August THE PRESIDENT S CORNER Trevor Cameron, Evergreen Arboretum President

Transcription

1 August 2017 THE PRESIDENT S CORNER Trevor Cameron, Evergreen Arboretum President Happy summer to all the members and friends of Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens! Like every season it seems summer is another busy one for the Arboretum. Thanks to the help of so many volunteers we continue to accomplish so much and strive for even more. The work parties this year have tidied up many areas. Much of the yearly pruning has been done and the never ending battle with the weeds continues in perpetuity. Some tired or overgrown plants have been removed and some new ones are being planted. It s time to rejuvenate the gardens! For instance, much is happening in the Woodland Garden this summer. With the help of the Parks Department a bunch of plants have been removed and some new smaller and lower maintenance specimens will be planted. This garden seems to breathe again with nice sightlines and more light already. At our work

2 party last month volunteers planted dozens of new ferns and perennials as well as few more shrubs. Some new Rhododendrons and a couple more Japanese Maples will be added. I bring this area up as an example of what our group is trying to do for the Arboretum and its thousands of visitors each year. We will respect and conserve the Arboretum while looking to enhance and renovate all the existing gardens. We want to show off newer plant varieties in combination with classic and traditional NW specimens while trying to showcase lower maintenance, disease resistant, pollinator friendly and easy to grow plants. Our group will continue striving to make the gardens better for the generations to come. How can you help? Become a member! Pass the word along to friends and neighbors about the Arboretum and all the things we are trying to accomplish. Volunteer if you can! Join us for a work party, a class, even a board meeting to see what we are up to. We would love to get you involved! Without members, community donations and active volunteers we simply could not accomplish much as a group. Last month was a perfect example of how much a group of volunteers can help. We had an incredible group of folks from the Boeing HR department offer to volunteer as group in the Arboretum. A number of board members were able to assist the group with some projects around the gardens that afternoon and we were amazed how much they were able to accomplish as a team. We all thank them so much for their help and generosity to assist our cause and hope we can do it again in the future! So back to where I started the gardens are looking awesome thanks to the help of so many volunteers and the Parks Department staff. I encourage everyone to stop down for a stroll through the gardens soon. Enjoy the summer season with family and friends and thank you again for supporting Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens. Trevor Cameron, President Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens Thank You to the Northwest Neighborhood! Earlier this year in May we received a generous offer from our neighbors in the Northwest Neighborhood of Everett. Their board offered to make a donation to the Arboretum to cover the purchase of two new tree specimens in the Japanese Maple Grove. After the windstorm in November of 2015 the entire west tree line of the Arboretum was destroyed as well as many of the Japanese Maples. Thanks to the generosity of the Northwest Neighborhood and their $500 donation we were able to plant two new substantial specimens an Emporer I maple and a Tsukushigata maple. Both trees will add some awesome color to the area as we continue to replant the grove following the windstorm. We sincerely thank our neighbors in the Northwest Neighborhood for the trees and invite them to come visit them in their neighborhood anytime!

3 South Area Completion Update We continue to march towards the completion of the South Area of the Arboretum later this year. The project is being done in conjunction with a major Parks project at the park to help keep the costs down. The project is in bid now and we hope to begin sometime this fall. The completion plan will include a new ADA accessible loop path around the south area, new planting beds in the south area, new benches for seating and the commemorative Oak Leaf wall. Last but not least the new James Madison sculpture Siblings will be installed at the south end for generations of visitors to enjoy. We sincerely thank all the members and donors who made this project possible. Most importantly we thank the Everett Parks Department for working with us to make the south area completion a reality. Our group is excited to see this project started and looks forward to showing off the finished product later this year. Family Fun Event a Huge Success! Our group is proud to offer events for all to enjoy and on July 22 nd we held our annual Family Fun Event in the gardens. We hosted a nice crowd and everyone had a great time. We are all so proud of the Arboretum and hope that all the visitors enjoyed the day in the gardens and sunshine. Organizations we would like to thank include the Everett Public Library, Paws to Read, The Imagine Children s Museum, April Richardson from The Schack Art Center, The Village Theater Kidstage, Master Gardeners of Snohomish County, Janet Hamilton (who did the fabulous pastel painting), Baile Folklore Dance Group, The Pilchuck Audubon Society, and the YMCA. Marco Cortes also played music in the garden. There were balloons, face painting, popcorn and a great scavenger hunt for kids. We could not have done this fun event without all the help from these awesome community organizations and we thank them for partnering with the Arboretum to make this such a special family day in the gardens. All of this happened with the leadership and vision of Hap Wertheimer, event chair, and all the volunteers who helped make this event a success. Thank you! We can t wait to see the 2018 edition next summer! Join Us For Our BulbFest This Fall at the Arboretum! We have a special event planned for this fall in the Arboretum.. a new BulbFest celebration day that promises to be fun for the whole family. On Saturday October 14 th from Noon until 2 PM we will be planting hundreds of bulbs in the Arboretum gardens. Come down, help out AND take a free bag of bulbs home to plant in your yard. We are trying to add masses of color and planting these bubs in different areas will help. The reward in spring will be stunning for all who visit the Arboretum! Bulbs are easy Dig, Drop, Done is the motto! We will meet at the Arboretum entrance that day and get to the planting ASAP. This is a free event for all Arboretum members and again, you will get a bag of bulbs to take home and plant. Not a member? The class is $20 for individuals and $35 for families. This registration cost will get you into the class and also get you an Arboretum membership through February Please mark your calendars for this Family Fun Event and join us as we continue to make the gardens more beautiful for 2018.

