Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’
Manic weather conditions can only point to one thing; it’s Spring!
Oxalis oregana
On April 5th, we were finally able to host our Annual Membership Meeting. A list of thank yous is in order: Thank you to our guest speaker Ian A. Nelson, for taking time from his conservation efforts to present his film, Exploring the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, a big thank you to Rissa Sanchez and Brian Branagan for making this all happen. Rissa proposed this idea last fall and made all the connections happen. Thank you to the Shoreline College Theater for a spectacular venue and their technical support throughout the evening. Thank you to those who joined us; it’s so wonderful to be together in person.
We voted in our new slate of board members: Christina Arcidy, Pam Cope, and Lydia Tymon, as part of the meeting. Renewing their terms for another three years were Katie Schielke, Board President; John Hushagen, Vice President; and Rissa Sanchez, Secretary. You can read their bios here.
We hosted our annual spring plants sale at the Garden at the end of March. The sale is one of three special plant sales that take place each year to raise money for the support of the Garden and its staff. You’ll find the unique and hard to get spring ephemerals at these events, and this year was no exception. Thanks to you, our sale was our best yet, breaking a record. Our gross sales were over $12,000.00, beating last year’s record of over $9,000.00. The members-only preview sale was the second highest-grossing of the weekend.
Anemone nemerosa
Trillium lovers will want to mark their calendars for May 6th through the 8th. Our annual Mother’s Day Sale will feature Trilliums, Fritillaria, Primula, etc. Due to limited quantities, there will be limits on purchases per household. Our members get to buy first at the members-only preview sale Thursday, May 5th, from 4 pm to 7 pm.
The Garden is having a moment, with renewed efforts to elevate, enhance, and beautify. This moment is because of the return of volunteers to the Garden. Their support and love of this place are evident in their work. We have expanded our programming for kids through partnerships with outside groups like the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club. Our partnership with the City of Shoreline continues to bring enhancements through structural improvements like a new fence around the Children’s Discovery Garden and, very soon, an ADA Boardwalk into the lower Garden. All of our success and continued improvements come directly from our community, further amplifying the fact that the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is your Garden. It exists because of you. For that, we thank you. It is a privilege to work with you and for you to keep this community treasure moving forward, preserving a legacy, and building a future for this space.
Sincerely,
Joe Abken
Executive Director