Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin

2005·6.7 MB·English

by  University of Washington. 63853

Washington Park Arboretum
BULLETIN
Published by the Arboretum Foundation
Fall 2005
$5
-University of Washington-
The Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin is a benefit
of Arboretum Foundation membership.
The University of Washington manages the Arboretum’s
For information on membership or advertising oppor-
collections, horticultural programs, facilities and
tunities, contact the Arboretum Foundation
education programs through the University of
at 206-325-4510 or [email protected].
Washington Botanic Gardens.
-Washington Park Arboretum- 206-543-8800 voice / 206-616-2871 fax
Office hours: 8 am—5 pm weekdays
The Arboretum is a 230-acre living museum displaying
www.uwbotanicgardens.org
internationally renowned collections of oaks, conifers,
camellias, Japanese maples, hollies and a profusion
David J. Mabberley, M.A. (Oxon.), Ph. D. (Cantab.),
of woody plants from the Pacific Northwest and
Director, University of Washington Botanic Gardens
around the world. Aesthetic enjoyment gracefully co¬
exists with science in this spectacular urban green
space on the shores of Lake Washington. Visitors
-Seattle Parks and Recreation-
come to learn, explore, relax or reflect in Seattle’s
largest public garden. The City of Seattle owns the Arboretum’s land, including
the buildings. Seattle Parks and Recreation is respon¬
The Washington Park Arboretum is managed cooper¬ sible for routine maintenance within the Arboretum
atively by the University of Washington and Seattle and manages and operates the Japanese Garden.
Parks and Recreation; the Arboretum Foundation is its
major support organization. 206-684-4556 voice / 206-684-4304 fax
Ken Bounds, Superintendent
-Graham Visitors Center-
Open 10 am—4 pm daily; Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin
holidays, noon—4 pm.
Lee Cuninggim Neff, Constance Bollen,
Closed Thanksgiving and the Friday after,
Editor Graphic Design
Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Biyan Taulbee, Joy Spurr, Photography
The Arboretum is accessible by Metro bus #43 from
Arboretum Foundation (unless otherwise noted)
downtown Seattle and the University of Washington campus
Editorial Board
-Arboretum Foundation-
Tom Berger, The Berger Holly M. Redell, Director
The Arboretum Foundation is a nonprofit organization
Partnership, Landscape of Development, Pacific
established in 1935 to ensure stewardship for the
Architects Science Center
Washington Park Arboretum and to provide horticul¬ Val Easton, Writer Richie Steffen, Coordinator
tural leadership for the region. The Foundation provides Polly Hankin, Edmonds of Horticulture, Elisabeth
funding, volunteer services, membership programs and Community College C. Miller Botanical
public information in support of the Arboretum, its Daniel J. Hinkley, Garden
Heronswood Nursery David Streatfield, UW Dept.
plant collections and programs. Volunteers operate the
Joan Hockaday, Author of Landscape Architecture
gift shop, conduct major fund-raising events, and further
Steven R. Lorton, Former Brian Thompson, Elisabeth
their gardening knowledge through study groups and
Northwest Bureau Chief, C. Miller Library, CUH
hands-on work in the greenhouse or grounds.
Sunset Magazine Cass Turnbull, Plant
Ciscoe Morris, Horticulturist Amnesty Founder
2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA 98112
Myrna Ougland, Martha Wingate, Writer
206-325-4510 voice / 206-325-8893 fax
Heronswood Nursery
[email protected]
Pam Perry, Parsons Public Botanical Editors
www.arboretumfoundation.org Relations Randall Hitchin, Registrar,
Office hours: 8:30 am—4:30 pm weekdays Christina Pfeiffer, University of Washington
Gift shop hours: 10 am—4 pm daily Horticultural Consultant Botanic Gardens
Jan Pirzio-Biroli, Jan Pirzio-Biroli
Officers of the Arboretum Foundation
Arboretum Foundation Martha Wingate
Board of Directors
Deborah Andrews, Executive Director
Neal Lessenger, President Mary Ann Odegaard,
Judy Phillips, Vice President Vice President
Fall 2005 Volume 67. Issue 3.
Susan Black, Vice President John Johnston, Treasurer
Doyle Douglas, Della Balick, Secretary
© 2005 The Arboretum Foundation. ISSN 1046-8749.
