up bookmarks with beads and nature poems to read. See what we did there? All are welcome and the giggles are free.
And while you're visiting, take some time to walk around the Arboretum to find the poems hanging in the trees - and read the new poetry bookwalk, courtesy of the Everett Public Library.
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Spring Bloomers Cash and Carry Sale
Been meaning to come to one of our work parties? Maybe this will encourage you to join us for our Saturday, April 15 work party. After you've helped out in the gardens from 10 a.m. to noon, stop and shop our pop-up plant sale. See these plants while they're blooming and take your pick--but you've got to have cash in hand. No credit cards accepted.
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What Happened to the Backyard Garden? |
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If you've visited the Arboretum lately, you undoubtedly noticed that the Backyard Garden has been leveled. This is one of the older gardens in the Arboretum, and just as with the Small Tree Walk, shrubs had gotten too large, groundcovers had taken over, trees had become misshapen, and the garden was divided into several individual sections that were unrelated to one another.
So last year we worked with Edmonds College horticulture students to begin redesigning the Backyard Garden. As our design committee worked on finalizing the design, it was clear that we needed a blank slate to really help us see what the entire area looked like. We were fortunate to have received just over $18,000 in a grant for COVID relief for arts and cultural organizations, and we used that, with assistance from Ground Works, to clear the area.
As anyone who has remodeled an old house knows, once you open up the walls, you usually see problems you hadn't realized existed. In this case, the problem is drainage. And while we did know that drainage had long been an issue in this area, we now know that it needs to be dealt with before we can begin serious replanting.
Our plan to begin replanting the east side of the path while we work on fixing the water problems on the west side. You can expect to see steady, if slow, progress as we work to replant the east side of the path at the same time as we figure out what needs to be done to address the drainage problems.
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Conceptual Drawing of the Renovated Backyard Garden |
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Maple Grove Project Getting Underway
We've been chipping away at the Maple Grove over the last few years--adding wood chip paths, more trees, and more soil to create raised beds that have enabled us to begin planting shrubs and bulbs.
Over the next several months, thanks to a generous donation from Don and Jan Jensen in memory of their son, Brett Akio Jensen, we'll be adding more raised beds and planting grasses, bulbs, and rhododendrons to this very popular area of the Arboretum.
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May Classes in the Arboretum: Get Ready for Summer |
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Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, in-person class
For those of us who ever “oohed & aahed” over the hanging pots that decorated Everett’s main corridors, we had Dee Drake and her team to thank! So come learn from Dee and make your own beautiful and long-lasting hanging basket. And just to add to the Mother’s Day vibe, tea and cookies will be served! Maybe invite a few friends and make a day of it, planting pots in the morning, walking the Arboretum and then out to lunch…
Prepaid, Non-refundable Fee: $35.00 member / $40.00 nonmember
Eco-friendly 10” hanging pots, soil, fertilizer and a variety of sun-loving plants provided.
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A free demonstration on Saturday, May 20, 12- 2 p.m.
Sandy Milam is a master of pairing plants for containers, among her many other talents. She has worn every hat the arboretum has to offer from grant writer, fundraiser, garden curator and teacher to president of the board. Learn what to pair and how fully to plant your container to become a showpiece in your garden this summer!
This class is free to attend so bring a friend.
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Together Again: Annual Meeting & Dinner in Floral Hall Is Back After Three Years |
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Board Member Constance Jones with daughter and granddaughter |
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Dinner by Lombardi's, served by board member Agnes Eros |
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Enjoying dinner with a friend |
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Support Your Arboretum by Joining Today. We Need You More Than Ever. |
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Take a moment to join or renew at www.evergreenarboretum.com and become part of the Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens family. Annual memberships come due in March of each year, but we can accept memberships at any time.
Your support is the key to our success. Your membership shows that you support our mission and the volunteers who dedicate themselves to the gardens. It is more important than ever to insure we remain strong and able to undertake significant projects once the pandemic is behind us. A robust membership base also shows the City that the Evergreen Arboretum is valued. You can join or renew online.
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To contact Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens
email: contactus@evergreenarboretum.com
phone: 425-257-8597
mail: PO Box 13014, Everett, WA 98206-13014
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