4 Arboretum Focus Plants. Plants, and More Plants! As we head into the heat of the summer season, there is much to see at the Arboretum. As you stroll around there are always treasures to find in all the gardens. This summer, let s focus on one garden this time The Master Gardener Border. Since the Arsenic Mitigation Project at Legion Park the Master Gardener Border has been totally redone. This was the one area of the Arboretum that essentially had to start over from scratch. Since the DOE completed the Arsenic removal last year, the Master Gardner team has been busy planning, designing and finally planting the new border. Master Gardener volunteers have spent literally hundreds of hours making this project happen for the community. The final plants went in in July and now like all gardens in the Arboretum we get to watch it both evolve and mature as the dedicated team of Master Gardeners nurtures it along. This border has always been one of the most beautiful and colorful places in the Arboretum - and the new and improved version will be simply stunning! Thanks to the vision of project leader Dode Carlson and the planning and design of Sandy Schumacher the garden is alive once again for all the visitors to enjoy! The Master Gardeners have stuck to their roots and will continue to showcase stunning shrubs and perennials that thrive in our local area. As Howard Voland, Master Gardener Program Coordinator, told us The Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation is excited to watch the new border grow and mature, providing inspiration to local gardeners as they make their garden choices. All of us on the Arboretum Board of Directors are pleased to continue our partnership with the Master Gardeners and look forward to watching the new border grow. Make sure to stop in for a visit and look at all the new treasures that have been planted. Like the original edition, this garden will burst with color during all the seasons. Thank you Master Gardeners for all you have done and will continue to do to make the border a showcase garden in the Arboretum once again! Thank You to Our First Ever Intern at the Arboretum! One of our main goals this year was to investigate and then implement a potential internship program with Edmonds Community College. This local public institution has always been at the forefront of horticulture education programs in the area and prepares students for a variety of positions in the horticulture industry. This spring we had the pleasure of our first intern, Lauren Rogers, join us from Edmonds CC the spring quarter. Special thanks to Libbie Soden, our internship program coordinator, for setting this all up with Edmonds CC and spending many hours mentoring Lauren.

5 Lauren was able to join us for everything from plant sale work parties to board meetings and hopefully got some valuable insight and experience into the things that go on at the Arboretum. Most importantly she was able to see how our non-profit charity functions in terms of fundraising and grant writing. We all enjoyed having Lauren with us and wish her the best of luck in wherever her career leads her. Thank you Lauren for all your efforts this spring in the Arboretum! This is truly an exciting time for us and we thank Lorraine Brooks, Horticulture Instructor at Edmonds Community College, for allowing us to start this program with the students. Our group hopes that we can continue this relationship going forward and we look forward to hopefully having another intern to work with us fall quarter! Captivating Cultivating Classes.. Provided by Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens! Come and learn about all things horticulture from our guest instructors at the Arboretum. Classes are the 3 rd Saturday of each month from noon to 1 unless otherwise noted. Special note to members you will have access to some hands on seminars this year in the gardens free of charge! Others may join these classes by becoming Arboretum members. Please RSVP by calling or online at contactus@evergreenarboretum.com. See a complete class listing for 2017 on our website as well. SHADE GARDENING Saturday August 19 th Noon to 1 PM FreeNot all plants need or want to grow in the sun. Many of our northwest favorites prefer to grow in the shade. Come and learn about these plants that thrive in the shade and discover their specific needs. Informational handouts will be available on plants for full shade, partial shade and dappled shade as well as two tough areas in the garden wet shade and dry shade. Tour the newly planted areas of the Woodland Garden in the Arboretum and gather some ideas for your own landscape. Let Marylou teach how to make your shade gardens sizzle with color and foliage! Instructor: Marylou Hart, Master Gardener and Arboretum Board Member. FALL PERENNIAL COLOR Saturday September 16 th Noon to 1 PM Free Want a garden with color year around? Don t forget about fall! Coma and learn how to extend the season of color in your flower beds. Janel will teach you how to utilize some great perennials in your gardens that will bloom late summer through fall and give you the pop of color you want this time of year! Instructor: Janel Garnett, garden designer and friend of the Arboretum. PUTTING THE GARDEN TO BED Saturday October 21 st Noon to 1 PM FreeWhat should you do this fall to get your garden ready for winter? Some of the topics that will be covered include which perennials need to be cut back, which plants should be mulched for winter protection, and which plants should be dug up and protected during winter months. Bring your questions join us for this great class on protecting your garden investment year to year. Instructor: John Marsh, Master Gardener and friend of the Arboretum.

6 Come and Get Dirty With Us! Arboretum work parties have been scheduled for the season. We would love to have anyone interested in helping join us. These work parties are necessary to continue to keep the gardens looking top notch. Come and pitch in while you talk plants and gardening with other volunteers. Enjoy the fresh air and our beautiful Arboretum. Be sure to bring your gloves, tools, a bottle of water and your smiles. We hope to see you there and thank you in advance for your help! Wednesday August 2 nd Saturday August 19 th Wednesday September 6 th Saturday September 16 th Wednesday October 4 th Saturday October 21 st Special note on work parties for We have purchased $25 gift certificates to Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and will be giving them away to volunteers each month all season long. Be sure to come and sign your name on volunteer sheet to be entered for the gift certificate drawing. Every time you volunteer we enter your name to win! Mark your calendars our annual volunteer appreciation BBQ will be held on Saturday October 21 st from noon until 2 PM at the Arboretum. Please join us and let us thank you for all the help this season! Thank you once again to all who donated money in the Commemorative Oak Leaf Wall Fundraiser. We have seen the plans and can t wait to show you all the finished product this fall! Thank you to all of our faithful members that have renewed their membership for 2017! If you have not renewed it is never too late to join and help support Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens. If you join now we will extend the membership through February You will essentially get 18 months of membership at the price of the yearly rate! Visit our Website Mailing Address: PO Box Everett, WA Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens, 145 Alverson Blvd, Everett, WA 98201