Vice President Fred Isaac, Immediate
Past President
TENTS
fo
2 Native Abundance—Deborah Andrews *| Salalberry, the Once and Future
Fruit—George Schenk
3 Combinations Unlocked: The Whys
20
& Wherefores of Favorite Plant Native Plants: Where to Find and Buy
Combinations, #11 Adorning Granite— Them—Nancy Davidson Short
Duane Kelly
24
A Native Plant Classroom: The West
0 Celebrating Silver: The Creation of the Mercer Elementary Courtyard—-Marilyn
South Seattle Community College O'Neill and Ingrid Stipes
Arboretum—Van Bobbitt
26
Garden Mushrooms—-Joy Spurr
9 Hollies—A Personal Journey—
28
Walt Bubelis On Mushrooms and Squirrels—
Mary Johnston
\
1 Moving the Hollies: Whither & Why?—
30
Randall Hitch in In a Garden Library: Quite a Pile
of Books: Northwest Authors Outdo
14
Propagation of the Genus Ilex— Themselves—Brian Thompson, Bulletin
Barbara Selemon Book Review Editor
ABOVE: Ilex bioritsensis, a rarely grown holly species native to China and Taiwan, will be featured in the
newly restored Arboretum Ilex collection. For further information about the future of the Arboretum’s
hollies, see the article on page 11.
ON THE COVER: This shrubby mountain ash, Sorbus reducta, is native to western China. It grows only
12 to 18 inches tall, has pink fruit and bronze-tinted foliage late in fall. Since it spreads by underground
runners to a distance of 3 feet, it can be useful as a ground cover in sunny areas (zones 6-10). It may
be seen in the entiy court at the Center for Urban Horticulture. (Photo by Richie Steffen.)
Fall 2005 <*> 1
Native Abundance
his edition of our Bulletin brings weekly plant sale (Tuesday mornings, with a
pleasant reminders of the beauty and small selection available daily on the cart at
abundance of plant life in the Pacific the Graham Visitors Center entrance). You’ll
Northwest. These include a couple of delightful find starts and young plants propagated from
(and practical) surprises: a colorful collection the Arboretum collection, including native trees
of culinary ideas for salal berries and a survey and shrubs. Greenhouse volunteers also
of native plant resources for the region’s provide plants for the Foundation’s popular
gardeners. spring and fall plants sales, so look there too.
This native abundance brings to mind some Autumn beauty abounds at Washington
of the attractions and resources here at Park Arboretum as nights grow cooler and
Washington Park Arboretum. Have you visited days shorter. Visit the Arboretum for a magnif¬
the recently installed Native Knoll? This native icent show of local color (some provided by
understory restoration project provides wildlife non-native plants, to be fair). Don’t forget to
habitat by replacing invasives with valued bring out-of-town guests for a glimpse of the
native plants. Planning and gardening for Native Northwest’s most extensive plant collection
Knoll were done largely by the Arboretum and a walk along the recently restored Duck
Foundation’s Native Plant Study Group (another Bay shoreline, o*
area horticultural resource). Brochures are avail¬
able at the Graham Visitors Center.
If you’re looking for some native bounty
for your own garden, stop by the Arboretum Deborah Andrews, Executive Director,
Foundation’s Pat Calvert Greenhouse for its Arboretum Foundation
The pinnate leaves of Sorbus commixta, native to Korea and Japan, open bronze in early spring,
then change to light green, and finally become vivid red to yellow in fall.
Trees grow 20 feet wide and 20 to 30 feet tall. To observe this tree in the Arboretum this autumn,
visit grid coordinates 23-4E, 24-4E, 24-5E, 25-4E.
2 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin
COMBINATIONS UNLOCKED
The Whys & Wherefores of Favorite
Plant Combinations
#11 Adorning Granite
By Duane Kelly / Photos by Alice Heck Kelly
arely in life do things garden 10 years ago. Tom Iversen of
turn out as we expect. Kemper/Iversen Ltd. (Seattle)
The development of designed the garden and oversaw
one’s garden invariably supports the structural work and major
this conclusion. plantings. Our garden faces west
The major structural and earth- and is fairly evenly divided into an
moving work was done in our upper and lower level. A major
In the Kellys’ garden, these striking granite steps are framed by a colorful, multi-textured tapestry.
INSET: The rosettes of this dusky pink sedum are a pleasing complement to the gray of the granite.
