Departure. Transition. Moving on. Growth. Maturity. Gratitude. Thinking about how to write this last Director's note has me grasping for the right words, the best tone or emotion. Never one to be at a loss for words or expression, I'm struggling with the idea of leaving this place while simultaneously feeling excited about [...]
Catherine Creek National Scenic Area Lomatium nudicaule Lupine and Balsam Root under scrub oak Tree frog Little White Salmon River, Gifford Pinchot National Forest Castilleja hispida Lewisia rediviva Lupinus latifolius Balsamorhiza careyana Camassia quamish Lewisia rediviva [...]
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 [...]
Rhododendron mucronulatum Man, did I jinx it last month or what? Freezing temperatures and a dusting of snow. Still, Spring is flirting with us. The amount of pollen coating my car each day as I leave the Garden is astonishing. The list of flowering trees and shrubs is growing: Corylopsis, Cornus mas, Daphne, [...]
We were favored with two interns for the Winter quarter from Edmonds College. Stan Dombrowski hails from Spokane and has been in the Seattle area for the last five years. While working for himself in landscape maintenance, he's been a student at the Edmonds College Horticulture program. When presented with project ideas at the Garden, [...]
Raise your hand if you have PTSD about snow in February? I feel confident that we have passed through the snowiest portion of our winter. (See how I didn't say 'no more snow?') This next week seems pretty mild and spring-like. I was outside all day on 'Sun'-day, working in my garden, basking in the [...]
Winter term brings us Hans Tietjen, from the Edmonds College Horticulture program. A graduate and now board member of the Nathan Hale horticulture program, Hans has brought his A-Game to the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden. I remember proposing this project to Hans and thinking no one would want this one. Hans proved me wrong and impressed [...]
And just like that, it's 2022! I do love the Garden under a blanket of snow. The transformative nature of it turns the Garden into a completely different space. We did not sustain any notable damage from snow loads, and it served as a protective layer against the freezing temperature. Time will [...]
As with any year-end message, I had to go back and look at the previous year through posts and letters to remember where we've been. From hoop house construction to wildflowers in the Gorge, from after-school programs to summer camps, to epic plant sales in the spring, to summer concerts and a phenomenal fundraiser in [...]
How quickly we find ourselves hurtling towards the winter months, the winding down of another year around the sun. From a gardener's perspective, we embrace the changes and appreciate the winding down of garden activity. Where some see the gloom of darkness, we have planted hope in the form of fall-planted bulbs, knowing that we [...]