Fall 2005 3
feature of Tom’s design was eight granite sedums, then plop them around the steps. I
steps, cut in generous proportions and diy immediately visited two or three nurseries and
laid, connecting the lower and upper gardens. spent at most $40 (this was 10 years ago)
Located in the center of the garden and buying any sedum (Sedum species, also called
connecting its two levels, the steps had the stonecrop) that caught my fancy.
effect of dividing the garden into four Today those granite steps are perhaps the
quadrants or “rooms.” The planting plan for most visually striking element in the garden.
these rooms emerged from long conversations The humble sedums form a colorful, multi-
among Tom, my wife Alice and me. The textured tapestiy that frames the stone. The
blueprint was detailed, chock full of those sedums were the garden’s least expensive
round squiggles landscape architects like to plantings and can be found nowhere on the
draw to represent plants. And Alice and I were blueprint. Tom’s tossed-off planting sugges¬
soon to learn that all those little circles made tion, intended, I suspect, to get me out of his
a sound: ka-ching, ka-ching, as our budget hair as much as to improve the steps, has
disappeared. proved to be as solid as the granite.
When the steps were installed, their size,
the coloring of the stone, and their central Successful Sedum Selections
location combined to make an impressive At least ten varieties of sedums grow
feature. But something wasn’t right; the granite around the steps. I’ve lost some of the plant
looked harsh and naked. When I said tags, but varieties I know I have include
something felt missing, Tom suggested I get Sedum spurium ‘Schorbuser Blut’ (or ‘Dragon’s
me to the nursery, buy a bunch of low-growing Blood’), S. ‘Ruby Glow,’ S. spathulifolium
Mark Harman
Certified Arborist
4000 SW Myrtle Street The Berger Partnership PS
Seattle, WA 98136
Landscape Architecture
937-7428
Fax [phone]
1721 Eighth Ave. N
Seattle, WA 98109
STONEHEDGE
206325.6877
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uncommon trees, shrubs, vines,
perennials, grasses, annuals Floral & Garden
19028 Vashon Hwy SW
and temperennials
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also pnw native plants
8424 Steamboat Island Road
Olympia, Washington
360 866-2516 206-463-5096
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e-mail: [email protected] 206-463-4048 fax
www. ol ywa. n et/stea m boat/ web: dignursery.com
email: [email protected]
Open Sat & Sun 10-5 or by appointment
4 ^ Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin
‘Cape Blanco,’ S. spathulifolium ‘Carnea,’ and This continual low-level attention is all the
S. spurium ‘Variegatum’ (or ‘Tricolor’). There’s sedums require to look their best, adorning
the occasional addition; a friend just gave me the granite steps.
two pots of S. rupestre ‘Angelina,’ which I Over the last decade, I have completely
intend to find room for. Not all varieties have changed the plantings in the garden’s beds
succeeded; S. makinoi ‘Ogon,’ a new form that at least three times. And as I write this I
came on the market from Japan several years have more new ideas, which I am trying to
ago, has petered out. repress. The steps, however, are one of the
This planting has required little mainte¬ few areas of the garden that I have not
nance. The steps receive only a little spillover monkeyed with. That granite, fringed with
water from the irrigation system, but that’s all sedums, has proved to be just fine as is,
sedums require, as they come from thank you veiy much. o*
mountainous, well-drained terrain. They thrive
on their hot western exposure. I’ve never
fertilized. Duane Kelly and his wife Alice founded
Weeding is simple and unavoidable. In the Northwest Flower & Garden Show 18
order to traverse the garden, I have to walk years ago. His company also produces the San
on the steps, which means the only way I Francisco Flower & Garden Show every March.
could ignore the weeds is by being blind. So He is a long-time supporter of the Arboretum
weeding consists of picking out invaders— Foundation and in the mid-1990s sewed a
mostly violets and oxalis—as I walk up and two-year term as President. In his spare time
down in transit to other parts of the garden. he writes plays.
WellsAVedina
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8300 NE 24th Street • Just off 520 in Medina, WA
Fall 2005 5
CELEBRATING SILVER:
The Creation of The South Seattle
Community College Arboretum
By Van Bobbitt
never knew this existed!” exclaim covered much of what became the SSCC
many first-time visitors to the South campus. It had been filled. And when the
Seattle Community College (SSCC) arboretum project was approved, the college’s
Arboretum. Yet this 11-acre garden has existed heavy equipment-operation classes were using
some 25 years and includes two rose gardens, the area as a training site. Their machines
a perennial garden, and an outstanding dwarf would stir up great clouds of dust and further
conifer collection. Some have dubbed it “West compact what was described as “unusable clay.”
Seattle’s hidden treasure.” In an attempt to improve the soil, SSCC
and King County Metro embarked on a cooper¬
A Student-Initiated Project ative project. Metro provided labor and
The college’s Landscape Horticulture machinery to grade the land. They covered
Program first contemplated the development the entire area with 18 inches of sewage
of an arboretum in 1972. However, it was a sludge and seeded ryegrass. Despite this and
student petition that spurred the Seattle the addition of topsoil, much of the arboretum
Community College board to approve the suffers from heavy, poorly drained soil.
arboretum in July 1978. In spite of a shoestring budget and terrible
The advantages of the site included impres¬ soil conditions, the arboretum began to grow.
sive views of downtown Seattle and the Steve Nord, former horticulture instructor,
proximity of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, the spearheaded the effort. He never missed a
largest contiguous woodland within the city of chance to share his vision of the arboretum
Seattle. But the site also posed a major with students, college administrators and
challenge—terrible soil! A gravel pit once prospective donors.
LEFT: A visitor, admiring the Helen Sutton Rose Garden; in the foreground, the yellow rose
is ‘Henry Fonda.’ CENTER: Bob Fincham (left) cuts the ribbon at the
Coenosium Rock Garden on June 2, 2005; Van Bobbitt (right) assists.
RIGHT: Visitors stroll the Coenosium Rock Garden after the dedication. (Photos by Michael May.)
6 *n Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin
Support & Development sensoiy theme. Students recently critiqued it
According to Nord, the original concept as a “hodgepodge” in need of an “extreme
was to develop “gardens of the world.” But makeover.” Regardless of its faults, this garden
the gardens-of-the-world concept gave way to is favored by visitors, because of its sheltered
other ideas, as the reality of funding set in. location, ample seating areas and semi-formal
The theme of each new garden was influenced pond with water trickling over rocks.
in large part by its funding source. For Helen Sutton Rose Garden. This rose
example, SSCC obtained a City of Seattle garden was dedicated in 1985 and named in
Community Bloc Grant in 1982 to develop a honor of Helen Sutton, a strong supporter of
“sensory garden” that would especially appeal the college and the arboretum since their
to those with impaired vision. And other inceptions; Mrs. Sutton still chairs the
individual donors wielded varying degrees of Arboretum Committee and sits on the SSCC
influence over the arboretum’s development. Foundation’s board of directors. This is one of
Through the years, though, the arboretum has two rose gardens in the arboretum. Some
benefited from the strong financial and in-kind question the wisdom of such high-mainte-
support of many individuals, businesses and nance gardens, but they are favorites of
service organizations, particularly in the West summer visitors and provide students lots of
Seattle community. pruning practice in February.
Since the SSCC Arboretum’s primary mission Acer Garden. A young planting with a
was to serve as an outdoor classroom and variety of maple species, this area focuses on
laboratory for horticulture students, all of the Acer palmatum cultivars. This garden is still
gardens in the arboretum have been installed evolving and has not yet realized its potential.
by students in SSCC landscape construction It was built with generous donations from
classes. Much of the irrigation system was West Seattle service clubs, Julius Rosso Nursery
developed by students under the guidance of and Briggs Nursery.
instructors. Pruning and landscape manage¬ Sequoia Grove. Specimens of giant sequoia
ment classes help maintain the arboretum. The (Sequoiadendron giganteum), coast redwood
garden renovation classes have updated many CSequoia sempewirens) and dawn redwood
gardens in recent years. And there’s not a day (Metasequoia glyptostoboides) reside here.
in the academic year when you won’t find Anna Mason Perennial Garden. Donor
students using the arboretum for study or Nancy Mason wanted this area to be reminis¬
hands-on learning. The SSCC Arboretum cent of her mother Anna’s old-fashioned
currently consists of the following gardens: perennial garden. Herbaceous perennials are
Entry Garden. This was the first garden combined with forsythia, lilac, mock orange,
completed and the most formal, consisting of and deciduous azaleas to remind us of the
extensive paving, rectangular planting beds gardens our grandmothers might have grown.
and a central lawn. The beds were originally Gazebo and Mabel Davis Garden. The
used for seasonal color displays but, due to Federated Women’s Club of West Seattle
high maintenance costs, were converted to funded construction of the gazebo, and it was
ornamental grasses. Recently, the grasses have built in 1986 by the volunteered labor of “the
gradually given way to combinations of shrubs husbands.” It provides a covered seating area
and herbaceous perennials. with a view of the downtown Seattle skyline.
Sensory Garden. Originally created as a Milton Sutton Conifer Gardens. This
garden emphasizing textural, fragrant and garden has two distinct parts that straddle a
edible plants, it has lost its focus over time. gravel road. One side is built adjacent to a
New plants were added without regard to the streambed and combines many larger conifers
Fall 2005 7
with complementary shrubs and ground conifers for gardens in Western Washington.
covers. On the other side of the road is a After Nord retired, the Finchams, Steve
collection of dwarf conifers combined with Hilderbrand, landscape construction instructor,
heaths and heathers. It is one of the most Yuki Kato, landscape design student from
colorful sections of the arboretum in winter. Japan, and I began to develop a design and
H. Chris and Erma Erickson Garden. Erma action plan for this garden. It took six years
Erickson dedicated this garden to her husband to complete, with landscape construction
Chris in 1995. It is planted with birch, pine classes tackling a new phase each year.
and heath to simulate the feeling of Mr. The Finchams generously donated all of
Erickson’s birthplace, a small mountainous the conifers in the Coenosium Garden.
island in Noiway. Their friend, Rick Lupp, owner of Mount
This garden stems from Tahoma Gardens—an alpine specialty nursery—
Malmo Garden.
the late Jean Malmo’s desire to memorialize donated a large number of alpine plants.
her husband Clark and his father Charles, both Hilderbrand and his students worked overtime
prominent Seattle nurserymen. They were in spring 2005 to have the garden completed
rhododendron hybridizers, so that is the focus by its dedication in June. The dwarf conifers
of this planting. In addition, Jean Malmo offer year-round appeal, because of their various
contributed many plants in the early days of forms, textures and colors—blues, greens and
the arboretum. For instance, she donated 125 golds. Many, such as Platycladus orientalis
Bosnian pines (Pinus heldreichii) that were ‘Morgan’ (syn. Thuja orientalis ‘Morgan’), offer
planted throughout the arboretum to provide seasonal color changes. It is yellow-gold most
much-needed structure. of the year but turns an intense orange-bronze
A small winter garden is with the arrival of colder temperatures in
Winter Garden.
taking shape near the front of the arboretum. November, and returns to yellow-gold with
A witch-hazel collection already existed, but March’s increasing warmth.
the garden-renovation class decided to create What does the future hold for the SSCC
a real winter garden in 2004. Taking cues from Arboretum? The Coenosium Rock Garden filled
the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden at Washington the last undeveloped land in the arboretum.
Park Arboretum, they added Garry>a species, Major renovations of older gardens are being
winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), considered. And the Seattle Chinese Garden is
Cyclamen coum, Stewartia monadelpha and being built adjacent to the arboretum. When
other selections for winter interest. completed, the Chinese Garden is to be the
Coenosium Rock Garden. Dedicated in largest Chinese garden in North America. Along
June 2005, this is the crown jewel of the SSCC with the SSCC Arboretum, it will put the
Arboretum. It aims to be the best public collec¬ campus “on the map” for tourists and garden-
tion of dwarf conifers in the region, and it lovers. The future looks exciting. The South
also contains a scree garden, many non-conif- Seattle Community College Arboretum is open
erous alpine species, and a naturalistic water to the public seven days a week from dawn
feature. This garden was first conceived by to dusk. Please visit.
Dianne and Bob Fincham with former horti¬
culture instructor Steve Nord. The Finchams Van Bobbitt is Horticulture Instructor and
operate Coenosium Gardens, a mail-order Arboretum Coordinator, South Seattle Com¬
nursery in Eatonville, which specializes in munity College. For a map and directions
dwarf conifers. They wanted to develop a to the arboretum, visit http://www.south-
garden that would help both students and the seattle.org/campus/map.htm. For additional
gardening public appreciate the value of dwarf information, call 206-764-5393.
8 Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin